Dumb question: will this work - 6V lantern battery to power coil?

[SDJason]

So - on my disappearing spark problem,

Some things I have left to try are push-starting (need to find volunteers to help), check "the points plate or the connection from the bottom plate to the points post", and "Disconnect the wire from ignition switch to coil. Power the coil with another battery while cranking"

For the latter - would a 6V lantern battery be good enough to generate spark? I recall seeing a thread (can't find it now) where someone built a portable coil tester powered by a 6V lantern battery, I think.

I don't have one handy, but noticed that Walmart is selling a Rayovac 6V lantern with battery for $5.48 - which is cheap enough to try the experiment, I guess.

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Yes, many Model-T's are started on a 6v dry cell battery (which powers four coils), and once running is switched over to the magneto. On my old race car, I used a small motorcycle battery to supply power all weekend, and just hand cranked the car when I went out to race.

In your case, just understand the reserve time is not going to be too long. Maybe consider using one of those longer ones?



.

[Tom Wesenberg]

Why not just hook up the 6 volt battery charger to power the coil.
I'd still just grab a neighbor to help push start the car first.

[SDJason]

yeah - I have two different battery chargers - a "battery tender" type which isn't much more than a trickle charger, and a heftier one with a manual mode, but manual mode only works when it's set to 12V (with 10 and 50 amp settings); for 6V it will only work in automatic mode (only puts out current if it senses that it's hooked up to a drained battery).

I suppose I could set it to 12V - any possibility of harming the coil?

Finding neighbors to help is also on my list...

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

Used a 6 volt lantern battery on our Indian powered 3/4 midget to run the ignition & the Autopulse electric fuel pump. After starting, turned the pump OFF! VIBBBBRATIONS from the car would make the pump, pump! Bill W.

[H. L. Chauvin]

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A 6V lantern battery can also be used on one's Kitchen table to test 6V electric windshield wipers rather than bringing your large 6V Model A battery in the Kitchen.

[Mikeinnj]

Originally Posted by H. L. Chauvin

A 6V lantern battery can also be used on one's Kitchen table to test 6V electric windshield wipers rather than bringing your large 6V Model A battery in the Kitchen.

Or take your 6V electric wiper motor outside to the car battery.....oh yes. he WAS talking about his electrical system wasn't he.

[PetesPonies]

Now when you hooked up the lantern battery, you didn't expect a spark until you disconnected the power right??????

[Willie Krash]

I would be careful using a battery charger without a battery to power a coil. I tried that on a hit and miss engine. no magneto. It used a car coil and the points in the head did not use a capacitor (headless design). The points fired the mixture. I blew up a big line charger and had to fix it.
Batteries are a big cap or filter. Those collapsing fields generate huge spikes. I'm not sayin you shouldn't use a battery charger as it even caught me off guard and this was an old analog charger that I killed. Had I though about it I might have put an avalanche diode on the b+ side of the coil. I'm not an EE so I'm speculating here.
Who would have guessed?
As a side note late ford starter relays use a spike diode on the S term as the relay's collapsing field is a bit hard on computers etc..

[SDJason]

Originally Posted by Willie Krash

I would be careful using a battery charger without a battery to power a coil...Those collapsing fields generate huge spikes...

Oooh - didn't think of that...I definitely don't want to destroy the thing...
So - I suppose I could try the lantern battery, but it sounds like it'll be hit-or-miss. If nothing else, I end up owning another flashlight...

[Tom Wesenberg]

Are you sure you can't wiggle that hand crank into the engine?

[SDJason]

Originally Posted by Tom Wesenberg

Are you sure you can't wiggle that hand crank into the engine?

That would be my first choice - but it definitely is a no-go as is.
I wonder, though - would it be possible to enlarge the guide the crank goes through so that the crank could be offset enough to be engaged?
I have no idea how I'd grind the metal away inside the recessed hole; I'll have to take a look during daylight hours and see if it's even feasible without having to dismantle a lot of stuff.

[Tom Wesenberg]

I wouldn't enlarge the hole, but if you loosen the 2 U bolts maybe you can move it enough to crank the engine. Does the front motor mount yoke look to be centered in the crossmember hole? Maybe you can loosen the 4 rear motor mount bolts and move the engine a bit to one side.

[columbiA]

Ive used a 6V lantern battery to power the coil for the engine on a test stand & used the hand crank.You need to run a wire from gen output terminal to ground as you cant charge the dry cell.

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

We "RE-CHARGED" the 6 volt lantern battery with an electric train transformer, don't remember what voltage it was?? but it worked! Chief made us do it out on the driveway for "safety" Bill W.

[Drive Shaft Dave]

Bill, when the coil went bad on the ol'e Briggs and Stratton we used to hook up a six volt car coil to the primary and run a lantern battery with a toggle switch, worked just fine! P.S. Thanks for the p. m.

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

Originally Posted by Drive Shaft Dave

Bill, when the coil went bad on the ol'e Briggs and Stratton we used to hook up a six volt car coil to the primary and run a lantern battery with a toggle switch, worked just fine! P.S. Thanks for the p. m.

Great ingenuity, Dave! Chief was a whiz on Briggs & Stratton, but he didn't know about that setup!!
Bill W.

[P.S.]

Originally Posted by SDJason

That would be my first choice - but it definitely is a no-go as is.
I wonder, though - would it be possible to enlarge the guide the crank goes through so that the crank could be offset enough to be engaged?
I have no idea how I'd grind the metal away inside the recessed hole; I'll have to take a look during daylight hours and see if it's even feasible without having to dismantle a lot of stuff.

If your motor is off THAT far, I wonder what is going on with your brakes? Also wonder about driveline alignment.

[RonC]

You have a problem with your distributor. I don't think your points are set correctly. Are you running a stock setup? What did you set them at?

[junk yard kid]

where abouts in san diego are you? I got a spare distributor or two or i could give you a hand if your close but i dont like to go to far as i have a new baby.