Back in the day, never had a Ford that was newer than ten years old, and very few people would put a new flathead in a hundred dollar car. Always bought the best, fattest battery available and had very few cold start problems in central Alberta winters. Don't recall ever seeing an 8V conversion, but have heard it's tough on bulbs. ..B.
6 Volt or 8 Volt...Will it Work Without Damage
- Thread starter Hellerlj
- Start date
"Your results may vary", as the pill pushers say on their info-mercials, but I grew up on a southern MN farm in the six volt days and as long as the truck, tractors and car ('40 Ford, then '51 Nash) were in decent tune they always started. A few years ago Dad was complaining about the '40 (same one) always quitting in the middle of a parade. I said it's likely the coil. He said 'Why? It's always started no matter how cold it was'. I asked how long ago? He said back in the '40's. Don't you remember?' I do vaguely remember (I was about 5) the car being parked at the end of the lane so it wouldn't be snowed in and walking to the car with him and hearing that starter wind over a few times and it starting after sitting overnight at 35 below and the wind blowing. Now it has a Skip's coil and will happily keep idling along the parade route until it boils over. 12 V. cars were just as much trouble starting as six V. when the battery got old, dirty plugs, points, etc.
FlatheadTed
Well-known member
Bill please don't let it get out a Cheby pushing a Ford. LOL .One problem that is hard on Starters is that the fuel often drains back,were some other makes the fuel drains forward as the pump is low on the side of the engine ,We did a experiment with a clear plastic hose on a pump we rebuilt .It took about two pushes on the arm with the palm of my hand and it sucked the fuel up 3ft .As the others have said a large welding cable.I run one direct to the starter as a earth as well .set up like this I ran on a small 6volt 8 " VW battery and it still started after 8 years, The biggest issue with 6volt is the lights I put in 50watt bulbs and the lights are quite bright but the battery went flat I got in new reflectors and they appear to be chrome ,not ideal .Ted
kraken
Member
A while ago, Rumbleseat posted about having a seperate 12 battery hooked up to an isolated starter switch and to the 6 volt starter. He also had the regulat 6 volt battery going thru the stock starter button. He would turn the key on, and if the engine did not fire on 6 volts, he would hit the 12 volt button. That way, the starter is spinning on 12 volts and the ignition system has the entire 6 volts to fire the coil. I have not done this yet, but it is on my winter project list.
quickgene
Member
Northern Mn cold is brutal.
I've seen and heard of people including me use tarps over cars with heaters of electric, propane or pans of charcoal under the engine, light bulb heat, bring batteries, oil, spark plugs even anti freeze in the house to warm it up so the cars and tractors will start. Before electric power came about in rural areas it must have been awfull. After a snow storm of a couple feet of snow would end it whould get cold like -20 to -50 degrees and windy. If you had to plow the driveway to get the milk truck in you would go to any lengths to start the rig. Nobody could afford to pour the milk out. Or miss days of work. A 8 volt would help the tractor start.
My dad bought good batteries 6 volt for the car and plugged in the electric engine heaters. Up until about 25 years ago most people up here plugged in their cars for at least a couple months a year. Sometimes we would use a battery charger to help start them. After we got a bigger garage the cars didn't sit outside much and started better. Then at work we started the car at lunch time so it wouldn't cool off to long. Don't know if that helped but we felt better knowing it started at lunch. A straight stick was great, you could coast down hills and pop the clutch on the Duluth hills or you could pull it to get it started.
I'm sure some cars got 8 volts but I only remember tractors getting 8 volt batteries.
I would think this would be foolish behavior in southern states. But up here there is no limit to the things we have done to start a car or plow rig.
The new cars pop right off now, so the kids don't have a clue about these things. I haven't seen anyone plug a car in for a few years now. Some tractors still need extra help starting. Gene
I've seen and heard of people including me use tarps over cars with heaters of electric, propane or pans of charcoal under the engine, light bulb heat, bring batteries, oil, spark plugs even anti freeze in the house to warm it up so the cars and tractors will start. Before electric power came about in rural areas it must have been awfull. After a snow storm of a couple feet of snow would end it whould get cold like -20 to -50 degrees and windy. If you had to plow the driveway to get the milk truck in you would go to any lengths to start the rig. Nobody could afford to pour the milk out. Or miss days of work. A 8 volt would help the tractor start.
