Calling for help.

[Leodrake]

My father-in-laws 1951 kaiser virginian is having starting issues and it seems as if it is not running as well as she used to. The mechanic is suggesting we convert to 12V but that is something we would prefer not to do. If anyone has any advice on what things need to be looked at please let me know. we have a new 6v battery in her and they just replaced the points. It has an alternator in it. I will provide any info if it will help me figure out the issues.And if all else fails can anyone throw me a step by step guide to make the 12v conversion seamless. Thank you in advance.

[joefrazer]

A couple question to help narrow down the issue...

Does the engine crank but not want to start?

If the engine cranks, does it do so very slowly?

Kaisers are positive ground. Is the battery installed correctly?

Is gasoline getting to the carburetor? Has it ever been rebuilt?

One of the most often overlooked source of problems are electrical connections. Be sure all connections at the battery, solenoid, and starter are clean and shiny.

We have a great group of armchair mechanics who visit this site - I'm sure one of us will hit on the source of the problem.

[alohagreen]

and be sure of the gas--- fresh fuel

[Fid]

If the mechanic is suggesting you convert to 12 volts then you have the wrong mechanic. These cars ran fine and will continue to run just fine on the original 6 volt systems.  All of mine start and run fine and they're all still the original 6 volts. Remember the car is 60+ years old and may have issues due to the age of the parts/components that you don't see under normal wear and tear.  Check the wires inside the distributor as the original have cloth woven insulation and it unravels due to age.  I had that cause a problem for me (see attached).  Also, is the fuel tank clean and free of sludge?  Dirty gas lines can cause the symptoms you described.
A bad ignition coil is another possibility - they're inexpensive and easy to replace.
One thing I know for sure is the problems are not because the car is 6 volts.

[Bobm90]

Fid is on the money (as usual) I would never convert my 54 to 12 volt, there is no reason, find the cause and fix it rather than convert. 6 volts seem to work well.

[Corsairdeluxe]

Clean contact surfaces till they shine and coat them with dielectric grease. Run the battery ground to both engine and frame. Use a grounding strap from body to frame. Do it right once. It's work but worth it.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Permatex-81150-Dielectric-Tune-Up-Grease-33-oz-Tube-New-/152257559954?hash=item237341fd92:g:rPAAAOSwNRdX6yO~&item=152257559954&vxp=mtr

[Leodrake]

Thanks everyone for all the advice. She now is running great.

[Fid]

Good news.  Glad to hear it is up and running again.

[Troyannandivanjohnson]

As a proud new owner of a '53 Dragon, Dream Girl and I are chatting about whether or not converting to 12 volts is a good idea. I'm very happy to see so many say 6volts is how the vehicle was designed and it worked well in '53 and will work today. I want to keep things original and have found that often times converting makes more problems in the long run. So Dream Girl is so much smarter than me, she asks "what if I need a jump?" Poses 2 questions Dear Forum, 1, how to handle the Pos ground in a jump start event and 2 most of what's on the road is 12 volts. How does one procur a jump start in modern America?

Ivan.

[alohagreen]

Before the new  ign parts (that brought the car up to par) i'd just jump from ANY 12volt

[Gordie]

A 12 volt jump starts usually works fine for a short period but be sure that all six volt accessories like the radio and lights are turned off when using 12 volts.

[Troyannandivanjohnson]

Got it, thanks. we can jump with 12 volts for short periods of time, turn off all 6 volt accessories, but what about the Pos ground, does that need to be considered? I guess not + is + and - is - the cables are still connected the same way. + to + and - to -?

[FleetMaster]

Correct, observe the same polarity- like to like regardless of + or - ground.