| lazy69ranch | -- 07-27-2012 @ 10:19 AM |
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Just bought a 53 f100 with original 239 8RT engine and Fordomatic trans. Need the right info on: Finding a 6 volt battery. Properly Connecting the battery to the positive ground system...Positive really goes to ground, right? Thanks much.
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| 51f1 | -- 07-27-2012 @ 2:29 PM |
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The positive battery cable is connected to ground. There are 6-volt batteries available from many suppliers. I have an Interstate 2-XHD which is larger and has more cranking power than the group 1 batteries usually available (Walmart may still sell a 6-volt group 1). There are some people on this website that will extol the virtues of Optima batteries. I have never owned one. The conventional battery that I have starts my '51 F-1 at any ambient temperature, and it will crank for a long time, if necessary. They last at least 5-years and will hold a charge for months. The secret is to be sure your battery cables are large enough for the current drawn by a six-volt starter (00), that the clamps are tight on the cables (no replacement clamps that bolt on the old cable-clamps should be swaged on) and that the connections are clean and tight. And make sure your charging system is up-to-snuff. Richard This message was edited by 51f1 on 7-29-12 @ 8:14 AM
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| supereal | -- 07-27-2012 @ 2:32 PM |
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Yes, the positive pole goes to ground in your '53. As to battery type, I use only the Optima "red top" for 6 volt applications, and have for years. It is the perfect battery for lightly driven vehicles, and being sealed, doesn't spill acid in any position. It has more than 800 amps of cranking power, and holds a charge for months. I have one in my '47, and it sat from October of last year until May of this year, and started like it was run yesterday. Interstate Battery dealers carry them, or can order for you. They aren't cheap but, as is said, it isn't how much you pay as much as how often you pay it!
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| Stroker | -- 07-27-2012 @ 5:42 PM |
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I agree with "Super's" advice if you are not planning to drive your truck daily. Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) batteries such as the Optima series have many advantages such as not spilling electrolyte in the battery compartment area, and having a long service life, even when not "exercised" daily. Conventional batteries work well for "daily-drivers". The downside of the Optima is it's appearance, which looks like a cluster of grain silos. I think it depends on how you plan your 53 pickup's use profile. Some of us (including me), simply want our old Ford to start whenever called upon, and would favor AGM's. Others will drive their Fords daily, which are served very well with conventional lead-acid batteries. The third factor is appearance. If you are planning upon entering judging events, then obviously an Optima-style AGM must be "disguised", and there have been many solutions to this problem previously posted. If it was my truck, I'd simply find a good lead-acid 6V positive ground battery and drive it.
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