V8 Engine

[EdKnapp]

Being a novice with car engine. I own a 1937 ford. That I am aware of it it’s almost all original. Positive ground and 6 volt battery. I am having trouble starting the car with out giving the system a boost of current.

Being a novice I am not sure your correct language of the engine is mine and I would love to learn more.

[KiWinUS]

Get an Optima 6volt battery. 800cca will spin it over like 12volt.

[JayChicago]

Ed
You should edit your public profile to add your location. You might just get lucky, someone close to you might be willing to help.

[Kube]

Originally Posted by EdKnapp

Being a novice with car engine. I own a 1937 ford. That I am aware of it it’s almost all original. Positive ground and 6 volt battery. I am having trouble starting the car with out giving the system a boost of current.
This might be unusual but can some one call me
Being a novice I am not sure your correct language of the engine is mine and I would love to learn more.

Ed?
Some easy to do tasks that are paramount to having the car start up well: Each and every ground must be very clean and tight.
Make sure you have heavy battery cables designed for 6v systems.
Be certain there is no paint on the starter end and the adjacent surface of the oil pan.

An Optima battery does supply a lot more CCA's than a typical acid type battery.

Did you test the battery before you attempted to start it? It should have a minimum of 6.3v.

[EdKnapp]

Battery is new.
I thought it was bad but had the place i purchased it tested and the battery is good.
I will check the ground connections. (it is a heavy cable)
I will look into an optima battery.

[tubman]

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Make sure all of the factory grounds (battery to block, block to frame, frame to body) are present and working while you're at it.

[Ggmac]

Ditto previous posts about checking good connections . Battery to body , engine and battery to solenoid solenoid to starter , etc

[jimTN]

If the system is right, a regular 6v battery works just fine. I have them in all my stuff starting from 1926 thru 34.

[EdKnapp]

I have always used a regular 6 volt battery.
In the past I never had this problem
I am going to slowly replace old cables starting with the battery

[19Fordy]

Be sure to use the flat woven correct original style 6V cables not the round 12V cables.

[EdKnapp]

Thank you for that
Currently the ground cable is a flat woven cable.
The other problem related to this is when i get the car started and go somewhere and then shut it off, I cant restart the car again with out a boost of current.

[EdKnapp]

Thank you
I presently have a flat woven ground cable
I will make sure cables are for a 6 volt
This problem also occurs when i get the car started and run it then shut it down i can not restart it again with out the boost of current

[ford38v8]

Ed, you might consider editing your phone number out of your initial post. You're opening yourself up to cold calls from places you'd never want to hear from.

[petehoovie]

Originally Posted by 19Fordy

Be sure to use the flat woven correct original style 6V cables not the round 12V cables.

[Conrad Rossi]

Please, which is the stock location for the body-to-ground flat cable? Thanks.

Conrad

[corvette8n]

The old adage for ground cables is clean, tight and bright. I wire brushed my cables and where they bolted to. My ground runs from the battery to the block and another cable runs from the block to the body, not sure if it correct but I have no starting issues.

[34fordy]

What do you mean by "boost"? 12volts? Do you know if your starter is good and that it is a 6 volt starter?

[tubman]

Originally Posted by 34fordy

What do you mean by "boost"? 12volts? Do you know if your starter is good and that it is a 6 volt starter?

I ran a marginal starter for years on my '51. it always started (sometimes just barely) so the old "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" mindset prevailed. In 2016, I pt a new engine in the car and in the process, rebuilt the starter (it turned out the brushes were almost gone and the bushings were shot).

It made a world of difference. The engine turned over at least twice as fast as it did before.

[EdKnapp]

Thanks all for your kind comments.

I am going to start slowly by purchasing new cables starting with the cables from the battery.
I will keeping in mind that I am still working off a 6 volt battery and a 60 hp engine.

The boost I mention is that I place a charger on the battery to help start the car.
This is the only way the car starts right now. In the past this was never the case and the engine would turn over.

Also, I have a 6 volt battery tender on the car when not in use.

[EdKnapp]

I thought the starter may be the problem and that may be the next purchase.

[ford38v8]

Originally Posted by EdKnapp

I thought the starter may be the problem and that may be the next purchase.

If it is your starter, you're much better off getting your original heavy duty starter rebuilt than buying a lightweight modern starter.

[tubman]

Don't the V860's use a special starter? I don't really know, but most other components are different. If so, it could be a problem. just a heads up.

[40 Deluxe]

Originally Posted by tubman

Don't the V860's use a special starter? I don't really know, but most other components are different. If so, it could be a problem. just a heads up.

Yes, the V8 60 starter is different than the 221/239 starter. The 60HP starter is the same as the 9N tractor starter.

[Cecil/WV]

Originally Posted by EdKnapp

I thought the starter may be the problem and that may be the next purchase.

I would agree with you, sounds like the starter to me! I had the same problem with my '40 pickup when it was hot!

[Bill OH]

Corvette8n has good advice. I have a 38 Ford and the 37 and 38 Fords are a lot alike.. I used a voltmeter on mine and found that I had a .35 volt drop on the ground side of the starting circuit. The battery plus was grounded to the firewall and about 18 inches from that a ground strap ran from the firewall to the engine block. Goggle shows that steel does not have the conductivity that copper possesses. I obtained a 24 inch 1 gauge copper cable from Farm and Fleet, cut off the steel eye terminal and soldered a copper eye terminal in its place and run that cable from the battery plus to the ground cable running from firewall to the engine block, cleaning all connections with sand paper. Voltage drop reduced to 0.1 volt. You might consider using an Optima battery in place of the lead acid battery. Starter spins very well. Draw your own conclusions as to why Ford used the firewall to conduct ground.

[Kube]

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Originally Posted by ford38v8

If it is your starter, you're much better off getting your original heavy duty starter rebuilt than buying a lightweight modern starter.

Agreed

[52flthed]

If you start up well initially but dont start well after driving it and have to boost the battery as you say. Would it not then be the case that you are draining your battery as you are driving and your battery isnt getting a charge from the generator? Get yourself a test probe like this and test the battery while revving up your engine to see that its getting more than 7 volts.

[petehoovie]

Originally Posted by 52flthed

If you start up well initially but dont start well after driving it and have to boost the battery as you say. Would it not then be the case that you are draining your battery as you are driving and your battery isnt getting a charge from the generator? Get yourself a test probe like this and test the battery while revving up your engine to see that its getting more than 7 volts.

[ScubaChief60]

Hello Ed, I am willing to bet it is a bad ground... especially when you said "This problem also occurs when i get the car started and run it then shut it down i can not restart it again with out the boost of current". When hot... there is greater resistance on the grounds than when cold. I have has this happen on my Tahoe after an engine rebuild. Cleaned and replaced the ground wire and no more issue. Nothing saying that you can't add even a second ground wire as well.




Hello

[ScubaChief60]

Not sure where the "hello" came from but Hello anyway