when there were only 6 justices on the supreme court how did they break the tie?

Answer 1

Looked it up and couldn't find an answer.

Maybe they didn't break a tie. Maybe, if the vote was 3 - 3, the status quo was maintained, and the law being challenged was not changed. You should need a majority to change any law. And, maybe it was better with an even number of Justices. 4 - 2 or 5 - 3 is certainly a more solid concensus than 5 - 4.
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Answer 2

Currently what they do is that if there is a tie (for example, if one justice recuses himself), then that means that the decision of the Court of Appeals is left standing. In other words, you need a majority to overturn a decision, so if it is 4-4 then the decision of the lower court stands.