| fenbach | -- 08-14-2011 @ 8:52 PM |
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i need a new battery. what are the advantages/benefits of using a 6-volt optima battery rather than a traditional lead-acid battery? in a '36 ford. thanks.
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| shogun1940 | -- 08-14-2011 @ 9:08 PM |
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I use two 6 volt optimas inseries on my 40, and after sitting for three or four months the car starts up, they are now 6 years old
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| ford38v8 | -- 08-14-2011 @ 11:20 PM |
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Fenbach, There are several advantages, and two disadvantages: 1 + = 800 cold cranking amps as opposed to 600 CCA. 2 + = No acid spills, no outgassing means no damage to your car. 3 + = No voltage drop during long term storage. 4 + = Small size, mount in any position, even upside down. 5 + = Will conceal inside a Ford Script battery case for originality. 1 - = Top quality is expensive. 2 - = Gimme a while, I'll think of one. Alan
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| TomO | -- 08-15-2011 @ 8:15 AM |
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Alan, you missed the other disadvantage. When installing in a pre 1940 battery case, the battery carrier has to be modified to accept the taller Optima battery. Amazon has sales promotions on the 6 volt Optima quite often. I bought one at $120 including shipping and told a fellow club member about it, he got his for $115 including shipping. Tom
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| fenbach | -- 08-15-2011 @ 8:36 PM |
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shogun1940, you say two 6-volt batteries in series. any chance you mean parallel? two in series = 12V. TomO, 38v8 mentions that the optima can be mounted upside down even. do you have any idea if the battery would fit under the floorboard of my '36 if i tip it? of course, i could get the measurements and check myself, but it thought you might know. thanks fellers.
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| ford38v8 | -- 08-15-2011 @ 8:50 PM |
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Fenbach, for the '36, due to the height of the Optima as TomO points out, it must be mounted on it's side. If I may offer a possible reason for Shogun's unusual installation, 6V may be syphoned off at the first battery, while modern accessories draw the 12V from the series hookup. Alan
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| JM | -- 08-15-2011 @ 9:45 PM |
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I made this mounting for a 6V Optima battery in my '35 fordor sedan. The judges probably won't like it but I really like it. Hopefully there will be a picture here after I click on submit because it was not there when I clicked Preview JM Wow..that's a big picture! I forgot to mention that I can pop that Optima and it's mounting out and put everything back for a stock battery mounting in about 10 minutes. I do like the Optima battery though. This message was edited by JM on 8-15-11 @ 9:52 PM
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| TomO | -- 08-16-2011 @ 6:39 AM |
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fenbach, You can secure the Optima any way that works for you. My post was meant for people that want to install the Optima in a Ford script case. How ever you mount it, make sure that you have a way to disconnect it when you put your car away for the night. I prefer to mount a disconnect switch in the grounded side of battery. Tom
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| oldford2 | -- 08-16-2011 @ 12:11 PM |
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Just curious - I have seen several posts that say to put the battery shutoff on the ground side. Why not the negative? John
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| ford38v8 | -- 08-16-2011 @ 12:20 PM |
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I think the disconnect became popular for two reasons: Electric clocks would run down a battery, and a disconnect helps prevent auto theft. Unless you have an electric clock, I don't believe there is a valid reason to disconnect, especially with an Optima, as the Optima does not self discharge for months on end. Alan
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| thirtysixford | -- 08-16-2011 @ 5:29 PM |
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Old ford2 I would install the switch on the ground side because the switch will add exposed areas where the cables are attached that would cause a direct short if you happened to touch your wrench, the cable, etc to the frame if it was installed on the HOT side. By installing it on the ground side, it will not cause a short. Mike
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| JM | -- 08-16-2011 @ 6:44 PM |
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I have a main battery disconnect switch in my early Fords for several reasons and they are....safety, safety and safety. Short circuits can occur at any time in these older vehicles (attended or unattended) especially with age and deterioration of insulated wiring. Short circuits cause fires which can destroy a car, the garage that its stored in and possibly an entire home. Think safety!! JM
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| TomO | -- 08-17-2011 @ 6:52 AM |
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Another reason to open the grounded side, is the switch resistance will have more of an effect on current flow when it is in the supply side. There is less arcing when the switch is in the ground circuit also. Arcing near a lead acid battery is very dangerous due to the possibility of hydrogen gas from the battery. Tom
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| 51f1 | -- 08-18-2011 @ 11:52 AM |
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TomO: Why do you put the battery switch on the battery ground terminal? The same current flows through the ground wire as flows through the supply wire; therefore, the current loss, if any, caused by the switch will be the same no matter where you put it. Richard
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| TomO | -- 08-19-2011 @ 8:41 AM |
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Richard you are correct about the amount of current, but the number of connections in the supply side is always greater than in the grounded side, so adding another has a greater effect. I was taught in my teen years to always disconnect the grounded side of the battery first to reduce the probably of sparks. That still sticks in my mind. Tom
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| 51f1 | -- 08-19-2011 @ 3:38 PM |
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Tom: I always disconnect the ground first too because you can't get a short if your wrench touches something that's grounded. (It seems like every time I have disconnected the ungrounded cable first, I have managed to touch ground with the wrench!) But I don't think it matters from an electrical standpoint which side you put the switch on. Whether it's on the positive or negative side, any resistance in the switch and it's connections still adds to the total resistance in the circuit. Richard This message was edited by 51f1 on 8-19-11 @ 3:41 PM
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| Stroker | -- 08-19-2011 @ 4:06 PM |
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One other caveat regarding Optima (spiral wound glass mat) or any other glass mat battery: These batteries can discharge to the point that they essentially become an "open" circuit. Some modern battery chargers will not begin to charge without sensing some resistance,(load), and the battery will not receive a charge, because the charger senses that it isn't connected. The simple solution is to hook another battery of matching voltage; lead-acid or whatever, in series to start the charging process. Once the Optima begins to charge, you can remove the other battery, and complete the charging cycle. This rather strange characteristic has apparently resulted in some perfectly good Optima's being abandoned, when they appear to not accept a charge. I'm not an electrical type, but I gleaned this info from a Hot Rod Magazine technical article a couple of years ago.
