52 Ford F1 6 to 12 Volts

[52 Ford]

I have a 52 Ford f1 that all the wiring was shot and needed replaced. Everyone says to go ahead and convert to 12 volt system.
Can any give me a checklist of sorts for this conversion or a list of items needed to buy and change.
Maybe even a wiring diagram for the 12 volt system.
I've seen many posts on here about this subject but nothing that is a complete list or step by step instructions.

I am new to this wiring and want to get it right.
Thanks

[Aarongriffey]

I changed my F1 to 12 volts because I often rent trailers. Now I don’t have to change the trailer bulbs to 6 volts, and then back again.
You don’t need a different wiring diagram. You can even use a 6 volt wiring harness. The 6 volt wires are larger than you’ll need for 12 volts.
You need a new 12 volt voltage regulator, the generator will work just fine, you can have the starter changed inside for 12 volts but you can leave just the way it is. I’ll spin the engine over a lot faster but may not last as long.
You will need a gage resistor to reduce the power going to the gages that most early Ford suppliers sell and of coarse you will need to change all the bulbs in the lights to new 12 volt bulbs. And a group 24 battery.
A better option is to not listen to those who say you should change to 12 volts. Especially if you have a radio and/or a heater.

[52 Ford]

I do have the original radio, but do not know if it works.
So I can leave the original generator there just change out the voltage regulator to 12 volt? What about the starter relay?
What is a group 24 battery

[warhorseracing]

Sounds as if you need to re-wire also and can do so and keep the 6 Volt. Check out Rebel Wire. They make both 6 and 12 Volt wiring harness and are a HAMB Alliance Member.

[flathead 53]

I rewired my 53 ,f-100 ,stayed with the 6 volts , truck always starts right up , you must have good grounds ,if you do it will be fine .

[cas3]

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battery sizes are called "groups" for some reason, dont know, just trust me. suggested group 24 just is the size that fits in your truck

[JSeery]

Originally Posted by 52 Ford

I have a 52 Ford f1 that all the wiring was shot and needed replaced. Everyone says to go ahead and convert to 12 volt system.
Can any give me a checklist of sorts for this conversion or a list of items needed to buy and change.
Maybe even a wiring diagram for the 12 volt system.
I've seen many posts on here about this subject but nothing that is a complete list or step by step instructions.

I am new to this wiring and want to get it right.
Thanks

This site has a lot of information: http://www.how-to-build-hotrods.com/hot-rod-wiring.html

And the specific section on 6 to 12 is: http://www.how-to-build-hotrods.com/6v-to-12v.html

The basic wiring diagram is the same for 6v vs 12v except for the polarity of the battery connections. The polarity of the coil switches. If you keep the 6v coil (which should be around 1.5 ohms) then you need to add a 1.5 ohm ballast resistor. Or switch to a 3.0 ohm coil. If I was doing it, I would switch out the starter solenoid, keep the 6v coil and wire it like the later Fords. This way you apply a full 12v to the coil when starting and then it switches to the ballast resistor/coil when running.

If you are retaining the original gauges you need a voltage drop for them. You can use a single unit from a later Ford vehicle (Ford kept the same basic 6v gauge system after they switched to 12v). I believe an early Mustang unit is commonly used. Or you can use an individual unit per gauge that provides better regulation. Something like a Runtz.

A 6v starter will work on 12v (a starter doesn't care about polarity) or you can convert the 6v starter to 12v.

For a generator, IMO, you are better off with a 12v unit or an alternator. A 6v generator can be made to work in a 12v system, but you lose amperage output and they are fairly low output to begin with.

Need to change all of the bulbs to 12v.

[cas3]

^^^^ well put!

[JSeery]

For a wiring diagram, you could use the 56 f100, that is when Ford switched to 12v.

The basic wiring does not change much when converting from 6v to 12v.

Don't like to recommend things I have not read over, but I did take a quick glance at this article, might be of some help: http://lib.store.yahoo.net/lib/yhst-...2vreportv3.pdf

[Scotty's 52 F3]

I did a thread on the FTE forum of my conversion with pics and part numbers for my 52. Am I allowed to link another forum?

I used a stock 6 volt replacement harness and stayed 6 volt for quite a while. I have my reasons for going to 12 volts but, it did work fine at the stock 6 volts.

[warhorseracing]

A good book to have while more like a pamphlet is found in most restoration shops online on this topic, 6V to 12V. It takes you step by step from the generator and voltage regulator to the light bulbs and gauges. Another plus with an aftermarket wiring harness is the safety addition of a fuse panel. A very definite safety upgrade.

[Aarongriffey]

Yes, I forgot to mention the coil.
What others have said to do is just fine.
I use a 12 volt coil with built-in resistor but a wiring system that bypasses the resister when the starter is cranking the engine over is great. I would say really needed in sub zero weather. Where I am it almost never gats down to freezing so without bypassing the resister my F1 starts right away all year around.
Keep it simple.
Oh, and the group 24 battery not only fits in the 6 volt battery try on the F1 but it is the lowest priced of all the common battery sizes. A lot of cars use the group 24, everybody that sells batteries has them.