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06-28-2023, 06:06 PM | #1 |
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Mystery battery ??
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 |
06-28-2023, 06:36 PM | #2 |
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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.
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06-28-2023, 06:40 PM | #3 | |
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Re: Mystery battery ??
Quote:
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The only thing nice about being imperfect is the joy it brings to others.... "Silver rings, your butt! Them's washers!" "We shot our way out of that town for a dollar's worth of steel holes!" - from 'The Wild Bunch' - 1969 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NReUd2_0u0 |
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06-28-2023, 06:40 PM | #4 |
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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.
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06-28-2023, 09:37 PM | #5 |
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Re: Mystery battery ??
That system does work well. A lot of 12cyl. Packard owners use them.
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06-29-2023, 06:58 AM | #6 | |
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Re: Mystery battery ??
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Quote:
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. |
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06-29-2023, 10:37 AM | #7 |
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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.
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06-29-2023, 10:50 AM | #8 |
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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 |
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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.
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07-01-2023, 11:01 PM | #10 |
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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.
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