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| MG | -- 08-19-2011 @ 4:29 PM |
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Stroker, I've heard of this, but have been told to hook up the sacrificial battery in parallelto the Optima......
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| Stroker | -- 08-19-2011 @ 5:03 PM |
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MG: You are probably right, it's been a couple of years...and I don't have an Optima in my Ford..Yet. I do plan on buying one however, as my 38 battery box is "pristine", and I really don't care about the looks of a "consumable" item. We have a Bobcat skidloader that has a battery location that must have been the first thing that was installed on the assembly line. This now has an Optima for obvious reasons. For years, I've used a High-Type Ford batteries, and I've welded extensions on my hold-down's to accommodate them. Having a battery that looks like a Kansas grain elevator is not a big deal for me. Do I want to "draw and clean" a Script battery, just to hide an Optima? That would be WAY down on my list of fun things.
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| MG | -- 08-19-2011 @ 9:57 PM |
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Stroker, To "draw and clean" a Script battery case would be an exercise in futility given that Optima no longer makes a battery that will fit into a Group 2L battery case..... This message was edited by MG on 8-19-11 @ 9:58 PM
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| ford38v8 | -- 08-19-2011 @ 11:00 PM |
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MG, Where there's a will, there's a way. Nuff said. Alan
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| BERTHA | -- 08-28-2011 @ 5:15 AM |
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IMHO....just my experience... Optima circular gel plates are VERY tempermental in their charge voltages and the slightest bit of over voltage will cause the gel to strip from the plates...leaving a scar that doesn't heal and a marked decrease in capacity. I use a conventional lead/acid Ford script 6v, remove for winter storage keep things clean...no problem. Go with Lifeline AGM's if you want a fancy batt. Bob
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| ford38v8 | -- 08-28-2011 @ 4:15 PM |
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Bertha, you are correct if your believe that the Optima is not for those that don't follow instructions. Fortunately, it is made in America, and the instructions were written by English speaking Americans. The optima doesn't do well at all with a fast charge. A cheap 2 amp 6v charger with automatic off is all you need. I looked up the Lifeline battery you listed. That is quite a battery, all right, but way way too tall for a Ford. Be careful with your lead/acid batteery: Best to charge it outside your car due to outgassing during the charge. The gas produced during charge will eat your paint in the engine compartment. When it ends it's useful life as a battery, save the case for conversion to an Optima for some lucky guy. Alan
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| BERTHA | -- 08-31-2011 @ 9:22 AM |
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I looked up the Lifeline battery you listed. That is quite a battery, all right, but way way too tall for a Ford. Be careful with your lead/acid batteery: Best to charge it outside your car due to outgassing during the charge. The gas produced during charge will eat your paint in the engine compartment. When it ends it's useful life as a battery, save the case for conversion to an Optima for some lucky guy. Alan Your right on the Lifeline Alan, it's a top-line AGM more suited for deep cycle use. Just a good example of how much batt tech has progressed. "Bertha" is a Rouge and has not been restored, (see the gallery, last pic,53), I just keep the batt box clean and greased, batt minder w/cables disconnected, top covered during and the Season and the basement in Winter. The Optima's may be a lot better that when I tried one 10yrs ago in another vehicle, but it did fail after 2yrs of daily use, others on different boards have noted the charge rate concerns though and that could have been the cause. Bob This message was edited by BERTHA on 8-31-11 @ 9:26 AM
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| ford38v8 | -- 08-31-2011 @ 10:06 AM |
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Bob, ...and here I was careful with my language 'cause I thought you were Bertha! Just shows to go ya! If you had used the battery minder on your Optima, that may have been the cause of its early failure. Optima actually were better back then than now. They were rated at 850 CCA, now rated at 800 CCA, still a whnol;e lot better than 675, I think the best available with a lead/acid. Bertha looks pretty darn good to me. Give her my regards. Alan
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| BERTHA | -- 09-04-2011 @ 2:06 PM |
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Alan, I'm rather anal about original, (wept when I replaced a WP), The old girl never had the Optima, it was on my DD. Thanks for the compliment, you can read more about "Bertha" in the Mar/Apr 2007 V/8 Times. Bob
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