49 Mercury wiring diagram help

[Guest]

I'm looking for a wiring diagram for a 49 Merc. Would like to convert to 12 volts negative ground and I do have a rewound 12v generator - what regulator would be correct for this installation? Thanx

[Guest]

I looked long and hard at your post. Lester Catalog Company, 150 E. Jefferson Blvd. LA CA 90011 is most likely no longer in business. No company winds automotive generator armatures. Any 'rebuilt' generator is a collection of left over serviceable parts. Once the commutator throws solder, overheats by an incorrrect voltage regulator setting or malfunction, that is the end of that armature. I need Lester 5834, a 40Ampre 7 volt generator. It is almost identical to a Lester 5830 a 35 Ampre generator. There are plenty of no warranty fly-by-night outfits that will substitute. New Old Stock they say NOS. Do not belive them.<P>Twelve volt Ford voltage regulators for generators have three relays. The relay in the middle is for voltage. The relay with the thick windings is for amperage and is in series with the voltage relay. The generator makes electricity when it is spun. When it makes more than the battery, the cut in relay is energized. A better, illustrated explination can be found in a MoToR manual (predisessor of Chilton).<P>Ford and Mercury used the letter A for cars built in the fourties. A voltage regulator part number for your 49 would start with A9. A twelve volt regulator starts at 1956 for a car, B6#### followed by a letter. The current could be as low as 20 Ampres.<P>My guess as to why you want 12 volt is that your battery cables are too small in diameter. They need to be 00 guage. 12 volt battery cables just do not work on a 6 volt car.<P>Personally I would replace the entire wiring harness before switching to 12 volts. <A HREF="http://www.ynzyesterdaysparts.com" TARGET=_blank>www.ynzyesterdaysparts.com</A> <BR>also there is a company NuRex that has some good electrical parts. Be sure to see the thread: <A HREF="http://www.aaca.org/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=7&t=000856" TARGET=_blank>http://www.aaca.org/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=7&t=000856</A> <BR>An alternator has the voltage regulator in it. There are now 6 volt alternators. It is after all your car. Beware of the "NOS" criminal salesman.<P>There are some Hot Rodders that let me go with them with my Antique. My local club has voted to allow 'Resto Rods'. The important part is to get along and bring the kids up right.

[Guest]

Thank you for your response. The Merc belongs to a friend and while it uses all the stock components, flathead, OD trans etc. it is slightly customized and extremely well done. There is a company here that rewinds field coils etc. to convert to 12v. and he has had that done. The changeover to neg. ground was necessary to operate a modern stereo etc. It sounds like the 56 Ford regulator is the way to go. I appreciate the time and thought you've put into this - Thanx again.

[Guest]

You got me thinking long and hard again. Since it is slightly customized and not mine, I should not bemone the loss of the six volt system and authentic starter sound too much.<P>Any portable radio and CD player that uses four dry cells is six volt. I would canabalize that CD player and hide it in the 49 Mercury's in dash radio.<P>I went to go look up 6 volt halogen headlamps and other goodies but they let me down. I think <A HREF="http://www.nurex.com" TARGET=_blank>www.nurex.com</A> has them for model A. And you did say ect. meaning other 12 volt accessories.<P>How about a secondary electrical system? Ford New Holand has a tiny 12 volt alternator for their garden tractors. It doesn't mater which way an alternator spins, it could ride on the back side of a V belt like an idler. It is a one wire alternator. A motorcycle battery can be mounted in that cavernous engine compartment. The 12 volt radio would hook to ground and the motorcycle battery with a fuse and could never run the starting battery down. Between the two hot wires there would be 18 volts but the two systems won't bother each other.<P>Things that one might think change, don't change. They are always marking ignition coils positive and negative when they should say points and battery. The common side of the ignition coil goes twoard the points. Then there is the electric actuated overdrive, horns, lights, ect. It is too easy to make a mistake.<P>I just hate to loose another good six volt system. There is too much to change. I think the dash of the 49 Merc has a battery volt meter in it. Don't let that or the rest, or your friend get fried.