Jump starting 6 volt with 12 volt

[Brushwacker]

Anybody have or been doing it?
What are and how likely would be the risk?
I bought a 6 volt Ford tractor last year, when the previous owner was showing it to me, it flooded starting so he jumped it with his 12 v pickup. I asked him about it, he said he never had a problem doing it before. It had been starting good in moderate weather for me but yesterday it needed a jump so i did, cranked quite a bit on it until it kept running. Don't know if i was risking causing problems or not?

 

[67L36Driver]

We did that quit often when I was a youngster as there were still a lot of 6 volt cars on the road.[emoji6]

Twelve on six is like a direct short and one should only connect it when cranking.

Risk is a hydrogen gas explosion so make your last connection to a good ground on the twelve volt vehicle. [emoji1696]

 

[motorhead99999]

Ya do it quick and you will be ok. Or just switch the 8n or whatever it is to 12 volt. Use a one wire gm alternator as there cheap and everywhere

 

[anlrolfe]

Voltage Regulate = Poof....?

 

[67L36Driver]

I had a ‘52 Olds, 6 volt. Was always a hard to start when warmed up. Always park where I could roll it down hill and dumped the clutch.

Dad dropped in an eight volt battery. Then it burned out the headlights and after that, threw the solder out of the generator armature. [emoji3525]

Ended up keeping the 8 volt in the trunk with jumper cables.

Hindsight being 20-20 I suspect we had a marginal coil.

 

[AmateurSawer]

First.Unless someone has reversed the polarity of the battery,you will have a big problem as the Pre 1965 Fords were Positive ground as well as 6 Volt.
Several ways to address this:

1/ Get a 6 volt battery maintainer and hook it up to the correct polarity.Then, plug it in from time to time.Battery will stay up longer.

2/ Get a conversion kit to 12 Volt as someone above suggested. Alt, battery etc.You can buy online. Something like a group 24 will work then.

3/ Leave the tractor parked on a hill..

 

[old guy]

I seem to remember ford cars going to 12 volt in 56, don't know about the tractors.

 

[AmateurSawer]

I seem to remember ford cars going to 12 volt in 56, don't know about the tractors.

Tractors changed at the 1965 but some were still 6 V Positive ground until then.
I wasn't sure when the cars changed. Thanks.

 

[Brushwacker]

Thanks for all the replies.
It is a 600 series Ford tractor, i think it is negative ground, mid 50 s or earliar. Its been sitting in the woods with a brushhog,my white oaks been dieing the last 3 or more years, tall thick briars have to be dealt with to get the dead out. After sitting 3 or more weeks in the cold it took a jump.yesterday morning: started right up on its own the following day.

 

[AmateurSawer]

If it's a 600 series,then it was originally a Positive ground system.I have an 861 from that era and it is.Your battery tester should tell you.My h3 Allis Chalmers dozer is 12V positive ground but I can jump it with another vehicle by hooking like terminals. Positive terminal to Positive terminal.

 

[Kgw51gmc]

Just make sure it isn't positive ground. I rewired my 8n Ford to 12 volt except starter is original. Ten years ago, it doesn't hurt the starters unless you crank it beyond reason. same thing with my 49 and 51 gmc trucks