8 Volt Batteries

[JAKEFORD]

They used to sell 8 volt batteries in farm / auto stores but I haven't seen one lately. Used to use them in grain trucks in place of the 6 volt. It gave better crank speed and only a regulator adjustment was necessary.
Has anyone seen them available?

[scooder]

I can't see why they wouldn't be available. Get a 6 volt battery and fix your electric issues, and all will be good.
No need to cover up problems by fitting an 8 volt battery, just fix it properly. There's many, many folk on here that use the stock 6 volt stuff, reliably for ever. One of there common denominators being properly maintained electrical parts and wiring.
Martin.

[redmodelt]

The 8 volt is a mask, try cleaning your connections, esp the ground. Pull the starter and give it a good clean, maybe it needs new brushes. I dropped a 6 volt battery in my 48 226/6 cylinder that had been sitting for well over 15 years, cleaned the terminals and it cranked over fine. (did put some ATF in the cylinders before cranking)

[BUBBAS IGNITION]

That was the "standard" fix when i worked at the gas station. All the flathead chrysler products got one whether they needed it or not.
Only way to start a plymouth on a moist cold day.........rbg .....

[Ross F-1]

Originally Posted by BUBBAS IGNITION

..
Only way to start a plymouth on a moist cold day.........rbg .....

Even when they went 12v, in Chicago winters in the 60's I had to jump all the Chryslers in the neighborhood.

[JAKEFORD]

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Did the same thing when I worked on tune ups. After cleaning all grounds, checking starter and generator, points, condenser and plugs, timing and general engine condition, we always put in the 8 volt battery. It made the owners very happy on those cold damp mornings. If the old 6v was good they got a credit but usually it was on its last legs and they needed a battery anyway. Ford and Chrysler products were the worst. The old Chevy 6 seemed to like 6v.

Sometimes we installed double welding cable ground wires to different locations to ensure we had good grounds. It depended on where it was operated and if it was always splashing in water.

No unusual problems with bulb burnouts were noticed.

The customers always came back for other work.

[BUBBAS IGNITION]

If ya give it some thought it was a good thing for all.
Engine started better, ignition was stronger spark and the lights were brighter !!!!
Not a bad thing......

[FlatheadTed]

Try a 6v optima it will crank as fast ,longer life ,Ted

[Krylon32]

When I was in high school I drove a 53 Chevy and the dam thing would never start hot. Local mechanic put in a 8 volt battery, problem solved.

[ford38v8]

Looks like we got us a straw vote building here! I'll put in with the 6Vers, making it all tied up at 4 to 4. ...Next?

[adileo]

6 volt w optima hands down!

[corvette8n]

We went through this on the tractor forum also, 8v battery just masks the problem of bad cables/grounds, even though my 8N is way simple compared to an automobile being 6 volts it still needs the proper sized cables, and "bright and tight" connections. It can't be over emphasized how clean and tight the connections need to be.

[Kube]

Originally Posted by ford38v8

Looks like we got us a straw vote building here! I'll put in with the 6Vers, making it all tied up at 4 to 4. ...Next?

Alan, I am in with you. Six volts. FIX the car - don't mask the symptoms.
Later Fords and Chrysler's inherently required more amps due to their starter designs. What they didn't require was 8 volts.

[37 Cab]

I recently bought a 6V battery at Tractor Supply. Works fine but just for info. They did have an 8V battery as well.

[tubman]

Originally Posted by adileo

6 volt w optima hands down!

Yup! Old worn-out tractors are one thing. Anything driven on the road is another.

[Keystone 34 3w]

My electric golf cart has six 8 Volt batteries. My '34s crank very decent with 6 volts.

[slowforty]

As said before Good connections,Good grounds, and a decent tune up.
My 40 has 65 pounds of compression on 7 cylinders and 35 on one.
Starts on the 7th or 8th turn. Goes down the road at 65mph. just watch the oil level.
Dont try to do 0 to 60 in 10 seconds.

See it go up the hill at The Newport Hill Climb on Oct 3rd and 4th

[flathead 53]

good grounds and an optima 6 volt battery,your good to go

[JAKEFORD]

I am terribly confused. I just wanted to know if they are still available and I guess they are from different sources.

In rethinking my past we always thought 33% more battery power was good as long as the higher voltage did no harm. The cost of an 8 v battery was about the same as the 6v and the regulator adjustment was minimal. It was almost like going to 12v. The engine spun like crazy and started well. I never saw any harm in going to 8v. We never neglected connections, grounds or any of that other happy stuff but on the old grain trucks it made a big reliability difference. The grain had to move and the 8v system helped a lot. We had the Dodge but mostly Ford as they were cheap and very reliable. We probably had 6 or 8 trucks at the time. After harvest they were laid up and sat until the next year.

