Battery purchase & best shut off location

A

acereske

Junior Member
36 Ford fordor sedan humpback - 6 volt positive ground - I don't get to drive it regularly and it is stored where there is no electricity. I need a battery replacement but have not been able to find the right size (measurement wise) locally. Since I cannot use a battery tender l must install a battery disconnect but don't know where to locate in the car and what type to purchase. Thanking you all in advance for you coming advice. Al
 
Is there a window where your car is stored? If so you can get a solar charger but a battery disconnect is a good idea for safety reasons.
 
A lot of people don't like them, but for something like this, I'll use the ones that mount right on the battery like a terminal and have a green knob to make or break the connection. I use them twice a year, once in the fall to break the circuit and once in the spring to re-establish it. In the spring, I remove the threaded knob completely and make sure it and the female threads in the terminal itself are bright and shiny. I then put it back in and make sure everything is nice and right. I have been doing this for years on several cars with absolutely no problems. If I was looking for an anti-theft device and used it continuously, I wouldn't even consider one of those. Everything has it's place.

For a battery, I would usually suggest an Optima, but they are too tall to fit in a '36 battery box. The box can be modified and a faux Ford script case used, but that adds complications that the O/P might not want to get involved with.
 
tubman said:
For a battery, I would usually suggest an Optima, but they are too tall to fit in a '36 battery box. The box can be modified and a faux Ford script case used, but that adds complications that the O/P might not want to get involved with.
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What about mounting the Optima battery on it’s side ?
 
NAPA< AutoZone, Tractor Supply should be able to get you the right size battery. I recently got a GRP 2 at NAPA for my 40.
Paul in CT
 
acereske said:
36 Ford fordor sedan humpback - 6 volt positive ground - I don't get to drive it regularly and it is stored where there is no electricity. I need a battery replacement but have not been able to find the right size (measurement wise) locally. Since I cannot use a battery tender l must install a battery disconnect but don't know where to locate in the car and what type to purchase. Thanking you all in advance for you coming advice. Al
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I'm using a 6V Red Top Optima battery that's mounted vertically in the stock '35 battery box, about 2" below the original battery rails/cross brace mounts. This puts the top terminals below the original battery cover/door. The previous owner of my car mounted a quality rotory kill switch under the driver's seat by drilling a hole in the raised area of the sheet metal floor. I would have preferred mounting it elsewhere, but still accessable to the driver, while still in the driver's seat. I have heard some bad things (failures that could lead to a fire) about those inexpensive cutoff/kill switches that mount to a battery post/terminal, and usually has a green rotary knob. There are 2/3 previous posts with pictures of the Optima battery box mounting that I use.
 
I bought an old Cole Hersee switch made in the USA, stay away from the imported ones the quality is not there. My battery is under the hood on my '41 so I mounted the switch through the firewall and the switch is under the dash.
 

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Unless you have a electric clock, which drains the battery when everything is off, I don't see how a switch will solve your problem. With all the switches off and the contacts open, you should not have any battery drainage. The battery voltage is dieing internally so a switch won't solve that problem. Use a test light to see if you do have battery drainage and if so the switch is a cover up solution.
 
Excellent point "JUergen". My problem is that I have an absolute fetish about the clocks in my cars running ad keeping good time.
 
Red top optima for me. I just disconnect it when it's not in use.


If storing for a long while. Months or over the winter I just take the battery out and put it in the shop. Charge it once when I shelf it and once before putting it back in the vehicle for the summer.


Best of luck!


.
 
Juergen said:
Unless you have a electric clock, which drains the battery when everything is off, I don't see how a switch will solve your problem. With all the switches off and the contacts open, you should not have any battery drainage. The battery voltage is dieing internally so a switch won't solve that problem. Use a test light to see if you do have battery drainage and if so the switch is a cover up solution.
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Not in my humble opinion.

A battery cutoff switch provides a safety feature from short circuits, or high current leakage that can happen during times of high humidity, and other unforseen situations that, left unattended, can cause fires leading to a complete loss of vehicle(s), including a garage, that's possibly attached to a home, a barn, an out building, or any type of storage facility or other structure. They are also considered as good theft deterrent devices if switch is located in a difficult place to find quickly. They are also very good to have when working in an engine compartment with tools that could inadvertently bridge live wires to ground.
Think about it, I'm sure there are other good reasons for a quality battery kill switch as well, even though you may not have an electric clock draining a battery.
 
tubman said:
Excellent point "JUergen". My problem is that I have an absolute fetish about the clocks in my cars running ad keeping good time.
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So, in view of your UNDERSTANDABLE fetish (I'm the same way), what do you do in the fall when you open the various battery disconnects to keep your clocks runnin' on the money? DD
 
>>>I don't get to drive it regularly and it is stored where there is no electricity.>>>


Sounds like you only drive it once in a blue moon. When you're ready to drive it more, buy a new 6 volter with the right dimensions from tractor supply, install it and forget it except maybe for removing the ground terminal. You don't need a switch or solar power. Just take the battery home with you and keep it on a tender if you expect the car to set till the next blue moon. Jack E/NJ
 
Mount the cut off switch thru the floor right in front of the front seat, driver side. That way its hidden from casual eyes and handy for you to reach in an emergency. Rural king stocks good 6v batterys for something like 43 dollars. I have them in my cars and have not problems.
 
I have a '36 tudor humpy. I glued a plastic battery box to the floor in the trunk and bought the biggest tractor 6 volt battery that would fit in it. Used welding cable for cables and used battery connectors that have the wing nut. In the fall I just unscrew the wing nut on the ground side and disconnect the cable. In the spring I put a charger or maintainer on the battery when I think about it and with a little drink of gas down the carb, she fires right up. Only takes a couple minutes to open the trunk lid and do the work. I don't have a shut off, but would probably mount one close to the battery in the trunk some where. I have them on a couple other machines and agree that you should get a quality one as the cheap ones lose amps across the connection.
 
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