8 volt battery

[TDO]

Any one out there using an 8 volt battery in there 6 volt system. I remember years ago , back in the 50's and 60's some folks used 8volt batt. Like to here pros and cons on this.

[Tom Wesenberg]

8 volt battery threads have gone around a few times.

CON: 8 volts isn't needed and greatly shortens bulb life.

PRO: For the short bulb life, they will be brighter.

[Kurt in NJ]

I am perfectly happy with a properly restored 6V system,with 2 minor modifications---quartz halogen bulbs, and a diode cutout---- fast cranking, bright lights, great reliability, long battery life-----for others an 8V battery might be just what they need as a crutch to make what they have "work"

[Charlie Stephens]

Originally Posted by Tom Wesenberg

8 volt battery threads have gone around a few times.

CON: 8 volts isn't needed and greatly shortens bulb life.

PRO: For the short bulb life, they will be brighter.

Tom summed it up nicely. Add to his comments if you are stuck beside the road it is going to be hard to find an 8 volt battery? The 8 volt battery is usually used to mask a problem rather than fix it. The most common problem is slow cranking which is usually due to poor grounds or undersize battery cables. What is your problem? I would suggest staying with 6 volts or going to 12 volts.

Charlie Stephens

[Purdy Swoft]

My dad had a forties model jeep that had an eight volt battery when he got it. We never had a problem. The sealed beam lights were very bright and never burned out for all the years that we had it. It didn't get used a lot at night but was very dependable. Bulbs are cheap and the only down side is eight volt batteries are not that common and may be hard to find in a hurry. Brighter lights and faster cranking sure doesn't hurt in my book. I run my roadster 12 volt with original generator and wiring and like it.

[TDO]

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Thanks for all the input, I'me not really having a problem, just wondering if there was any advantage in using the 8 volt batt.

[davehc]

My A had an 8 volt in it when I got it . After a lot of learning and reading about the A's wireing system , I took my starter and generator to a repair guy to get them checked out , just to be safe , and to ask his opinion about the 8 volt battery . He recomeded going back to a 6 volt , because in his opinion the generator is built to keep a 6 volt charged correctly , where as if I had an 8 volt in the system , the generator would be constantley trying to charge the 8 volt , there by shortening the life of my generator . Anyways , it made sense to me , I put a new 6 volt in , and alls well .[ In hind site , that may of been why I had to replace the cutout , which did not work right from the start , even though the generator its self checked OK ]

[J Franklin]

If you look at older light bulbs the are marked 6-8V, the new 6 volt bulbs are marked 6V.

[Purdy Swoft]

Originally Posted by J Franklin

If you look at older light bulbs the are marked 6-8V, the new 6 volt bulbs are marked 6V.

I agree with J .about the bulbs.. As a side note, The original model A generator will charge whatever volt battery that is used with it. The charge is in amps, not volts. A lot of the electric shops know little or nothing about model A generators. I've had to replace the field coils on at least three generators that the internal vires were connected wrong by an electric shop in another nearby town. The generator would barely charge and the third brush adjustment would make no difference in charge rate. The model A generator will work good with with six, eight or twelve volt but not necessarily the repro cut out. I use either a good original cut out or better yet, a Fun Projects voltage regulator. The Fun Projects regulator fits in place of the cut out and gives voltage regulation like a modern car. If a cut out is used the generator will charge at whatever rate that that the third brush is set for, ALL of the time. The advantage of a higher voltage battery is faster cranking and brighter lights. Another plus is, if you use a 12 volt battery, is that twelve volt has been standard for the automotive industry for over fifty years and batteries and components are readily available.

[28ACoupe]

In my opinion, there is no reason to move away from 6v. If you have a properly working system, it is more than sufficient for the job. 8v and 12v are for people who don't know how to take care of their car properly.

[Purdy Swoft]

Originally Posted by 28ACoupe

In my opinion, there is no reason to move away from 6v. If you have a properly working system, it is more than sufficient for the job. 8v and 12v are for people who don't know how to take care of their car properly.

Just an example of your closed minded ignorance. .I've got nothing to proove here!!! You are a rude S.O.B . Lets see how long it takes before this gets deleted.

[28ACoupe]

No ignorance here. I have run a bunch of 6v cars in my life and have worked on a bunch more. The simple fact is that a 6v system when properly taken care of is more than adequate for the job.

It should be noted that with a 6v system, periodic cleaning of the contacts in the system is a "must do" maintenance chore. Once a year is usually enough and takes about an hour or so on a Model A to accomplish.