My dad bought good batteries 6 volt for the car and plugged in the electric engine heaters. Up until about 25 years ago most people up here plugged in their cars for at least a couple months a year. Sometimes we would use a battery charger to help start them. After we got a bigger garage the cars didn't sit outside much and started better. Then at work we started the car at lunch time so it wouldn't cool off to long. Don't know if that helped but we felt better knowing it started at lunch. A straight stick was great, you could coast down hills and pop the clutch on the Duluth hills or you could pull it to get it started.
I'm sure some cars got 8 volts but I only remember tractors getting 8 volt batteries.
I would think this would be foolish behavior in southern states. But up here there is no limit to the things we have done to start a car or plow rig.
The new cars pop right off now, so the kids don't have a clue about these things. I haven't seen anyone plug a car in for a few years now. Some tractors still need extra help starting. Gene
blucar
Well-known member
My 36 cpe is and was black with an apple green pin-strip, been repainted once in 1960. All of the instruments and accessories, including the radio and string wind clock are originals to the car. The heater is a '39 Ford unit that was in the car when I bought the car in '52. There is no evidence that the car ever had a heater prior to the '39 heater.
Cool Hand Lurker
Well-known member
Back in the early sixties I was in college in Minnesota and had a test the next morning. It was -25º so I got up and went out and started the 50 Ford with a flathead V8 every two hours and let it warm up thoroughly. You can figure out what happened at 7:00 am. Didn't start. The generator won't recharge the battery very quickly after a start, not like an alternator would, so the battery was dead. Maybe it would have been good enough at warmer temps but when a battery is COLD it loses a lot of potential. I knew I was in trouble when the starter made the feeble cranking noise that sounded like "rur...Noooo" and gave up. I had to run about a half mile at -25º to make it to the test.
Ahhh..... memories!
Ahhh..... memories!
Old Henry
Well-known member
If you want original style you won't find them made new. You will find them used or NOS on ebay.
peewee2you
Well-known member
After replacing all the wiring with aftermarket repro of original, rebuilding generator, new starter, battery and cleaning all nuts, bolts, washers, had a good ground cable made. Yes it all comes down to an expense, but also peace of mind in long run. I was experiencing tough starts, draining battery, frustration, now 1st push on that ignition start button on dash, and fires right off, so quick and quiet I have to stop to be sure I don't hit it again because it's already running. Stock 6v battery from Interstate
I have a 34 fourdoor all stock except for the 8 volt battery installed which was in it when purchased six years ago. Starts great hot or cold. Origional coil on distributer works fine. The voltage on the coil when running is around 5 volts through the origional ford resistor, which is only approx half a volt above the 6 volt system voltage of 4.5 volts. The current draw of the coil is hardly any higher than on a 6volt system so the dist. contacts last just as long. How do I know this ? I fitted a six volt optima battery for a few weeks and did comparison tests on voltage and current draw. The third brush setting on the generator I slightly increased when the 8 volt battery is fitted. I only have the generator output set at 6 amps.On a later car with a voltage regulator the voltage would need to be increased from approx 6.7 volts (6 volt system) to approx 9.0 volts for an 8 volt system. The cut out closing voltage would also require raising a little. Find an old auto electrician (over 65 years old) to do this adjustment as most young ones wouldnt have a clue. The headlights are better than on 6 volts and I have not changed a bulb in 5 years but only use the car a little at night. I have changed one stop light bulb in that time. The origional ford glove box radio still works great. As with the 6 volt system it is most important to run the origional gauge wire and cables that the car was manufactured with, not the thin gauge s..t that you buy from autobarn !! Remember a 12 volt system only uses half the current (amps) as a 6 volt system but a 6 volt system uses double the current and therefore all cables have to be larger than a 12 volt system. All connections and earth returns must be "PERFECT" to minimise any voltage drop or loss. Regards. Kevin. (old auto electrician, retired).
Just to clarify my statement above on 6 volt regulator voltage settings this should read at approx 7.6 volts to 8.5 volts depending the area temperatures. Lower temperature areas require the higher settings especially in winter. The 6.7 volt setting I mentioned is the voltage that the cut out contacts close and charging starts. As stated all these settings need to be raised in an 8 volt system. Regards, Kevin.
danliveshere
Well-known member
My late father had a 35 5 window that was converted to 8 volts. Generator was adjusted, the headlights had new 6v sealed beams fitted. It started so easily, ran super lights at night and the dual horns startled wildlife into submission at 100 yards!!! He had the battery purpose made so it fit in the battery rack under the floor.