[AT] 8-volt batteries in 6-volt tractors

[Bill Brueck]

I guess the easiest way for you might be to jump start the tractor and let
it charge the battery.

I made a trickle charger out of an old furnace transformer and an alternator
diode.  It runs at such low amperage I can get away with charging 6 or 12
volt batteries or anything in between and I keep a volt meter on the battery
so I know when it's had enough.  I mostly use this to charge lead-acid
batteries out of computer battery backup units, these are convenient to run
buzz coils on stationary engines.

Others on the list may have opinions about this process, that's good.
Ignorance is bliss and I'm a pretty happy guy.

Regarding Mike's comment about the Ford generator not putting out, I am
unfamiliar with the setup on the tractor itself but I worked at an auto
electric shop during college and the Ford generators were anything but wimpy
and the voltage would shoot right up with the best of them on the test
stand.  The coil overheating is a good point, it seems like when my father
in law converted an IH M to 8 volts he replaced the coil.  My own experience
with this would have been on magneto tractors.

B²
 
Bill Brueck (brick)
Chatfield, MN, USA
 
Confusion is a higher state of knowledge than ignorance.

-----Original Message-----
From: at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com
[mailto:at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com] On Behalf Of D. Day
Sent: Thursday, March 09, 2006 8:47 AM
To: Antique tractor email discussion group
Subject: Re: [AT] 8-volt batteries in 6-volt tractors

 If the 8-volt battery goes dead, how would you charge it?


----- Original Message -----
From: "Bill Brueck" <b2 at chooka.net>
To: "'Antique tractor email discussion group'" 
<at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
Sent: Thursday, March 09, 2006 8:38 AM
Subject: RE: [AT] 8-volt batteries in 6-volt tractors


The biggest nuisance on switching to an 8 volt system is that you will burn
out lights like crazy unless you can source some 8 volt bulbs.  These used
to be available, I don't know about availability now.

If the tractor has a voltage regulator it can be set to charge a little
higher; I'd think about 9 - 9.5 volts would be good.  There would be either
an adjusting screw in the regulator or likely just a tang you can bend that
engages one of the relay springs.  If the tractor just runs with a cutout it
will probably be OK the way it is.

That said, I'd stick with the 6 volt.  It's more original, and unless you
have a starting problem, why change it.

B²

Bill Brueck (brick)
Chatfield, MN, USA

Confusion is a higher state of knowledge than ignorance.


-----Original Message-----
From: at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com
[mailto:at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com] On Behalf Of D. Day
Sent: Thursday, March 09, 2006 7:56 AM
To: at at lists.antique-tractor.com
Subject: [AT] 8-volt batteries in 6-volt tractors

TSC has quit stocking 6-volt batteries and replaced them with 8-volt. The
sticker on the 8-volt battery states that the 'extra 2 volts helps antique
vehicles start easier.'

Several years ago, a friend suggested that I buy an 8-volt for a Ford 2N
that I was working on. Once I installed it, I found that the charging system
on the 2N wasn't keeping up with the task and I was unsure exactly how to
charge an 8-volt battery with my 6-volt/12-volt charger.

I called Exide, the company that made the 8-volt battery, and finally spoke
with an engineer. He suggested strongly that 8-volt batteries should never
be used in any application that was not designed to maintain an 8-volt
battery.  He said that typically the on-board 6-volt charging systems are
not adequate and except for a few industrial machines, no one makes an
8-volt charger.  According to him, charging an 8-volt battery with a 6-volt
charger doesn't work and charging it with a 12-volt charger is dangerous.

Anyone have experience with 8-volt batteries?

Dick Day

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