Help with Flathead Ford F-4 Truck

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ntsqd said:
Uh, the generator will need to have some work done to convert to negative ground. Otherwise it will charge the battery dead assuming nothing goes up in smoke.
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"Work done?". Here's the deal on generators

The only difference for a generator between NEG and POS ground is "how it was polarized" sometimes called "flashing" or "flashing the field."

This procedure VARIES depending on whether you have an A or a B circuit, and it's vitally important to determine "which" you have before doing so

(The "A" and "B" generator circuit is analogous to the early and late Mopar alternators.......in one case the field is grounded, and in another case, the field is isolated and connected to the armature. Autolite made both, and at least in the case of older Ford tractors, they used both types as well. "They ain't all the same")

The second difference is in the regulator. Many? Most? OEM regulators have electrical contacts which won't put up with "arcing" in normal operation due to reversed polarity. BUT nearly all aftermarket regulators are built so that they do. This was for reduced inventory.......You don't have to stock as many regulators


This truck would have been POSITIVE ground, end of story. No reason to change other than going 12V.

I would check over the wiring, and hook the last battery conection up through a light to make sure there are no shorts or current draw.
 
I recalled that work had to be done to convert a gennie to neg ground, but didn't recall the details and wasn't going to post info that I knew might be wrong.

I agree, I see no reason to convert it to anything until it's uses are better known and decision(s) can be based on that.
 
Thanks for all the replies. I had some things come up this weekend so I barely got to work on the truck or check FABO. I did air up one flat tire and pull it to my house. Now I can work on it at my leisure.

Post number 22 seams to have it nailed. That picture looks identical to the interior of this truck so it must have had the ignition switch on the right and dash starter button on the left. That is what I thought but that pic was a big help. Thanks 67!
 
The 12 Volt Conversion isn't necessary, but it does make finding parts easier and cheaper.

At least in the case of my '48 Dodge, it was easier and cheaper to convert to 12 Volt/Negative Ground.


Instead of searching high and low and paying a massive fortune for replacement/used 6V Fog Light Bulbs (Sealed Beams), I can walk into the parts store and order a PAR36 Amber Sealed Beam (widely used on Big Rigs up to Present Day/2014) for about $8 each. It's the exact same light as the 6 Volt version (which is impossible to find), but in 12 Volt, readily available everywhere, and cheap. The same goes for the Spot Light Bulb.

Battery? Well, I can pull the Battery out of my Plow Truck (Which only really gets used in the winter) and drop it in my '48 to drive in the summer. When the '48 gets parked, the battery can be swapped back to the Plow Truck. 1 Battery, serving 2 vehicles that get used in different seasons Same goes for Jump Starting the truck, should the battery go dead in a parking lot (granted my truck does have a Hand Crank Starter, but many don't)

If my voltage regulator, alternator, etc fail. I can also walk into any parts store and buy the parts right off the shelf.

Points are my only complication at the moment (though I've heard that Pertronix makes a kit to update the original distributor for many flathead engines, including mopar flatheads). But I have a spare set of points & condenser in the glovebox until I get around to ordering a Pertronix kit for the truck.
 
If I had one, I'd probably "go 12V" "Probably" the minimums:

All 12 V bulbs, of course

6V starter works fine on 12V

New starter solenoid, they are cheap. I might be tempted to gamble on how long the 6V one lasts LOL

Electric gauges, use a "Runtz" regulator for each gauge, or if you are handy, you might get by with the 5V DIY regulator projects aimed at the 12V Mopar Ford instrument limiter repairs

Heater, wipers. Use parts store "volt drops" and follow the destructions. It depends on amperage draw of the particular motor

Coil / ignition. Get a modern 12V coil and matching ballast. Doesn't matter what they are off of so long as they match, IE "68 Plymouth coil and ballast"

Generator / alternator. You can use ANY 12V generator so long as you have the MATCHING regulator. Almost any alternator you can mount will work. Cheapest easiest regulator is the 62--69 Mopar 2 wire regulator Most of the time, this regulator will work fine on all but the heaviest alternators
 
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