6 volt or 8 volt??
 

Hi to somebody!! I just became the owner of a 1938 ford 81a deluxe kar. It has been restored but came with a 8 volt battery! I have had the generator rebuilt should I change it to a 6 volt battery ??? Graderman

Re: 6 volt or 8 volt??
 

Anybody out here?? Talk to me!!!i need information!!!!

Re: 6 volt or 8 volt??
 

I would say yes. If you are running a 3-brush generator, most definitely. A two brush generator with a regulator should be too. Many folks think the 8 volt battery is the savior for all there electrical problems but it tends to be detrimental in fact. An 8 volt battery needs to be charged at 9-volts to stay hot and the 6-volt system was never designed to put that much voltage out. Light bulbs suffer a rapid decline on 9-volt if you can even get the system to make that much.

Re: 6 volt or 8 volt??
 

It's a pretty common swap to put an 8v battery in a 6v car to make it easier to start. I wouldn't worry about it unless you are having issues.

Re: 6 volt or 8 volt??
 

[QUOTE=graderman;1284440]Anybody out here?? Talk to me!!!i need information!!!![/QUOTE]

Well, you post at 7:39 and 5 minutes later you come back with the above panic. Not a good start on Fordbarn in my opinion

Re: 6 volt or 8 volt??
 

Here we go again. Proper sized cables, good grounds and connections, and an 800 CCA Optima. Problem solved, AND you get to keep your light bulbs!

Re: 6 volt or 8 volt??
 

[QUOTE=oldford2;1284465]Must be used to the H.A.M.B.:D

Re: 6 volt or 8 volt??
 

Do a search and you will see that this subject has been covered many times. As tubman suggests, make sure ALL your connections including and probably most of all the grounds and a 6 volt battery is fine.

Re: 6 volt or 8 volt??
 

6 volts is fine, no need for 8 and it just introduces additional problems.

Re: 6 volt or 8 volt??
 

I have never felt the need for 8 volts and after reading the posts I don't think I would ever try. Six is fine if the cables are the correct 6 volt size (not the modern 12 volt cables) and all of the grounds are clean. If I changed anything it would be to go to 12 volts negative ground. Do a search for "8 volt". BE SURE TO INCLUDE THE QUOTATION MARKS WHEN YOU DO THE SEARCH. If you still have questions post again.

Charlie Stephens

Re: 6 volt or 8 volt??
 

You need to have 2.4V per cell over rated voltage to properly charge any battery. If you have a 8V battery on a 6V charging system, you will NEVER properly keep the battery charged and it will sulfate and die sooner, requiring replacement. Run whatever voltage you want, but have your charging system set up for it. Your charging system will need to put out 9.6V to properly charge the battery.

IMHO, run 6 or 12. Both are common enough to get parts if you're stranded. As said before, if you're having problems 8V is a band aid. Replace your wiring. Unless it was a restoration, I would just run 12 just for the fact someone might need a jump start and 12 is universal.

(I may wrong about the numbers for charging, I'm recalling from memory. If I am off, please correct my numbers.)

Re: 6 volt or 8 volt??
 

Re: 6 volt or 8 volt??
 

[QUOTE=oldford2;1284465]You said what many thought! Wayne

Re: 6 volt or 8 volt??
 

I changed to 8 volt on two of my cars works great. been several years with no problems. Change to a 8 volt alternator, battery and twek the voltage regulator that all and enjoy your ride.

Re: 6 volt or 8 volt??
 

Some subjects never die!!

Re: 6 volt or 8 volt??
 

If a person going to do a change, why not go all the way and change to 12-volt. This subject gets pounded to death and it boils down to whether you want OEM or Rube Goldberg to fix your problems.

Re: 6 volt or 8 volt??
 

I have made the 8v change for years on old Fords and VW,s. worked on VW,s for 45 years for a living and it works great..!!

Re: 6 volt or 8 volt??
 

Check and recheck all of your ground connections. Make sure they are clean, bright/shinny, and tight. Once I had all the connections on my '35 fordor as mentioned above, my 6V Optima spins the engine at start up as if I had a 12 volt system. I feel there is no need for an 8 or 12V system in my cars, when 6V works so well.

Re: 6 volt or 8 volt??
 

Don't believe anyone is saying it won't work, were saying there are much better ways to go! Fix the 6v to work correctly or convert to 12v. Their are many advantages to using common parts.

Re: 6 volt or 8 volt??
 

Yup........It should really be easy to find a replacement for that 8v ALTERNATOR on a Sunday afternoon in Butt-lick, Missouri. DD