The Ford Barn

rotorwrench · 10-05-2016, 08:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jake197000

homes used to run off 32 volts.irons,fans,u name it.delco and others made generators to charge the batteries 32 volts.prolly nothing to do with 8 volt batteries but just reminded me of it.

On the old family farm in Kansas, we had a wind generator system. The wind generator tower was just adjacent to the windmill pump that fed the household water system and livestock pen. The system was 32-volt DC but we had a gang of huge lead acid batteries that had the plates suspended in large glass containers. The containers had shrouds to catch the hydrogen gas so it could be vented out of the house. It was quite a system for the late 1920s thru the war years. After WWII, the local farmers formed a rural electric cooperative and they put up their own poles and strung their own wire to get city electricity piped in. To this day, they still own their own electrical and telephone systems.

blucar · 10-05-2016, 11:57 AM

During the '40's/50's 8v electrical systems were very common in some cars, trucks and industrial/farm applications. Many of the European vehicles had 8 or 12v systems. Chrysler offered both options on their export models.
From the age of seven until I was twenty I lived in Eastern Idaho, the winters were brutal, temps down to 35 below zero were very common. Most 6v vehicles will not start at sub-zero temps, and jumper cables had not been invented yet.
Eight volt batteries were a very common application to improve winter starting, the added amps were a real plus.
The flat head Fords are very hard to start in subzero temps so I installed a 8v battery in my '36 Ford in 1953, which I have owned since '52.
I had converted the electrical system to a regulated two brush '39 generator when I converted the headlights to sealed beams, therefore, the only modification required was to turn the voltage regulator up to 8v.
The 8v system made for easier winter/summer starts, and the added starting power that the highly modified 59 AB needed.
There has never been a problem with the original Philco radio that came with the car, nor has the '39 Ford heater ever had issues. I can't remember the last time I replaced any bulbs, tail, etc., The original instruments in the car, are all electric with the exception of the temp gauge.
To date I have driven the Ford over 94K during the 64 years I have owned it.
I will admit that there is no substitute for a good well maintained electrical system, adding a 8v/12v to a vehicle that has poor wiring, dirty terminals, etc., will just add to the problem. It is also a fact that most 6v batteries available are of very poor quality.

rotorwrench · 10-05-2016, 12:50 PM

I grew up in western Kansas where the high plains are flat all the way up the the Black Hills & bad lands of South Dakota. Very few trees to stop the wind that can blow fiercely and often during the winter months. My old Fords and Chevys with 6-volt started every morning without fail. They turned slow but sure. You have to keep the old Chevy pick up electrical systems clean as a whistle since jumper cables don't go through that floor plate worth a damn. We used welding cable for the battery cables and it worked well. I also learned to face the vehicle into a wind break or at least away from the wind direction to keep it from blowing through the engine compartment. Block heaters worked well too.

When I worked on AS315B Llama helicopters up in Idaho back in the early 80s, we just took those giant ni-cad batteries out and back to the hotel with us to keep them warm. The next morning we'd shove them back in an fire them up so we could break ground just as the sun came up. This was in -20 degree F weather so I know how cold it can get. In Kansas at -10 degree F with 20 MPH winds it still feels just like Idaho. I don't think it has been cold like that in recent years but I sure remember some cold ones back then.

I moved down here to south Texas quite a while ago so I don't have to worry as much about winters any more.

PS: I don't think 8-volt batterys were ever common in automobiles. It was common for folks to put them in there but the manufacturers didn't.

RalphG · 10-05-2016, 02:00 PM

I grew up in a six volt world in the fifties and sixties. I had never even heard of an 8 volt battery until a few years ago. The old six volt systems turned slow but usually started once we got rural electrification to run the block heaters. My old Merc and Ford start fine on six volts but I know of at least one car guy who has gone to an eight volt battery and is quite happy with it.

rotorwrench · 10-05-2016, 02:12 PM

The first one I ever saw was in an old CJ2 Jeep. They guy that owned it wouldn't lift a finger to maintain the thing so when it became sluggish to start, in went the 8-volt battery. It worked OK for a while but he never tried to boost the voltage output up to 9.1 volts to keep it charged so it started dying out. He sold it not too long after that and the new owner repaired it and put the 6-volt back in there. It worked good for years after that but it was well maintained too.

