Replacement Battery
- Thread starter JoeMarine
- Start date
BRENT in 10-uh-C
Well-known member
Longevity of a 6 volt battery is directly proportionate to keeping it fully charged 100% of the time.
Y-Blockhead
Well-known member
I totally agree! As soon as I park my Town Sedan, I plug in the Battery Tender. That and keeping the plates covered. I have mentioned it before, but I use Battery Oil in my lead/acid batteries, very rarely do I have to add water and zero corrosion on surrounding items. My battery is now ~14 years old.
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The 6 volt red top Optima battery is superior to regular 6v batteries by a long way. These batteries have 800 CCA and are charged by your system or any maintainer. Can't go wrong....if you have sufficiently deep pockets! Quicker starts and more dependability, at least in my A with a 5.5 head.
alexiskai
Well-known member
The Optima AGM batteries may be better (I'm not convinced), but the fact is that they cost 2-3 times what conventional lead-acid batteries do and they usually do not last 2-3 times as long. And they don't deliver faster starts – the battery will only supply what the starter is drawing, so as long as the starter is drawing less than the amp draw capacity of the battery, every battery of equivalent voltage will deliver the same amount of power. Model A starters typically draw around 150A. Even on my 7:1 Winfield head, I measured the amp draw at 154A.
Kurt in NJ
Well-known member
For me the Optima has been good—16 years out of the first one and have more than 10 on the one I am using now.
Never used a maintainer only charging by driving.
For the 4 years between Optimas I used a converted from 12v AGM battery off the junk pile— perhaps the best value because it was free.
no sparks or sizzling smoke cutting it with the sawsall.
Never used a maintainer only charging by driving.
For the 4 years between Optimas I used a converted from 12v AGM battery off the junk pile— perhaps the best value because it was free.
no sparks or sizzling smoke cutting it with the sawsall.
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montanafordman
Well-known member
Shop for a "Group 1" battery. 6V. I can get them at the local farm supply store for $65. They sell them much cheaper than the auto parts stores or classic car vendors. Same battery - Shop around and buy local if possible.
Joe K
Well-known member
Optima and other "sealed" AGM batteries will work - but you do best to have a voltage regulator (and basically operate it like a modern car.)
The technical fail of the original Model A generator/charging is the manual "matching" of charge versus load. In the day it was a constant challenge to "match" the load to generation - requiring a constant shifting of brushes - or some other method like driving with your lights on.
Period drivers were warned about keeping from "boiling off" the battery electrolyte. Replacement was usually done with distilled water.
Today's modern "cell" batteries will do the same as they did in 1930, boil the same, require tinkering the same - and fail similarly when the battery finally gets a shorted plate or some other defect from your abuse.
This is not necessarily to recommend AGM modern - they have their own faults primarily in greater potential for freezing. The original cell batteries could take a lot of abuse because they were designed to withstand a lot of abuse. AGM batteries operate in a refined world and usually are not asked to go beyond their design envelope.
So each have their advantages - and disadvantages. If you're not using a VR with your system, I would stay away from more exotic batteries.
Joe K
The technical fail of the original Model A generator/charging is the manual "matching" of charge versus load. In the day it was a constant challenge to "match" the load to generation - requiring a constant shifting of brushes - or some other method like driving with your lights on.
Period drivers were warned about keeping from "boiling off" the battery electrolyte. Replacement was usually done with distilled water.
Today's modern "cell" batteries will do the same as they did in 1930, boil the same, require tinkering the same - and fail similarly when the battery finally gets a shorted plate or some other defect from your abuse.
This is not necessarily to recommend AGM modern - they have their own faults primarily in greater potential for freezing. The original cell batteries could take a lot of abuse because they were designed to withstand a lot of abuse. AGM batteries operate in a refined world and usually are not asked to go beyond their design envelope.
So each have their advantages - and disadvantages. If you're not using a VR with your system, I would stay away from more exotic batteries.
Joe K
Ernie Vitucci
Well-known member
Good afternoon...I've used Optima batteries in my Model A for 21 years. In the heat of Scottsdale, Arizona I get about 7+ years and I drive the car at least once a week for about 49 weeks a year. I do use a one wire alternator which has lasted the 21 years since I installed it. Ernie in Arizona
nkaminar
Well-known member
I bought a 6 volt battery from the local Tractor Supply here in Wilkesboro that was DOA. I don't think they have enough of a turnover so the 6 volt batteries sit on the shelf for years in a discharged state. I could not charge it and took it back to get my money back. Bring a voltmeter with you.
I recently bought a 12 volt LiPo battery for my car and I am really happy with it. It does not loose a perceptible charge from sitting. It can sit 50% discharged without degrading the battery. It should last 20 years. And it is 1/3 the weight and twice the capacity. I am not sure if 6 volt LiPo car batteries are available. It was less cost than the Optima. I got it from Walmart online.
I recently bought a 12 volt LiPo battery for my car and I am really happy with it. It does not loose a perceptible charge from sitting. It can sit 50% discharged without degrading the battery. It should last 20 years. And it is 1/3 the weight and twice the capacity. I am not sure if 6 volt LiPo car batteries are available. It was less cost than the Optima. I got it from Walmart online.
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jeepguy1948
Well-known member
It was my understanding hat a LiPo battery could not be used in a high load application like cranking a starter. Are the now LiPo batteries available that are designed for that application?
jeepguy1948
Well-known member
It is not quite true that a starter will only draw what a starter will draw. The amperage used by the starter is directly proportional to the voltage. The higher the voltage, the higher the amperage, the higher the watts.
Optima batteries (an Absorbed Gas Matt Battery) has a higher resting voltage than a conventional Lead Acid battery and the will crank a 6 volt starter like it was on 12 volts.
45 years industrial electrician with plenty of experience in all things electrical.
Optima batteries (an Absorbed Gas Matt Battery) has a higher resting voltage than a conventional Lead Acid battery and the will crank a 6 volt starter like it was on 12 volts.
45 years industrial electrician with plenty of experience in all things electrical.
nkaminar
Well-known member
Jeep, My 12 volt LiPo battery is designed for high output. Because of the higher voltage, 14.6 volts, and lower internal resistance, it makes the starter motor crank too fast. I have changed over to smaller gauge cables in an effort to slow down the starter motor but will have to find some more resistance somewhere. The Bendix spring has too much resistance but I am thinking about cutting it in half.
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jeepguy1948
Well-known member
Thanks NK I was totally unaware of the existence of such a battery. It would be a bit complicated but LiPo batteries can operate just fine at partial charge and the output voltage of a LiPo battery is directly proportional to the state of charge. If you could reduce the charge level to say 13 Volts then I think you would be fine.
alexiskai
Well-known member
This is nonsense. Completely made up. The charging rate for a 6V AGM battery is 7.4V versus 7.25V for a conventional battery. 0.15V is not going to “crank a 6 volt starter like it was on 12 volts.”