Ok guys I am new to this site ,can someone help me out ,I have a 47 ford truck that turns over real slow ,it is a flathead V8 ,is it safe to put a 8volt battery in it ,I have a heater in it and the wiper works ,and the lights also work,will that 8volt be to much for it ? Thanks for the help ,and I really enjoy this site!!!!


Bill B2000

 

Bill, I have a friend who put an 8 volt battery in a 6 volt farm tractor and it worked pretty good. The charging system seemed to keep it charged. I have heard controversy about this change and will probably will strike some here. A 6 volt starter will draw more amps than higher volts. The 6 volt battery if its in good shape and the starter is good it should turn it over well enough to start. You can put a meter on the battery and check the amp draw as you engage the starter. If its too high, your starter may be the culprit. You may want to check your timing, If its kicking back it will turn over harder. I don't know how the 8 volt will affect your lights. It shouldn't hurt your heater, it might run a little faster. By the way, welcome to the site.

 

An 8 volt battery will not harm your lights, heater motor etc. The starter will take 8 volts with no problems at all (It will even stand 12 volts) As loholland pointed out, you may want to have the starter checked out because 6 volts should be sufficient. While your at it, I would also have the generator and 6 volt battery tested too. If you choose to remove the starter, be careful. The same two bolts that connect the starter to the block also holds it together. Once you get it down, just put a nut on one of the bolts to keep the starter from falling apart. Good luck.

 

Years ago I ran an 8V in a 52 Pontiac with a straight 8. Six volts just would not start it when it was hot. I ran that battery for the entire time I owned the car and encountered no problem with it. I expected to have to replace bulbs but it never happened...

 

bill, these guys are right! 8 volt will not hurt your electric stuff. you might want to put new brushes in starter and clean armature for better conductivity. also, lube drive gear shaft and bearings/bushings. i use 12 volts with 6 volt starter for 18 years now with no problems, just don't run starter to long or it will get too hot! pete

 

the 6v starter will last longer on 12v than a 12v starter will

 

Hey guys ,well I put in a new 8 volt battery ,and I was supprised how fast it turned over and started right up,now I have a new problem,is there an easy way to check to see if the float is sticking in the carb,It was running good most of the day ,but then all of a sudden it started to run real ruff ,and I could smell gas ,but none was leaking at all,oh the carb is a chandler groves ,thanks for the help guys Bill

 

bill, was fuel bowl full? was it losing power? usually stuck float will starve or flood engine. perhaps points need adjusting or replacing. 47 should have crab distributor on front of engine, check that wires didn't pop out of cap, (might not be visible or obvious). could be crud in fuel line, also, try another coil, she may have crapped out from age when hit with 8 volts. any misfire could lead to smell of gas. if not, pull top of carb off and clean needle and seat. use good carb cleaner, don't use emery cloth if not experienced, you could mess it up! rebuild kits are fairly easy to get and should come with float guage to adjust. i don't know how much truck gets used, might not hurt to do full tune-up. good luck, pete

 

thanks petey for that information ,I will start going over the engine shortly, bill

 

petey ,when I pulled the carb off the bowl was empty, bill

 

bill, almost sounds like fuel tank has sediment that has settled in outlet fitting. if original, it probably has a shut-off valve on bottom of tank where fuel line connects, see if its not plugged. if truck sat for a long time, clean or replace line. clean or replace filters, should be one inline, sediment bowl on pump, and maybe one at inlet to carb. if filter is on inlet to carb,(some have, some don't), replace it! i myself eliminated carb filter and put transparent filter inline BEFORE pump. if still no fuel, check that pump pushrod did'nt break, and check pump diaphram. these dry up after awhile . i would look under seat at tank, make sure it's not leaking.

 

I have a 47 that "had issues". The first problem was that it had been stored for 22 years with a half tank of gasoline. The portion of the tank that had no fuel had rusted badly. I ended up taking the tank out and I had it repaired at a local shop. They coated the inside of the tank with fuel resistant resin. Then I did as petey shoes did and installed an in line filter. The second problem involved the fuel pump. The fuel pump runs off a push rod. It was a common problem for the lobe on the cam to wear, thus the push rod wouldn't have enough stroke. A common fix was to cut a small piece of leather (about 18" thick) and jam it up in the fuel pump where the push rod goes. I use a regular paper punch and an old belt. The punch out fits perfectly. The leather gets oil soaked and doesnt hurt anything. It lengthens the stroke and solves the problem. You could also install a 6 volt electric fuel pump but that costs money and are sometimes quite hard to find. Good luck.

 

On the 8 Volt issue, vs the 6 volt. I tried it once and had more problems than I had bargained for. Points were one thing, then the Gen was working full time trying to keep up with the demand when power units like lights heater, and what ever else you had working.
Did you set up your Regulator to accomodate for the difference voltage cut out?
All my Fords are 6 Volt and have never had a problem with the 6 volt other than the one time as just explained.
What usually goes wrong is the Starter is in need of a good rebuild, or the Battery cables are the wrong size, and not properly grounded or poor contact this happens frequently.
I make up my own cables from welding cable, and use soldered ends, the cable size I use is 00 guage.
I have seen a lot of people useing 12 volt cables and they just are not heavy enough, and will get hot if there is a poor connection.
the Battery that I buy for my Trucks, & Tractors are the Agri ones from TSC and are 940 Cranking Amps.
If that won't turn your engine then you have a more serious problem. When a Flathead Engine is warm don't ever touch the gas pedal, or choke, or you will be there for awhile.
As for the Carb, there is a Power Valve at the bottom of the Carb, you made mention of your trucks carb being dry when you removed it.
If the Power Valve is damaged it will use excessive fuel, and black smoke unburned gas will be comming from your tail-pipe.
Wishing you well in your 8 volt but my experience was a nightmare.

 

BillB2000

I received a note from you on the Power Valve issue. I sent you an email but just in cas you didn't get it here are the contents.

Bill, in answer to your question regarding the Power Valve, or called Economiser Valve.
Here is a Web site that can explain with pics probably a lot better than I could with words.
Symptoms of this Valve failure are excessive black smoke comming from the tail-pipe, and rough running, along with very poor gas mileage, and loss of power.
Also not to overlook the possibility of a stuck Float, which can also cause flooding. These Power, or Economiser Valves, have a Diaphram that in time will leak and thus the cause of Excessive Fuel, being dumped into the Engine.
You can test these the quick way and that is if you don't mind the taste of gas draw on the valve by useing your mouth as a source of vacum. Not very tasty but effective, non the less.
The Valve is located at the lower end of the Carb, by removing the bottom portion of the Carb Mount, with the 3 screws 2 at top and 1 at bottom.
Don't worry the only thing that is between these 2 pieces is a gasket. You will once seperated the 2 parts see the Valve and it just screws in, you may need a pair of pliers to unscew it.
Anyway hope this helps you our, and Napa sells these Valves to make things a little easier.
While you have the Carb apart you should clean it out with some Carb or Brake Clean, and check to see that your Float is not leaking, if it is it will have gas in it. Good luck and let me know how you make out.
The site below will give you an exploded view of your Carb item 45 is the Power Valve.

Holley Carburetor Specifications-Ford 1934-52