The Ford Barn

Rick · 06-28-2023, 06:06 PM

Found this battery in a 6 volt system and have no idea what it is. The solenoid is attached to the battery. My only guess is that it is a 12 volt start with 6 volt running but have no idea how it could charge to 12 volt with a 6 volt generator
Anyone know what it is and how it worked. Battery is old and dead.
Thanks, Rick

cas3 · 06-28-2023, 06:36 PM

I've not seen one like that, but I would guess somewhere in the vehicle there is a series parallel switch to change from 6 to 12 on demand. A lot of the old semi trucks were four 6 volt batteries with a series parallel switch to run the starter on 24 volt, and run everything else on 12 volt.

petehoovie · 06-28-2023, 06:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rick

Found this battery in a 6 volt system and have no idea what it is. The solenoid is attached to the battery. My only guess is that it is a 12 volt start with 6 volt running but have no idea how it could charge to 12 volt with a 6 volt generator
Anyone know what it is and how it worked. Battery is old and dead.
Thanks, Rick

cas3 · 06-28-2023, 06:40 PM

Also, for fun, some of the WW2 halftracks and such had a big 12 volt battery with a 3rd terminal in the middle for 6 volts. That was the solution for putting a 12 volt radio in a 6 volt truck.

slowforty · 06-28-2023, 09:37 PM

That system does work well. A lot of 12cyl. Packard owners use them.

rich b · 06-29-2023, 06:58 AM

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Rick

Found this battery in a 6 volt system and have no idea what it is. The solenoid is attached to the battery. My only guess is that it is a 12 volt start with 6 volt running but have no idea how it could charge to 12 volt with a 6 volt generator
Anyone know what it is and how it worked. Battery is old and dead.
Thanks, Rick

From the looks of that, I would think they removed the link between the center two cells and ended up with basically two 6 volt batteries. Should be a series/parallel switch elsewhere, the now two 6 volt batteries charge in parallel and start in series with 12 volts.

Normally there would be two batteries in a series/parallel set-up; but in this case they split the 12 volt battery and used the solenoid on the battery to reconnect the cells when in the series mode and provide the 12 volts.

jimvette59 · 06-29-2023, 10:37 AM

Looks like a 8 volt batt. Each cell has 1.5 VDC X 6 = 9 VDC. Works on a 6 Volt System. JMHO.

tubman · 06-29-2023, 10:50 AM

3 caps=6 volts
4 caps=8 volts
6 caps=12 volts

"rich b" has it right; look carefully at the conductors attached to the sides of the solenoid. They are heavy plate and I'd bet they hook up the the taps on the two middle cells.

jimTN · 06-30-2023, 04:14 PM

It does look like a 6/12 battery. Those were common in the 50s and 60s for starting hot Olds and Cad engines. JC Whitney sold a lot of them. Starts on 12 and runs on 6.

ABento · 07-01-2023, 11:01 PM

Jim is correct that is a 6/12 battery, start on 12 run on 6, you could leave the 6 volt starter in just don't lean on the starter hard to start it, there is no parallel switch to go with it, I believe you can still buy them, pretty pricey last time I looked.

06-28-2023, 06:36 PM	#2
cas3 Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: sw minnesota Posts: 4,577	Re: Mystery battery ?? I've not seen one like that, but I would guess somewhere in the vehicle there is a series parallel switch to change from 6 to 12 on demand. A lot of the old semi trucks were four 6 volt batteries with a series parallel switch to run the starter on 24 volt, and run everything else on 12 volt.

06-28-2023, 06:40 PM	#4
cas3 Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: sw minnesota Posts: 4,577	Re: Mystery battery ?? Also, for fun, some of the WW2 halftracks and such had a big 12 volt battery with a 3rd terminal in the middle for 6 volts. That was the solution for putting a 12 volt radio in a 6 volt truck.

06-28-2023, 09:37 PM	#5
slowforty Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Tinley Park Ill Posts: 1,062	Re: Mystery battery ?? That system does work well. A lot of 12cyl. Packard owners use them.

06-29-2023, 10:37 AM	#7
jimvette59 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Perry OH Posts: 1,330	Re: Mystery battery ?? Looks like a 8 volt batt. Each cell has 1.5 VDC X 6 = 9 VDC. Works on a 6 Volt System. JMHO.

06-29-2023, 10:50 AM	#8
tubman Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Minnesota, Florida Keys Posts: 10,320	Re: Mystery battery ?? 3 caps=6 volts 4 caps=8 volts 6 caps=12 volts "rich b" has it right; look carefully at the conductors attached to the sides of the solenoid. They are heavy plate and I'd bet they hook up the the taps on the two middle cells.

06-30-2023, 04:14 PM	#9
jimTN Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Powell, TN Posts: 2,509	Re: Mystery battery ?? It does look like a 6/12 battery. Those were common in the 50s and 60s for starting hot Olds and Cad engines. JC Whitney sold a lot of them. Starts on 12 and runs on 6.

07-01-2023, 11:01 PM	#10
ABento Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: San Luis Obispo Posts: 237	Re: Mystery battery ?? Jim is correct that is a 6/12 battery, start on 12 run on 6, you could leave the 6 volt starter in just don't lean on the starter hard to start it, there is no parallel switch to go with it, I believe you can still buy them, pretty pricey last time I looked.