Boosting a 6 volt system ???

[shaune]

Looks like the 6 volt battery in SWMBO's plymouth (she who must be obeyed) didn't survive the winter. Got the first start of the season to move it from the garage yesterday and now no more restarts. I stressed it out lots last fall trying to start it when it was cooler outside.
Soooo, how does one boost a 6 volt positive ground system from a 12 volt negative ground system ? Without frying the new points or coil or dash guages.
I have a new battery on order from NAPA

[Ramrodz37]

Boosting a 6 volt positive ground system with a 12 volt negative ground system should not be attempted, remove both cables from the 12 volt battery and just use the battery as a source for a 12 volt positive ground system. Turn off all lights,wipers,radio and accessories on the Plymouth. Connect one end of the black jumper cable to either the large post on starter (best way, as this only supplies 12 volts to the starter motor, not the entire electrical system) or the negative post on the battery (runs more risk of electrical failure if your not quick at disconnecting cables once engine starts),connect the other end of black jumper cable to the negative post of 12 volt source,,,now connect one end of red jumper cable to a good chassis ground on the Plymouth. Your allmost ready for the boost, call the wife out to help (2 person operation= 1 to turn over the Plymouth + 1 to disconnect 12 volt source IMMEDIATLY upon engine firing, she will also be involved a little later on too). A little precaution at this time wouldn't hurt either, make sure 6 volt batteries electolyte levels are up to snuff, and shield the battery as best you can. Now with wife in the car have her turn over the Plymouth while you connect the last loose end of the red jumper cable to the positive post on the 12 volt source. When engine fires remove the last connection you made (red jumper cable at 12 volt source IMMEDIATLY.) Disconnect all jumper cables, reattatch battery cables on 12 volt vehicle. Line both vehicles up so the front bumpers are equal and race for a predetermined length agreed by both parties, The winner will get breakfast in bed....Let me know who wins!!!

[shaune]

Well I think I'l just wait for a new battery...even though i really wanted to go or a drive. I think I'll wait (stupid 6 volt system).
This is still good info if the car ever needs a boost on the road for any reason thxs.

[John in Oz]

Shaune, years ago almost everyone had a 6 volt battery but as vehicles changed over we used to get these largish black batteries with pitch sealing the tops and they had a lead cross over on the top of the battery to link all the cells togeather but you could put a screw in half way along the battery to ge 6 volts for the older wireless (radio) and they were all valve radios back then as well. Anyway you could also jump start a 6 volt car from a 12 volt car buy using the screw to hook up to as well, it was usually a fairly large screw in diameter so it could carry the current enough for a jump start. Now days with plastics on most batteries you can only use 12 volts, but as Ramrodz37 has said it can be done.

I'm guessing you will have tried charging the system with a battery charger, sometimes but giving the battery a real fast charge you can also get it back to life apart from a trickle charge. One place I used to work recycled batteries and that is what the did, a real fast hard charge and then after a while backed the input down, they would charge about 20 or so at once with an old charger that was salvaged for one of the old telephone exchanges which they used to use to charge banks of batteries from the old days when all of the communications equipment was run on batteries.

I have also heard of dropping a 1/2 a disprine or aspros you might call them into the battery and the fizzing of the 1/2 a tablet drops to the bottom and is enough to liven a battery up to get it started. Now I have never tried that but some of the old timmers used to say it worked alright, the theory was the tablet would eventually get to the bottom and be enough to bubble the built up stuff on the bottom of the battery to get just enough for a kick to start it. Maybe if you are going to dump this battery it could be worth an experiment but I would make sure you have face protection on. If it was me I'd give it a go just for the experiment but also be wary of the fact it could boil over if you don't get the cap back on quickly. No on second thoughts if it's in you car leave it alone.

I know a bit of useless information for you but just a lesson in history, and you know the scary part, I remember all of those tricks about the screw in the battery etc and remember them well.

Cheers, John

[TinyTin]

Shaune , just a thought, you probably know already that any battery left in cold conditions for the winter must be fully charged before storage. Freezing temps will ruin a good battery very quickly if the charge is low.
John there are a few young fellows that have used and rebuilt those old style batteries but of course I wouldn't remember this.
Don

[Ford_Fellow]

Just as a little thought on safty always make sure conections are made properly because if the polarity gets switched and it can be done if the battery is dead and then what happen's is when the boosted car gets started the battery will EXPLODE and can cause serious injury and all the ACID is everywhere...Made that mistake ONCE boosting a car...I was about fourteen then....Still remember...Next best big bang was when a kid threw a firecracker into the shut down gas station fuel tank on Wilson street in Perth...Was a White Rose station when I worked at it....For Bill North.....I was workin in the rad shop accross the street when the kid blew up the fuel tank...That shook things up a little...I looked at me pop and he looked at me and then we went and looked out.....Next biggest bang was when fella was drillin on a tanker truck here in PG and it blew the end out of the tank...That fella got killed...Was over by the coke plant..Me and Terry were in the body shop on first ave. and that shook up eight years of body dust in that building...We could hardley see each other in the shop...My My there I goes rambling on and on.....Oh well just remember saftey...

Hugh...................

[Ramrodz37]

Eh! John, I can remember my father dropping something into a tractor battery to give it a kickstart, but cannot remember what he dropped in it. Could that 1/2 tablet of disprine or aspros (which I have never heard of ) be what us cannucks call Asprin? A white chaulky tablet. Kinda sounds like it. Next day tractor fired right up and it was back to pickin bales for us kids.
Little tricks like this are allways good to know.
Hey maybe this should be a thread,LITTLE TRICKS, or maybe it allready is,I'll have to check the old threads.