teleman Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 My B61 is pos ground 12/24 start and everything works fine the way it is but I want to change over to neg ground to uce my gps,cb and phone charger...Larry..freightrain..has helped me try to understand this but im still wondering about how to go about it...I want to keep the 12/24 series parallel switch as it is,switch the one wire alt to neg ground,switch the voltmeter wires and then switch the battery cables around..the series parallel switch instructions say it can be used pos or neg ground and looks like just the cables need switched at the batteries...I have one group 31 12 volt on each side,,,has anyone tried this...or am I overlooking something...thanks Jim 1 Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/40011-series-parallel-to-neg-ground/ Share on other sites More sharing options...
gearhead204 Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 my old midland cb said in the instructions to reverse the leads for + ground. so with that in mind i think you could put a cigerett charger isolated from the rest of the truck ( mounted on wood or plastic or such) and reverse the leads to the charger and you should have - ground at the charger..........just a thought. Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/40011-series-parallel-to-neg-ground/#findComment-289863 Share on other sites More sharing options...
41chevy Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 Here is the way do do only a cigarette lighter power port in a Positive Ground vehicle for a Negative ground devise. This is in an Autin Healy but same basic positive ground system as the B Model. Paulhttp://www.mossmotoring.com/negative-ground-lighter-socket-in-a-positive-ground-car/ Quote "OPERTUNITY IS MISSED BY MOST PEOPLE BECAUSE IT IS DRESSED IN OVERALLS AND LOOKS LIKE WORK" Thomas Edison “Life’s journey is not to arrive at the grave safely, in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting ‘Holy shit, what a ride!’” P.T.CHESHIRE Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/40011-series-parallel-to-neg-ground/#findComment-289910 Share on other sites More sharing options...
theakerstwo Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 As for as switching battery cable you can if you want leave cables on the batterys like they are and then run the batterys down all the way.Then charge them up backwards and the battery will not care. Quote glenn akers Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/40011-series-parallel-to-neg-ground/#findComment-289914 Share on other sites More sharing options...
grayhair Posted May 15, 2015 Share Posted May 15, 2015 I'd say do it as described above. That is, purchase a new cigarette lighter socket. Mount the socket so it is completely electrically isolated from any of the truck metal or dashboard metal using plastic bracket or plastic washers, or whatever, but be sure it is isolated. Then,. a) Purchase an inline fuseholder. (about $3.00) b - Connect one of the fuseholder's wires to your trucks hot (negative battery) power somewhere convenient.. c) Connect the fuseholder's other wire to the ground tab of the lighter socket.d) Use a piece of wire to connect the center post terminal of the lighter socket to your truck's ground (battery positive) somewhere convenient.e) Don't skip the fuseholder. Install, say, a 15 amp fuse. Don't want any melting wires or fire from a short somewhere. 1 Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/40011-series-parallel-to-neg-ground/#findComment-289928 Share on other sites More sharing options...
teleman Posted May 15, 2015 Author Share Posted May 15, 2015 Thanks....I know I can insulate and use a power source plug if I need too( reminds me of when I was a kid and my dad drove a b model for Yankee Lines ...he had his radio mounted in a woob box and vice grips with garden hose on the ends for the antena mount) but one of the trailers that I can use has LED lights. I was hoping someone had switched the battery cables around and left the seriesparallel and starter alone...thanks Jim Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/40011-series-parallel-to-neg-ground/#findComment-289984 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freightrain Posted May 15, 2015 Share Posted May 15, 2015 Unhook the alt so it doesn't work. Then swap battery leads and start it. If everything works fine, get the alt switched and bolt it back on. No harm, no foul. Quote Larry 1959 B61 Liv'n Large...................... Charter member of the "MACK PACK" Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/40011-series-parallel-to-neg-ground/#findComment-289988 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maddog13407 Posted May 16, 2015 Share Posted May 16, 2015 i guess im missin something but every series parallel switch I have seen is nothing but problems, even a rebuilt one. why not just add a 12 volt starter, two battery cables and two batteries and your done, wire it positive or negative, doesn't matter, switch wires on amp meter and your good to go. 1 Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/40011-series-parallel-to-neg-ground/#findComment-290058 Share on other sites More sharing options...
teleman Posted May 16, 2015 Author Share Posted May 16, 2015 Thanks...thats what i plan to do if this does not work out...When I got the truck running I bought a new switch down at the john deere dealer...its worked perfectly since then... so I figured why change when it looks like swapping the battery cables around will simply take it from pos ground to neg ground...Ive got the truck down at Roys now putting brakes on it and fixing the pinion seal...oh and I went to akron/medina and picked up another fifth wheel.....so like Larry says Im taking the alt wire off,swap the cables at the batteris and tell you what happens....thanks Jim Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/40011-series-parallel-to-neg-ground/#findComment-290064 Share on other sites More sharing options...
41chevy Posted May 16, 2015 Share Posted May 16, 2015 Still have to swap the Amp gauge wires so it will read correct. Paul Quote "OPERTUNITY IS MISSED BY MOST PEOPLE BECAUSE IT IS DRESSED IN OVERALLS AND LOOKS LIKE WORK" Thomas Edison “Life’s journey is not to arrive at the grave safely, in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting ‘Holy shit, what a ride!’” P.T.CHESHIRE Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/40011-series-parallel-to-neg-ground/#findComment-290101 Share on other sites More sharing options...
phildirt Posted May 16, 2015 Share Posted May 16, 2015 Have a fire extinguisher ready.There is more to it than just switching the batteries. Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/40011-series-parallel-to-neg-ground/#findComment-290117 Share on other sites More sharing options...
teleman Posted May 17, 2015 Author Share Posted May 17, 2015 OK....since I already got rid of the reg/gen and went to a one wire alt I just unhooked the pos groung alt and switched the cables at the battery and switched the wires on the volt meter and everything worked like it did before but im now neg ground....Like Larry said,,,I was overthinking this...So now Im dropping off the alt to have it changed to neg ground...the paper work with the new series parallel switch said it would work pos or neg depending how the battries were hooked up so were good to go....thanks everyone... Jim Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/40011-series-parallel-to-neg-ground/#findComment-290149 Share on other sites More sharing options...
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