| Ramblin Reck | -- 07-15-2021 @ 7:27 AM |
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My car has a 12 volt system** with a positive ground. **I should say that it has a 12 volt battery but that it may be a 6 volt system and that is what I am trying to determine. Someone suggested that the seller who owned the car for decades, may have just put in a 12 volt battery to sell the vehicle quickly. Could happen I suppose. I removed my original question about reversing polarity of the battery since it is not as important as determining whether I have a 6 or 12 volt system. Thanks in advance for your help! This message was edited by Ramblin Reck on 7-16-21 @ 6:54 AM
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| TomO | -- 07-15-2021 @ 8:01 AM |
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If you have a generator, you will have to polarize it after you switch to negative ground at the battery. You will also have to check the polarity of the coil and make sure that the - terminal of the coil goes to the distributor. If you have an alternator, I can't help you. Off hand, I cannot think of any other components that will be affected by polarity. Tom
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| Ramblin Reck | -- 07-16-2021 @ 6:45 AM |
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Thanks That info will probably come in handy when I find out exactly what I have. There lies the problem as I do not have any history of the vehicle or engine. I wonder if I have a 6 volt system but that the seller put in a 12 volt battery just to sell the car. I guess maybe the surest way to tell is to put in a 6 volt battery and see if it starts. If it does then it must be a 6 volt system I would think. Does anyone concur with that process??? I hear that the engine is a 1947 engine. It has an oil filter on it which may say something about it. Not sure if the 1939 V8 had an oil filter???? The generator or alternator sits right on top but has no markings or writing that I can see. The head of the engine on each side has 59A-B stamped on it. Anyone know what that means????? Thanks for any and all help
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| 3w2 | -- 07-16-2021 @ 9:51 AM |
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If the starter motor is 6v, it will function connected to a 12v battery, but likely not indefinitely. Other 6v items are not so sturdy. A simple test to see if the system in the car, apart from the battery, is 6v is to check the light bulbs as they would be toast by now if they are 6v and a 12v battery had been used, even momentarily.
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| TomO | -- 07-16-2021 @ 11:12 AM |
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Read my answer on your original post about 12 volts. Tom
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| Ramblin Reck | -- 07-17-2021 @ 6:45 AM |
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I learned from the former long term owner that the system had been converted by him to a 12 volt system. Problem solved. Now I can move forward. Thanks to all
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| TomO | -- 07-17-2021 @ 7:47 AM |
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You should still check to make sure that the conversion was done correctly. You said the 12 volt system was POS ground, that make me worry that about if it was done correctly. The original 6 volt ignition coil required an external resister. It is mounted inside the car on the left side of the fire wall. Some 12 volt coils require an external resister but it is probably a different value than the Ford one. Other coils do not require a resister. All 12 volt coils are NEG ground. The gauges require a voltage reducer and regulator to give reliable readings. You should make sure that the correct voltage reducer was installed. Tom
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| Ramblin Reck | -- 07-18-2021 @ 5:29 AM |
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Found this on mounted on the firewall:
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