6 volt battery

Mort

Senior Member
I just got new (old) ground strap for my 31 coupe and went to put it on but it is the wrong size for the positive post on the battery. After looking at various sources, it appears that the positive post on my battery is on the wrong side, it is near the transmission as opposed to the drivers door. Anyway, does anyone know of a good source for getting a battery with the correct size post for positive ground which is on the correct side? I am not looking for a Ford script battery, just a good 6V.
Thanks
Mort
 
A standard "Group 1" 6-Volt car battery will have the terminals in the correct locations. You must have some other type of battery (golf cart?).

Doug
 
Yea, I've never asked for anything other than a Group 1 battery.

From what I can find, 6v group 1 batteries are found by the following numbers;

NAPA - BAT 7244
Exide - 7200
Tractor supply - Com 1 HP (part number 0470506) I think.
Autozone - 1-6 volt
Farm and Fleet - 040573
 
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If you currently have a six volt battery the posts should be on opposite corners. just spin the battery 180 degrees and it will put the positive post where it should be...:confused:
 
Make sure your ground strap is for the positive ground system. A regular ground strap will only fit the negative side. Available from all model a parts houses...
 
OK, thanks much. The ground strap is from Brattons so I am sure it is right.
If I spin the battery around then the negative post is close to the frame and the positive post is up by the bell housing, so that does not work.
It must be some kind of odd ball, like a golf cart.
 
The correct battery has the neg and pos posts on opposite sides. Unless they are on the same side you have the correct battery posts. Your battery should be positioned long ways front to back of car.
 
I think the Model T and early Model A's had the battery posts positioned as you indicate, with the positive ground on the right rear corner instead of the left rear corner. Maybe you have one of these early batteries, or a copy of it. I didn't know any of this style were currently being made.
 
Model T's were negative ground.

Right, but didn't they have the battery posts in a different position, the same as the early Model A batteries?

I'll look in the Service Bulletins and J/S as I'm sure the information and maybe pictures of the early battery are in there.
 
I might be confused but aren't the + and - posts different diameters? I remember having to adjust the cable clamps to fit on the positive ground A system.
 
I might be confused but aren't the + and - posts different diameters? I remember having to adjust the cable clamps to fit on the positive ground A system.

Yes, the + is larger than the negative post. Ford had a ground cable with a larger clamp to match the post.

Do the parts houses also have the correct larger clamp on the ground cable?
 
Ray,

You are not confused, the positive side is always a larger post, helps to keep it from being hooked up wrong. Most supply houses have the correct clamp to terminal size. The ground cable clamp in a positive ground system is large to match the positive large post. Same condition for the negative small post with a small cable clamp to go to starter.
 
Pages 211 and 215 in the "SERVICE BULLETINS" shows the early style battery with the + ground post located on the left rear of the battery.

Page 265 shows the new location of the + post, where it is moved to the right rear of the case, but nowhere do I find the date of the change.

Mort, which picture describes your battery posts?
 
Tom. My battery is as illustrated in fig. 435 on page 211. But on the 31 coupe, the ground hole on the frame is located to the left of where the positive terminal is on the battery I currently have. To ground my current battery to the frame, the strap does not reach to where the hole is. The battery should be as in the figure on pg 265. I looked at some of the web sites, Tractor Supply, NAPA and the class 1 batteries that they sell are correct (pg 265) to the way my car should be. I have no idea where the battery that is in the car came from. It also appears that the posts are sized backward??????? It appears to be a fairly new battery, I will have to look closer and see if I can find any info on it. As someone said earlier it could be for a golf cart of something. Who ever did the restoration on this car took some liberties.
 
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