10-05-2016, 11:57 AM	#22
blucar Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Ventura, CA Posts: 2,464	Re: 8 volt battery During the '40's/50's 8v electrical systems were very common in some cars, trucks and industrial/farm applications. Many of the European vehicles had 8 or 12v systems. Chrysler offered both options on their export models. From the age of seven until I was twenty I lived in Eastern Idaho, the winters were brutal, temps down to 35 below zero were very common. Most 6v vehicles will not start at sub-zero temps, and jumper cables had not been invented yet. Eight volt batteries were a very common application to improve winter starting, the added amps were a real plus. The flat head Fords are very hard to start in subzero temps so I installed a 8v battery in my '36 Ford in 1953, which I have owned since '52. I had converted the electrical system to a regulated two brush '39 generator when I converted the headlights to sealed beams, therefore, the only modification required was to turn the voltage regulator up to 8v. The 8v system made for easier winter/summer starts, and the added starting power that the highly modified 59 AB needed. There has never been a problem with the original Philco radio that came with the car, nor has the '39 Ford heater ever had issues. I can't remember the last time I replaced any bulbs, tail, etc., The original instruments in the car, are all electric with the exception of the temp gauge. To date I have driven the Ford over 94K during the 64 years I have owned it. I will admit that there is no substitute for a good well maintained electrical system, adding a 8v/12v to a vehicle that has poor wiring, dirty terminals, etc., will just add to the problem. It is also a fact that most 6v batteries available are of very poor quality. __________________ Bill.... 36 5 win cpe

10-05-2016, 12:50 PM	#23
rotorwrench Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 16,440	Re: 8 volt battery I grew up in western Kansas where the high plains are flat all the way up the the Black Hills & bad lands of South Dakota. Very few trees to stop the wind that can blow fiercely and often during the winter months. My old Fords and Chevys with 6-volt started every morning without fail. They turned slow but sure. You have to keep the old Chevy pick up electrical systems clean as a whistle since jumper cables don't go through that floor plate worth a damn. We used welding cable for the battery cables and it worked well. I also learned to face the vehicle into a wind break or at least away from the wind direction to keep it from blowing through the engine compartment. Block heaters worked well too. When I worked on AS315B Llama helicopters up in Idaho back in the early 80s, we just took those giant ni-cad batteries out and back to the hotel with us to keep them warm. The next morning we'd shove them back in an fire them up so we could break ground just as the sun came up. This was in -20 degree F weather so I know how cold it can get. In Kansas at -10 degree F with 20 MPH winds it still feels just like Idaho. I don't think it has been cold like that in recent years but I sure remember some cold ones back then. I moved down here to south Texas quite a while ago so I don't have to worry as much about winters any more. PS: I don't think 8-volt batterys were ever common in automobiles. It was common for folks to put them in there but the manufacturers didn't. Last edited by rotorwrench; 10-05-2016 at 01:01 PM.

10-05-2016, 02:00 PM	#24
RalphG Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: Sask. Canada Posts: 2,424	Re: 8 volt battery I grew up in a six volt world in the fifties and sixties. I had never even heard of an 8 volt battery until a few years ago. The old six volt systems turned slow but usually started once we got rural electrification to run the block heaters. My old Merc and Ford start fine on six volts but I know of at least one car guy who has gone to an eight volt battery and is quite happy with it. __________________ https://www.youtube.com/user/roosty6/videos

10-05-2016, 02:12 PM	#25
rotorwrench Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 16,440	Re: 8 volt battery The first one I ever saw was in an old CJ2 Jeep. They guy that owned it wouldn't lift a finger to maintain the thing so when it became sluggish to start, in went the 8-volt battery. It worked OK for a while but he never tried to boost the voltage output up to 9.1 volts to keep it charged so it started dying out. He sold it not too long after that and the new owner repaired it and put the 6-volt back in there. It worked good for years after that but it was well maintained too.