Optima batteries were not available then and these were not casual pleasure only vehicles. These were work horses that built our county and were driven hard and long. They were great and amazing trucks for the time.

[Mike B]

My dad went to an 8v battery in the Farmall Cub he had and used at the ranch...95% of the Cubs (think it was a Cub if I recall) running was at idle, pulling a grape trailer as the pickers were dumping the baskets in the trailer, seems the generator just didn't give out enough juice at idle for the extended periods of time it was run...seemed like every other day we'd have it on the charger to get it fired up, the 8v battery solved that issue.

I know he did adjust the regulator, maybe that helped?...or maybe the 8v battery had more reserve?...I dunno, but from that point forward, we always put 8v batteries in all of our 6v farm equipment.

[JAKEFORD]

The old charging systems need some rpm to charge the battery. At idle it was usually discharging.

[koates]

The main drawback with an 8 volt battery fitted in a 6 volt car or truck was the shorter life of light bulbs. The stop light globes usually go first because they are on and off all the time. Having said that there are good reasons for 8 volt as well. Back in the 1960s when many 1930s and 1940s engines had been reconditioned and were a bit tight especially when hot and would not crank very fast, then the 8 volt battery solved the problem. Other times when other equipment such as tractors and farm equipment sat out in the winter and were slow cranking then 8 volts fixed it. Ive fitted quite a few 8 volt batteries in my time and they are good. Very little extra current was drawn by the ignition coil and there was never a problem with early ford V8s and their resistors in that regard. BUT a 6 volt system is very good as long as everything is correct as it was built when new. An 8 volt system actually runs on approx. 10 volts and therefore the voltage regulator would require adjusting to suit. Horses for courses as they say. Regards, Kevin.

[G.M.]

6 volts with LARGE cables, good, clean battery connections and clean grounds.
Plus the engines tuned properly. These cars do not require spinning of the engine to start. They should start on the first or second revolution. One of the biggest problems
is 12 volt cables are being sold for these 6 volt cars. Check the size of the copper not
the OD of the covering. G.M.

[Johnnydidd]

I have a 6 v in my 53 mercury with automatic starts ok turns slow but starts. If I rewire it I will change it to 12 v. My 53 Victoria is 12 v all is good. I remember the old tractors had magnets so 8 v didn't bother anything

[billwill]

napa has 8 VOLT batteries good luck

[G.M.]

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Originally Posted by Johnnydidd

I have a 6 v in my 53 mercury with automatic starts ok turns slow but starts. If I rewire it I will change it to 12 v. My 53 Victoria is 12 v all is good. I remember the old tractors had magnets so 8 v didn't bother anything

If it turns slow the problem is the size of the battery cables, starter,
solenoid or dirty connections including grounds. These are all easy
fixes and easy to identify. G.M.

[ArcLighter]

'53 Ford V-8, turned good when cold, hard to turn over & start when hot. Took starter off -> aircraft starter repair shop. Shop will rebuild to aircraft standards; mech guarantees that starter was bad. Vicky had BIG battery & "0" gauge cables, good grounds. Rebuild shop was aware of some using 8V. battery; strongly advised against it. Starting okay when cold, not okay when hot is common problem with planes; starter rebuild always works.

[flatheadfan]

I have often heard that an 8 volt battery is super hard on 6 volt bulbs. Also, how is the battery charging handled? Will a 6 volt generator charge an 8 volt battery?

Tom

[ArcLighter]

Everyone I know has advised against using an 8V. battery in a 6V. vehicle; same as trying to put a square peg into a round hole.

[NSDWS]

I don't know if its good or bad but I have an 8v Optma in my 39. I did not put it there was put in by former owner along with a lot of other new stuff. What I find strange is that the top of the battery has 4 lugs. 2 + and 2-. Whats up with that? The car starts the second I hit the button hot or cold. Will I keep it I see no reason not to.

[petehoovie]

Originally Posted by NSDWS

I don't know if its good or bad but I have an 8v Optma in my 39. I did not put it there was put in by former owner along with a lot of other new stuff. What I find strange is that the top of the battery has 4 lugs. 2 + and 2-. Whats up with that? The car starts the second I hit the button hot or cold. Will I keep it I see no reason not to.

NSDWS,

Can you provide us with the model number/part number of the Optima battery you have?

[rotorwrench]

It was probably for a golf car. They hook them in series to get the higher voltages needed to run the go motor.

[NSDWS]

I'll see what I can do tomorrow It has a wrap around it with a cover on it