12 volt

So,

Bruce is saying that all of my gauges will work if I switch to a 12volt system and do nothing to them. Cornbinder you are saying that is not true. I don't know much on the electrical end that is why I am trying to get this worked out before I blow something I can't replace.

I've seen gauges in the K series fail with just a quick "jump start to get it going" from a 12 volt vehicle. L-R series are simler in constrution of the guages to the K.
Sometime in the mid 50's two things happened... The std for vehicles went from 6 volt to 12, and King Seeley changed how the guages worked. Niether of these changes can be pinned down to a spefic date (before X/X/XXX things were one way, After y/y/yyyy they were another) so a little caution is needed.
The later King Seeley system was used right up until the end of the light line (in the 80's) and was also used by Ford and Chry ( thru at least the mid 70's). While the faces on a guages of Ford and Chry differ from the faces used by IHC, the guage itself can have the faces swapped. If I were going to change a six volt King Seeley vehicle, I would install the COMPLETE gauge system from one of these later (12 volt) cars, allowing the use of easyer to find senders and parts to the older vehicle, and still retain the look of the orignals.
The later system is compatable with 12 volts.
Haveing said that, I have never felt the need to change from six volts.
Because componants for the old 6 volt stuff is no longer being made, nor readly avaible, I consider ANY loss of componant life unacceptable.
The early guages are hard to come by in working order, but senders are even harder to find. These early senders are not a flat resistace type used in the later system but have a resiatace "card" with a pulseing set of contacts biult into them. For this reason no modern flat resistance sender will work and give the same readings as the orignal senders.
I can not comment on Bruce Frank's experiance other then to say, I have not seen what he has in his truck, nor has it been my experiance that 6 volt gauges survive on 12 volt for even a short while, nor do they give correct readings while they are trying to funtion on 12 volts. Electical theroy doesn't back up his assertions either.
For all the reasons I have stated, I plead with people who just can't wait to crank up an old truck, and have to do it with a 12 volt battery, to reach up behind the dash an snip the feed with to the guages and disconeecting the voltage reg and genny before they do, thus saveing the old stuff while satisfieing their curosity if it will start.
What you do is up to you, but so far the number of people who have had burned guages out number those how have not by several factors of 10.

I would also point out the Bruce Frank said he had a 1956 S series. The transision years are generally accepted to be '55 and '56 and the S series being genrally 12 volt. It is possable that his truck was 12 volt, or that it had the later King Seeley system that can use 12 volt.
You never stated what model or year you are working on.
While '55 and '56 are a general rule for North America, 12 volt was an option back to the K series at least ( I have documentaion for the K series).
One problem comes that back then, titles were issued only when the vehicle was 1st registered to the 1st owner. So a truck biult in 1950, and for some reason not sold until 1953 would be titled as a '53. This further muddys the waters when trying to figuare what is what. Most everything (execpt VW and Porsche) by '57 was 12 volt.

Cornbinder,

I don't want to blow my gauages because they are still working. As for right now the truck sits with no battery in it. As for the truck it is a 51 or 52 L112. ( The title says one thing and the plate inside the cab says something else.) As for right now I would like to drive it around while I work on it. ( none of the lights are in it right now) Is it possible to put a 6volt battery in it for now to get it to run? I see a lot of people talking about 6volt systems being + ground. My ground wire is my neg.

Don't go by the color of the cable to know what is ground and what isn't.
Look at the ign coil. If the + on the coil goes to the points in the dist it is + ground.
The good thing is that the truck will not care (if it has a generator) which ground it is, It will not burn anything up if you hook it up backwards like it will if you have an altenator.
Another way to tell, hook up the battery (either way) and turn on the headlights or other high amp draw item. If the truck has an ammeter, the gauge should show a draw (go to the - side of the gauge) if hooked up correctly, it will read backwards (toward the + side ) if you have it wrong.
Once you determine which ground the truck is set up for, you should polarize the generator (this only needs to be done once, and only if you are not sure how the truck was last run I.E. which ground was used last.) with the battery hooked up, and the engine not running, find the voltage regulator (will be a box on the firewall with three wires running to it, two of which go to the generator) and look for marking on the terminals, they should be marked "F" or Field, "A" or Arm, and "B" or Bat. momentarly jump the BAt and ARM terminals with a wire or screwdriver. That is all that is required.

Cornbinder,

Once I have the battery in based off of the wire going from the coil to the points, do I still need to polarize the generator?

Cornbinder,

Once I have the battery in based off of the wire going from the coil to the points, do I still need to polarize the generator?

It might not be a bad idea. That way you'll know when you fire it up that the genny is matched to the battery polarity.
To polarize the gen, with the engine stopped, and the battery connected, momteraly jump the Bat Or B terminal ON THE REGULATOR to the A or Arm terminal (not the field or F terminal)... thats all there is to it.

After not knowing better and over twenty years ago, I did the 6 volt to 12 volt conversion and destroyed a set of KS gauges. Next stop was at the store where they sold Stewart Warner, All MADE IN AMERICA, I told myself and without reading the label for calories, carbs and salt, The gauges went in and I was off. SW had just sent their manufacturing south of the Reo Grande that year and the gauges suffered from not having the Good Old American Touch. Within a year, I had replaced every gauge and sender at least once, some more. The warranty guy checked my work for correct installation and told me that SW was returning their production to the USA because my situation was all to common. After about 18 months all of the problem gauges were gone and the next 18 years were problem free. It has become increasingly difficult to buy MADE IN NORTH AMERICA, but I always check before I pay. It is important to vote with your spending. Most of my shop is old and made here. It works and respects our history. HMM, another good reason to refurbish an OLD IHC.

Things men have made with wakened hands, and put softly life into are awake through years with transferred touch, and go on glowing for long years.
And for this reason, some old things are lovely warm still with the life of forgotten men who made them. D. H. Lawrence

OK so the saga continues......I have the new 6 volt battery in. it is positive ground not based on colors, but based off of wire coming from coil to the dist. when I go to crank it, it turns over really slow. like 1.......2.......3.......4......5,6 for some reason it goes slow then you will get two turns a little faster but will not start. Can anyone point me in the right direction before it shows up on diamonds in the rough?

Thanks

Cables, 00 gauge (not from an auto supply house, go to a truck supply house). DO NOT RUN THE GROUND CABLE TO THE FRAME! run it to the starter mounting bolt in one piece.
The biggest problem with IHC is that they ran the ground to the frame, then had a seperate "strap" to bond the engine to the frame. This adds 2 connection and steel in place of copper to conduct the current. The starter draws 500-600 amps, give it the best possable connection, the reat of the truck uses less then 30 amps, let the braided strap carry that light load, not the heavy load of teh starter.
If the above doesn't solve the problem check the voltage at the battery posts themselves and at the starter when cranking and compare. If they match within 0.5 volts, then pull the starter and have rebiult. If it varys more then 0.5 volts find out why. Check at the soloniod (if used) or the foot switch.