Topic: How much damage

silverchief	-- 06-08-2015 @ 7:16 PM
	Had my 46 in a garage for oil change. Someone left the key on, ran the battery down. When I arrived charger was hooked to my Optima battery, but mechanic was not aware the car has positive ground. Charger was on at least 5 minutes and battery was so hot you could not touch terminals. Totally fried. Battery itself was still hot to the touch 20 minutes later. Waiting for new battery on order. What are the chances the damage went beyond the battery to generator, alternator, other ignition circuits. Thanks for input.
cliftford	-- 06-08-2015 @ 8:53 PM
	Do you have a generator or alternator? if a generator, probably not ,if nothing was left turned on, if alternator, I'm not so sure. I hope the " mechanic" was willing to pay for a new battery.
silverchief	-- 06-09-2015 @ 7:08 AM
	Did not mean to say alternator - regulator.
TomO	-- 06-09-2015 @ 8:04 AM
	The rest of the electrics should be OK. You may have to polarize your generator, but I doubt that it will be necessary. If he tried to charge it with 12 volts, you may have some other damage. Tom
1934 Ford	-- 06-12-2015 @ 5:30 PM
	Maybe one of you electrical guys can correct me, but I thought if you charged and 6 volt with the ignition switch on that it would fry the coil. I think that happened to me once. Anybody confirm or deny that? 1934 Ford's since 1972
shogun1940	-- 06-12-2015 @ 5:48 PM
	when the key was on ,, if the points were closed ,your coil and points could be damaged.
1934 Ford	-- 06-12-2015 @ 6:37 PM
	Thanks Shogun1940, That happened to me once, an expensive lesson that I learned from George Mitch*ll when he use to post on this site. I miss his knowledge and comments. I wish I could remember all the expensive mistakes I've made for the love of driving my flat head Fords. I thank the Early Ford V8 Club for this site. Paul 1934 Ford's since 1972
MG	-- 06-12-2015 @ 8:18 PM
	@Paul.... I agree with you about missing George Mitch*ll's posts. Why did he stop posting here? Also, why has Supereal stopped posting here? I miss his posts as well. Are they both posting on the FordBarn/??/ MG
trjford8	-- 06-13-2015 @ 7:07 AM
	I haven't seen either one post here or Fordbarn for some time. I hope both are O.K.
TomO	-- 06-13-2015 @ 7:10 AM
	Supereal just had surgery a couple of weeks ago. Maybe that is why he is not posting. Tom
1934 Ford	-- 06-13-2015 @ 4:06 PM
	A few years ago there were some pretty harsh posts over a difference of opinion on the solution to a overheating problem. There were things said of a personal nature that had no place on the V8 Forum, some members disappeared or went away mad. These kinds of attacks are never good for a Forum that many of us use for help keeping our V8's on the road. As a 69 year old member I look for the more experienced V8er's opinions on early V8 cures and remedies. After 43 year's as a V8 guy, I offer what I can to the discussion and hope to not be attacked for what I think I know. It may not be the best or only solution, but it's an option to consider in the care if your V8. I thank all of you who post what you know and use what I think I can use. 1934 Ford's since 1972
silverchief	-- 06-17-2015 @ 9:55 AM
	As a matter of interest regarding my original post - this is what has happened. As stated, the Optima battery was so hot on the terminals and body itself, you could not touch it, and remained so for close to an hour. I suspect one cell might have actually welded itself to another. Replaced next day with identical Optima. So far at least, car starts and runs fine - including electric pump, radio, and clock. On rare past occasions when I have had my car into a trusted garage for mechanical work - I have left written instructions detailing the cars operation, and what to do and NOT to do. This time I neglected to do so. I think I dodged a HUGE bullet.

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