Electrical: 12 volt limiter for 6 volt gauges.

[60jerry]

I'm thinking I can use an instrument voltage limiter for a 12 volt car to limit the voltage on my '55 gauges and use them as they are. Reverse ground, of course. Seems to me it would work fine. Am I missing something here? Car will be completely retired to 12 volt negative ground.

Another thing, I'll need a new fuel tank level sender and I've noticed someone offers 6 volt and 12 volt senders. What the heck is the difference? Wouldn't the resistance be the same whether it is fed 12 or 6 volts?

Jerry

[StudeRich]

It's a bit hard to follow that Jerry.
If a Chrysler or other make Voltage Limiter was used for 12 volts but the Gauges are the stock Stude. 6 Volt Pos. they will not get 14-15 Volts, but but they will still get 12 Volts and melt down, no matter what Polarity you use on them.

Studebaker Vendors at: studebakervendors.com will sell you the Right Parts and Fuel Sending Units for the proper OHM rating not voltage.

[Dwain G.]

Get a copy of the booklet '12 volt Conversion Guide' from Fifth Ave Auto Parts. See ad in August Turning Wheels, page 60, or order from:

http://www.fifthaveinternetgarage.com/alternator_gazette/altgazette.html

[salmonstude]

12 Volt Quad Cluster for 1955 Studebaker

I don't know if you want to keep your car all original or use it as a driver. I have a 1955 Commander and I converted it to 12 volts years ago. I got a Stewart-Warner 5" quad gauge from Speedway and it fits the dash. It is actually for a 1953 Chevy truck. It comes with all the senders. You have to convert from the mechanical oil pressure line and change out the fuel tank sender. It also does away with the ammeter and replaces with a volt meter. It looks OK for a driver but the rim on the S-W cluster is raised a little from the original.

[rockne10]

The 12-volt conversion guide Dwain mentioned is published by Randy Rundle of Fifth Avenue Internet Garage. He also sells the voltage drops you seek, and is also a contributor to The Studebaker Cooperator in Turning Wheels.

[60jerry]

I must not have been clear. I figure on using a regular voltage limiter used on Mopar cars from the sixties. These are 12 volt cars, but the gauges use a limiter to keep gauge input voltage at 6 volts. Fords did this too. Seems to me that using the voltage limiter is one heck of a lot easier than anything else. 6 volts is 6 volts. This whole thing is only slightly related to the ballast resister for 12 volt cars with points, but the real problem there was reducing the ignition voltage to reduce arcing when the point open. Really, that has nothing to do with the gauge thing I'm talking about. Why the heck did I bring it up. Aw shucks, go figger.

[SN-60]

I'm thinking I can use an instrument voltage limiter for a 12 volt car to limit the voltage on my '55 gauges and use them as they are. Reverse ground, of course. Seems to me it would work fine. Am I missing something here? Car will be completely retired to 12 volt negative ground.

Another thing, I'll need a new fuel tank level sender and I've noticed someone offers 6 volt and 12 volt senders. What the heck is the difference? Wouldn't the resistance be the same whether it is fed 12 or 6 volts?

Jerry

Sounds like you need a 12 to 6 volt voltage resistor....they can get hot though, so mount it away from any wiring, etc.

[StudeRich]

I understood (see Post #2) that they Limit it to 12 Volts to make for consistent Gauge Readings and prevent damage to Gauges, 6 Volts? Are you SURE about that?

Normal Running Voltage on a 12 volt System is about 13.5 Volts!

Studebaker 12 volt Cars do not use these, and often a Voltage Regulator sticks with the original Type Points Unit, and you overcharge the Battery and COOK the Fuel and Temp Gauge, ask me how I know!

[DougHolverson]

Why not convert to a 12V internal ballast coil for the points and ignition?

[60jerry]

Salmonstude, I have considered this kind of setup but just trying to make it all look original. I'm not a hardcore original freak, but the price slowed me down. I get a kick out of making things work the simplest way. I'd really rather have a voltmeter than an ammeter, but it's easy enough to work with the blank ammeter. Might send some juice through the ammeter, but it may not be able to handle 50 amps or so. Mechanical oil pressure isn't my first choice, but heck, properly plumbed it should be ok.

[60jerry]

Studerich, yes, normal 12 volt system voltage is not 12, but the standard charging voltage is recommended to be 13.8-14.2 volts. If I remember from a thousand years ago, 6 volt system charging voltage is something like 7-7.4 volts. At 7 volts the gauges are ok. Using a voltage limiter for a 12 volt car should bring gauge input voltage to near 7 or a bit over while charging. I'm pulling a lot of this from fuzzy memory, but it should be close. With a voltage limiter the gauges would never see 12 volts. I'll change that a bit. Voltage limiters make the voltage AVERAGE 6 or7. The gauges would actually see 12 volts for a short time, but very short. The duty cycle is fairly quick. Shouldn't hurt it, should it? Hope not--ouch.

[60jerry]

Doug, I used a ballast resister because I don't have a high resistance ignition coil, commonly called "built in"resistance. I set this up just so I could move the car around garage and driveway 'til I gat farther along. Don't want to fry the points while driving in the yard. When the 360 goes in it'll have my home-built HEI ignition system and the car will be 12 volt negative ground. I had forgotten about the coils that didn't need a ballast resistor. I knew this one needed one because it's off my Dodge Dart.

[60jerry]

SN-60, heat is one reason to not use a plain resistor. I'm also not sure I even remember how to pick a resistor to handle a given number of amps current. It's that ohms, volts, amps thing that I have to write on my walls still after all these years. Is a resistor commonly used to convert 6 to 12 volt cars? Sounds cumbersome--heat wise. I just decided to make the car 12 volts and replace things that can't be easily "fooled" or modified. Hard to fool electricity though.

[SN-60]

SN-60, heat is one reason to not use a plain resistor. I'm also not sure I even remember how to pick a resistor to handle a given number of amps current. It's that ohms, volts, amps thing that I have to write on my walls still after all these years. Is a resistor commonly used to convert 6 to 12 volt cars? Sounds cumbersome--heat wise. I just decided to make the car 12 volts and replace things that can't be easily "fooled" or modified. Hard to fool electricity though.

They do get quite hot, so must be mounted in 'open' area,...but resistors (!2 to 6) can be used to power up 6v radios, gauges, etc.

Best solution though, would be to update from the 6v 'artifacts'!

[Jeffry Cassel]

check out Steve Delanty's Excellent article on Bob Johnston's site.