Your accessory voltage reducer is nothing more than a large carbon pile resistor. The way it drops voltage is by dissipating heat. Keep that thing away from anything you don't want to melt. A few on the list have provided good suggestions: measure the voltage to see where you are. The advantage to the resistor you have is that if it decided to fail, it pushes the carbon pile out the end - no catastrophic failure to do any damage. Another option is to look in a FLAPS heater motor catalog and find an exact, 12V replacement (mounting posts and shaft length/diameter) for your 6 volt motor. That's what I did on my 50 to eliminate the need for an external resistor and nobody can tell the difference by looking. A $35 job back then. Note that your two speed heater switch does the same thing as your accessory voltage reducer - it has a resistor in line for the low speed. Perhaps a motivation to get the "correct" motor in your heater box. Given you have converted everything else to 12v, there seems to be little motivation to keep the original heater motor.
A stock tube radio on the other hand, is another story. Your accessory voltage reducer would not work very well (I'll bet you it would eventually fail in short order). I used a LARGE heat dissipating ceramic resistor with my tube radio for that job. And it gets way too hot to touch because as someone mentioned, the radio draws oodles more amperage than the heater motor. FYI, if you do have a radio and have converted to 12v, you can replace the power supply vibrator in the radio with choice 1) a solid state vibrator for more stable output (that's what I did) or choice 2) they now make a solid state vibrator that allows for 12v input. Even a better option to get rid of that hot resistor. Some modification is needed, though (like changing the face light bulbs to 12v). Good luck. Allen '50 3100 ________________________________ From: [email protected] [[email protected]] on behalf of fahrbach51 [[email protected]] Sent: Sunday, November 11, 2012 7:56 AM To: [email protected] Subject: [old-chevy-truck] Voltage Reducer Help for the limited of knowledge, please. After converting my 1951 3600 to 12-volt, and with the onset of another Kansas winter, I've decided to make ready the dealer-installed recirculating heater. After replacing the hoses and running through some magic radiator sealer, I believe the core will hold. Now to the 6-volt fan motor. I purchased, from Classic Parts of America, part #24-996 Accessory Voltage Reducer which is supposed to reduce the voltage for radios or heaters. I have no reason to advertise for them, I mention it only in case someone wants to look up that part and see what I have. I powered the heater fan switch directly from the ignition switch, and wired the reducer between the post on the switch and the fan motor, and the switch will power the motor at all 3 speeds, but I don't believe it is reducing any voltage. I swear the fan is spinning fast enough to move the pickup forward, and I'm just certain it is receiving too much voltage. Also, th! e reducer gets very hot. Any advice appreciated on whether I'm installing the reducer incorrectly? I don't want to burn up this 60 year old motor, and also wonder if it isn't wiser to part with $65 and buy a 12-volt motor? And most importantly, my heartfelt gratitude goes out to all Veterans, living and parted, who have sacrificed to make our homes and families safe. There are more of us than you know who do not take your gift to us for granted. Fahrbach '51 3600 [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ Ole Chevy and GMC trucks rule! To unsubscribe, send an email (with no subject, no body, just the email), to: [email protected]! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/old-chevy-truck/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/old-chevy-truck/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
