Electrical: Electric wiper motor for '51 Champion

[dstude]

I've finally decided to convert my '51 Champion to 12-volt. It came down to at some point wanting--actually needing--air conditioning in the California farm country where I live.

Forum posts make it appear that the two-speed '53 and later electric wiper motor will bolt-in as a replacement for the stock '51 vacuum motor. I also see aftermarket conversion motors like New Port Engineering. I like that they offer an intermittent delay switch I'm curious about what others have found to be the best way to go, factory parts or the aftermarket, as well as what to avoid.

I also see that there was a factory windshield washer nozzle for '51. I've never seen one, but I assume it would mount in the cowl and shoot two streams of water at the windshield. I've used the nozzle from a VW Beetle on other cars in the past; they work well and are easy to adjust to put the water where you need it. How good is the stock Studebaker nozzle and is its spray adjustable?

Thanks for the help.

[Guest]

I can't speak for the washer set-up, but I once owned a '51 Champion Business Coupe and also did a 12v conversion. I was able to buy a 12v wiper motor that simply bolted right up to where the 6v was. It was no hassle, as I recall.

[BRUCESTUDE]

I also converted a '52 Commander, and I used a 12V Stude wiper motor from a first generation Lark; apparently the cowl didn't change much over the years. Not sure about the original vacuum wiper set up, but I suspect the electric will bolt in. The washer nozzles were indeed mounted in the cowl (hole needs to be drilled). Hopefully someone can measure or share a picture of theirs.

[tim333]

Do you need a 12V alternator? I bought a 51 Landcruiser that was recently converted to 12V, I’m returning it to 6V hence I have the alternator.

[RadioRoy]

Here is my unsolicited advice.

6-12 volt conversion
Generally, you do not have to replace switches when going from 6V to 12V. You will most likely have to rewire the floor starter switch internally or replace it. How/if you can use the floor starter switch depends more on what your starter solenoid looks like. Some take a ground on the little stud to energize and some take 12 volts on one of the little studs to energize. I don't remember which is which, but the change in how to energize the solenoid came at the same time as the switch to 12 volts.

As a rough rule of thumb, the things that MUST be changed in converting from 6V to 12V are:
-light bulbs - all of them
-fuses
-motors
-solenoids - all of them
-relays - all of them
-battery
-Generator/alternator
-voltage regulator
-radio
-ignition coil
-regulator added to 6 Volt gauge

Things that do NOT need to be changed are:
-switches, including overdrive governor
-wires/wiring (If the old wires are good)
-distributor points
-spark plugs
-spark plug wires - if they are good
-ammeter, except for changing the polarity

Things that are being debated, or upon which there is not common agreement:
-starter motor
-distributor condenser
-horns
-clock


As another general rule of thumb, most voltage reducing devices get hot and do not deliver the quality and exactness/regulation that the device (fan, radio ) needs to operate properly. In most cases, not all, the voltage reducing devices will not work satisfactorily. It is best not to put your hopes in them.

[fpstude]

Thanks Roy, good educational post. A copy goes into my Business Coupe project binder.

[gordr]

"Things that are being debated, or upon which there is not common agreement:
-starter motor
-distributor condenser
-horns
-clock


As another general rule of thumb, most voltage reducing devices get hot and do not deliver the quality and exactness/regulation that the device (fan, radio ) needs to operate properly. In most cases, not all, the voltage reducing devices will not work satisfactorily. It is best not to put your hopes in them."

My thoughts: starter motors are very rugged. The overvoltage shouldn't hurt them, unless you have exceedingly long cranking times. All other things being equal, a six volt starter cranks faster on twelve volts, so ideally the starter would benefit from having less time on it over the course of a year. Since Studebaker changed the flywheel tooth pitch when going from six to twelve volts, both starter and ring gear need to be changed. Simple solution: use the six volt starter until it fails, or until the engine and/or transmission has to be removed, and consider a starter/flywheel swap when those parts are readily accessible.

Distributor condenser: the old one probably will work, but the one specifically recommended for the new twelve-volt coil might work better. The condenser's capacity rating has to matched to the inductance of the coil primary to minimize arcing at the points.

Horns: use the six volt. You should never be on the horn button long enough for the added current to cause heating problems. This is also one place where the six volt relay is probably safe to use, too. Might not be a bad idea to put a 30A inline fuse on the power lead to the relay, though.

Clock: I would be tempted to use a double-button 12V dome lamp bulb as a ballast resistor. Cold, the filament should pass enough juice for the clock to wind when its points close, but should the points stick, the lamp will light, and limit the current to an an amp or so, and maybe save the clock's points from burning out altogether. I have NOT tried this, but it would be easy to set up a trial on the bench.

Agree fully with all the rest.