The Ford Barn

Kyzyl · 12-29-2022, 09:41 AM

I have an all original 1936 Coupe that I purchased recently. It started and ran fine during the test drive of 5-7 miles.

Recently I noticed that the battery was installed as a negative ground, however, the wire from the coil to the distributor is on the + side of the coil. So in my mind, the battery was installed backwards, and the previous owner must have forced the battery cables fit.

Yes, the ammeter goes down, instead of up, when it's running, so that's backwards.

The fuel gauge is at the very bottom. I don't know if it's broken, or perhaps responding 'properly' to the reversed polarity of the battery.

The car seems to start and run fine, although it seems to now have a sputter in the mid-range unless there is a load on the engine. Perhaps for setting too long?

I haven't run it much, so I'm not sure if the generator is charging or not, nor have I checked it with a meter.

My question is:
If I change the battery back to + ground, which is how it appears it should be (based on the coil-to-distributor wire), will it hurt anything?

Is there anything else to check before performing this 'smoke test'?

Thanks for your time.

12-29-2022, 09:41 AM	#1
Kyzyl Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2021 Posts: 12	Will reversed battery polarity hurt anything? I have an all original 1936 Coupe that I purchased recently. It started and ran fine during the test drive of 5-7 miles. Recently I noticed that the battery was installed as a negative ground, however, the wire from the coil to the distributor is on the + side of the coil. So in my mind, the battery was installed backwards, and the previous owner must have forced the battery cables fit. Yes, the ammeter goes down, instead of up, when it's running, so that's backwards. The fuel gauge is at the very bottom. I don't know if it's broken, or perhaps responding 'properly' to the reversed polarity of the battery. The car seems to start and run fine, although it seems to now have a sputter in the mid-range unless there is a load on the engine. Perhaps for setting too long? I haven't run it much, so I'm not sure if the generator is charging or not, nor have I checked it with a meter. My question is: If I change the battery back to + ground, which is how it appears it should be (based on the coil-to-distributor wire), will it hurt anything? Is there anything else to check before performing this 'smoke test'? Thanks for your time.