VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - GENERAL Electrical - 6 volt How to wire a 216 for test run

Good day! I apologize if this information is already in this forum elsewhere, I didn't find anything in a search but then again I'm not the best searcher....

I have a 1942 216 stovebolt that turns free by hand. I am considering rebuilding it but wanted to see if it would run (and how it runs to assess what needs to be done...). Engine is not in car, but on a wooden dolly made for it. It is complete minus the generator. My question is, how to I wire the 6-volt battery to the starter and ignition to run it for a few moments (until the battery dies)? Does anytone have diagrams? Thanks!

Matt

All you need is, neg. to engine block,pos. to starter and run a wire from starter to pos. on coil. Crank the starter and it should run. ( If it has gas to carb.)

The wiring depends on what you have. If you have the starter with starterator switch, you can manually operate the switch without the vacuum diaphragm. You will need to provide a wire from the positive post on the battery or starter switch to the positive post in the coil. You can use nearly any coil even a 12 volt coil for the test run (it likely will give 1/2 the voltage to the spark plugs but if wiring is okay it will not matter on short run). Make sure the coil and condenser are grounded. A clip on the wire can act like an ignition switch. Then have a ground cable from the negative battery post to starter case, engine block or clutch housing or ?? That is all that is required to provide power to start and for ignition.

If you don't have a starter switch you can use a set of jumper cables to provide power to starter as long as you have line from positive post to coil. When you touch the positive post in the starter it should turn.

There are other ways that are similar depending on what you have and don't have available.

I'll give it a go...thanks guys!

Matt

Hey guys...one final stupid question...how much damage would I do to the starter, plugs and wires if I ran it on a 12V battery and 12V coil? I have 12V coils around...I'd have to buy a 6 volt battery and coil otherwise and I'd rather wait till later to commit to either keeping it 6V or 12V.

Also to answer another question...yes the starter switch and foot pedal is in tact and functioning...

Thanks again!

Matt

I currently run a test engine on 12 volts with original 6volt coil, starter and distributor without problems. Don't run too long at a time. Running to test engine will not cause a problem.

I decided to just hook up to the starter to see if it would turn over...I put negative to ground and positive to the starter, pushed in the button and...absolutely nothing happened.

So I took the starter off, checked to see that it turns freely (it does), put negative jumper on the starter case and postive on the positive post, pushed the button again, nothing.

So then I pulled off the switch and found the positive contact underneath. Put the positive to that and apart from a whole lot of sparks, nothing happened.

Guess the starter's pooched...

Ok..got the starter fixed. But now, no spark. Just to double check I did this right...I ran a wire from the positive terminal on the starter to the positive terminal on the coil, then ran a wire from the negative terminal on the coil to the terminal on the side of the distributor that goes to the points. Correct? There is another terminal on the back of the distributor, should I be connected to that instead?

There should only be one wire going to the distributor. This should go to the points.