Is it physically possible to run a 12v starter on 6v flywheel?

[cb1990s]

As far as I can tell my car is running a 6 volt flywheel paired up to a 12 volt starter; but how could this even be possible? It never grinds or anything like that.

Would the teeth physically be able to engage and turn the engine without horrible grinding noises?

[richiesgarage]

i have cars come into the shop with the same setup. what it does is chewup the teeth on the flywheel because of the mismatch. there are suppliers selling 12volt starters with 6volt bendix drives. 6 volt flywheel are getting hard to find. richie
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[cb1990s]

[Cusser]

[61SNRF]

[Cusser]

[Denny B]

I have a 12v starter and a 6v flywheel.

I purchased a converted "Hybrid"12v starter that has a 6v bendix drive on it from a member of this Board that converts them. Works great!

Here is the link to his classified ad:

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=551031
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Hey Denny, Here is my favorite quote for your list.

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[cb1990s]

[Denny B]

[MrGoodtunes]

[glutamodo]

Look at the outside diameter of the ring gear. There was crossover between 6V and 12V, not much , but it exists. But the 130 tooth ring gear is 4 millimeters larger in diameter than found the 109 tooth flywheel.

Starters were designed to fit either diameter flywheel. (note/edit: Ghia models were used as a test subject for this change during model year 1966)

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[mukluk]

All combinations were made at some point so 6V/12V and 180mm/200mm clutch size doesn't matter one bit, what matters is flywheel tooth count and having a compatible starter gear. A 109 tooth flywheel is physically smaller in diameter than a 130 tooth flywheel, so a 109 tooth compatible starter gear is physically larger in diameter than the one for a 130 -- remember, the physical mount location and centerline for the starter motor never changed. Is it physically possible to use a 109 tooth flywheel with a 130 compatible gear? Yes, but it won't last very long because you've paired the smaller diameter flywheel with the smaller diameter starter gear, meaning the actual tooth engagement area between them isn't much.

**Edit** Looks like glutamodo posted quicker.
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1960 Ragtop w/Semaphores "Inga"

[leowagen]

Now you guys had me wanting to remove my starter....

I'm rebuilding my 57 motor, which has a double checked 109 teeth flywheel, but works on 12 V. I usually have occasional starter issues, like if bendix sometimes doesn't come out. PO claimed to have installed an aftermarket whatever branded solenoid. So far, I thought the culprit was this solenoid, but after reading you guys, I realize I may have a 12V starter gear...

My flywheel ring shows some wear, but oddly enough not in the correct side... this wear due to a wrong gear/flywheel match should be in the tranny end of the teeth, not the motor side, which is where mine are worn.

Weekend will be rainy, and my garage is in the open air, so I'll be checking this not before monday.

Any thoughts?

Look to how my flywheel teeth are worn:

look at the tranny side of the flywheel how the teeth show little or no damage at all.... By the way... is tihs an aftermarket teeth ring? hao can ?I recognize a legit 6v - '57 flywheel?

thanks a lot and stay safe!

[mukluk]

Only thing that pops to mind to explain the odd wear to the engine side of the teeth would be the ring gear's been swapped out with a used one, and that used ring gear was previously installed the other way 'round.
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1960 Ragtop w/Semaphores "Inga"

[Sixty3VeeDub]

[EVfun]

Just thinking about this... The 109 tooth flywheel is 4mm smaller in O.D. (272mm vs. 276mm.) The normal 12 volt Bendix starter motor drive is 4mm smaller in O.D. than a 6 volt one (see above in this thread.) If you put a typical 12 volt starter on a 109 tooth flywheel you would have 4mm less gear teeth engagement. The wear pattern from doing this should be obvious, severe wear at the tips of the teeth on both the flywheel and Bendix drive. I'd guess that would be a pretty quick countdown to failure.
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[ZENVWDRIVER]

Our '64 Ghia has been converted to 12V with 6 volt starter and flywheel - spins fast.
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