Hello,
I have a all original 1936 Ford pick up. I am in need of a new battery for it. When I talked to my distributer about a new 6 volt he told me that alot of people put in 8 volts. He said it will help it start much better. What I am worried about is the rest of the electrical system. Will I harm lights, resistors, distributor, etc? If anyone can help that would be great.
If you have a 6V battery and all your cables etc are in order then even a V16 starts fine with 6V. Make sure that you have a good earth strap and that the starter brushes etc. are in good order. Perhaps someone else can answer your questions re lights etc. My old man had a '36 V16 other car - no makes mentioned or else and that started beatufully with 6V - Hope this helps. I always like to keep a vehicle as original as possible.
Hello again,
The truck starts fine with a six volt battery. The vendor was just making a sugestion for the 8 volt. I just don't want to damage any other electrical parts (like the $300 distributor) with the extra 2 volts.
If all is fine then I would not even consider changing. We hardly ever drive our oldies at night so lights are'nt really a factor. Geez - $300 for a distributor - that's bit steep hey !!!
Regarding 8V battery in 6V system: My dad used to run big 6 cylinder International trucks, and routinely put 8V batteries in them. He took the voltage regulator to a generator shop, and they "adjusted" it to the 8V. It started better, and we never changed, nor had trouble with, 6V bulbs, heater, etc. Having said that, if your 6V starts OK, why mess with it?
I don't know if this will help you much but here goes. My father has a 1942 2N Ford tractor that has been in the family for close to sixty years now. It of course came with a 6V system. She would start fine all summer, but when it got cold and damp no way. We would put her in the shop all winter on concrete so she would fire. Five years ago I got Dad a new 8V battery. Holy cow! What a difference! She starts all the time, every time. If your truck sits for periods of time or you live north of Texas I would recommend the 8V. We did nothing to any of the electrical on the old tractor and no problems.
I had a 52 Pontiac straight 8 years ago that started fine when it was cold but would not start when the engine was hot. I put an 8V in it and never had any trouble after that. I made no adjustments to any electrical parts other than the battery.
One of the earlier posts suggested using an 8 Volt battery and modifying the regulator to 6 volts. In effect, it will become a 6 volt battery, so I don't see the point in doing that. The problem when starting is supplying sufficient power (voltage X current). Hgher voltage battery needs to supply less current to make the same power.
The eight volt battery will shorten the life of your lamps and gauges. If you don't run your truck a lot, you may not notice. If it is starting well on 6 volts, I'd stay with it. If it develops problems starting, hunt down that problem and kill it. Converting to a higher voltage would be masking a problem that will probably continue to progress.
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SteV8e
1952 F3
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