12 volt conversion for
a 54 Chevy
Parts List
- 12 volt battery
- Remanufactured Alternator AC Delco 1#1979865
- DA Plug Try NAPA or Patrick's has a real nice one
- 12 volt coil AC Delco 1#12337166 (not internally resisted)
- 12 volt coil resistor 1 #12336832 or NAPA ICR13 or standard Ignition VRC
604
- 12 volt horn relay
- (2) 7 inch headlights
- Fuel Gauge Reducer NAPA IR4 or NCA #2143
- (3) voltage reducers for accessories (1 for heater, 2 for radio) NAPA
VT6187
- (4) bulbs for taillights and parking lights #1157s for those of you that
want something real trick, your Harley dealers makes HD ones of these and
you can also get them in LED for super bright applications
- (2) bulbs for backup lights #1156
- (7) Glove Box (1), Speedo (2), Instruments (2), Turn Signals (2) Bulbs
#1895
- (2) Bulbs for high beam (1) and ignition switch (1) #53
- (1) Bulb for radio #1893
- (2) Bulbs for clock (1) and license plate (1) #97
- (1) Bulb for dome light in sedans# or 2 in HT #90
- (1) 12 volt Flasher Unit #550
- A handful ring terminals I think 9, but maybe more
- A roll of electrical tape
- Alternator Brackets, Look around they’re about $50 wherever you find
them, Patrick's, Langdon's, Obsolete Chevy. It’s not rocket science to make
one of these things, I may have to go into business myself.
- Fan Belt. You might be able to use your original, you won’t know this
until the end. Save the till last.
- A 53 Chevy should be very similar to the above.
Okay so that is the parts list. I bought the $350 kit from the NCA. It
costs way too much, but this way the first time I did it and it comes with
instructions. Use my parts list and the instructions I give you and you’ll
save a lot of money.
It took me less than 3 hours during a regular business day answering
phones, talking to customers and I made 3 trips to the Auto Parts Store.
Tool List
- Phillips head screwdriver
- Flat head screwdriver
- Wire cutters
- Crimping tool
- 10mm wrench
- 1/4" wrench
- 3/16" wrench
- 5/16" wrench
- 3/8" wrench
- 1/2" wrench
- 9/16" wrench
- some of these wrenches may not be needed or you may need more, it
depends on what some knucklehead used the last time your car was worked on.
I work on motorcycles, so here are a few hints that I think will be well
worth your time, follow my instructions in order and it will be a lot easier.
Also, this will allow anyone that wants to return to 6 volt a nice way of
doing it with only 3 wires being spliced during the whole process (you can do
it with only 1 splice if you have extra wire for the radio and heater)
Procedure
- Disconnect the battery
- Replace outside lights
- Replace interior lights and Flasher (just reach under the dash, there is
no need to remove a thing)
- Dome light
- Glove Box
- Flasher Unit
- Speedo lights (grey wires) and high beams (green)
- Ignition Switch Bulb (gray)
- Instrument Bulbs (gray)
- Turn signals (Blue/Black Purple/Black)
- Radio Bulb
- Replace headlight bulbs
- Replace parking light bulbs
- Replace tail lights, back up lamps and license plate bulbs
- Install Fuel Gauge Reducer. If you bought one from NCA, it has real nice
instructions and parts, else, its pretty easy. Connect the 2 pink wires with
a fuse on the end to one side of the reducer, connect the other side of the
reducer to the terminal on the gauge of which the fuse came off using a 3/8"
wrench.
- Install a reducer ahead of the heater switch (your switch has a bulb in
it, you will blow it if you put the reducer between the switch and the
motor)
- Install 2 reducers in series ahead of the radio
- Swap out the horn relay
- Swap out the coil
- Mount the ballast resistor to the firewall and wire it in serious on the
+ side of the coil.
- Remove the F wire from the generator and fold it back onto the wiring
harness
- Remove the F wire from the voltage regulator and fold it back onto the
wiring harness
- Connect the 2 wires left on the voltage regulator to each other using a
nut and bolt and make sure they are insulated with electrical tape. You can
splice them together, but then it will be harder to return it to original.
- Remove the voltage regulator from the firewall
- Remove the Generator and the lower generator bracket from the motor (my
kit came with a new upper alternator bracket that was superfluous.)
- Plug the DA connector into the alternator.
- Disconnect the wire from the A post on the generator and connect it to
the BAT post on the alternator along with the red DA plug wire.
- Run the white or yellow DA plug back through the firewall to the
ignition switch and hook it up to the IGN post.
- Use black electrical tape to wrap the harness where the ugly white or
yellow wire runs through the firewall and cover up the F wire from the
generator
- Connect the battery and you are done. Start up the car and SMILE.
Note: the indicator lights on my dash are always on. The turn signals
function properly.
Contributed by Bob Hayden
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