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Posted By Discussion Topic: 39 Ford flathead charging system     JohnJAS 10-24-2017 @ 6:43 AM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 19 Joined: Jun 2014 39 Ford Deluxe 91A-70B All Original Hello Gary M, an easy way to note date of battery install or actually date/month of manufacture of battery is there’s usually sticker with month/year (last 2 digits of year) on the battery. I try to look for most recent date on battery when I buy. Most of the time your date of retail store purchase won’t be too far after mfg date. Date of mfg and factory where battery mfg is actually stamped into battery case cause batteries can be a hazmat issue. Date code sticker can be numerical only or alpha/numerical. Alpha being the month. A=1st month (January), M=12th (December). There no letter ‘I’ so not to be confused w number ‘1’. To simplify things, I always try to relocate that sticker, if I need to (and if it’s removable), to a location on battery that provides an easier ‘line of sight'. When the battery is new, side wall surfaces usually are clean(er). Gary M. 10-23-2017 @ 6:41 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 218 Joined: Oct 2009 Yes, I kind of figured that it wasn't a good thing to pull the cables while the car is running. Now that I replaced the battery , the car is running great. I guess I will just keep a record of when I installed the battery and just replace it after 5 years instead of waiting till till it goes completely bad. It was a bit embarrassing having to get a jump from the station owner after just getting the car inspected. JohnJAS 10-23-2017 @ 1:25 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 19 Joined: Jun 2014 39 Ford Deluxe 91A-70B All Original TomO you make a correct point. The battery smooths out any spikes and keeps voltage fairly constant. W/o battery, voltage regulator would have a harder time holding voltage at correct point. The car can still run w/o battery, but it can ‘stress’ the voltage regulator. The original question centered around whether the car would run w/o battery as an evaluatory function to access if generator is charging. More than likely, yes, however, TomO, as a senior member of EFV-8, I believe you’re making it clear it is not a recommended evaluation of the charging system. I see your point, I agree. TomO 10-23-2017 @ 9:34 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 7250 Joined: Oct 2009 I recommend that you do NOT remove battery cables from a running car. You can damage the regulator and/or the generator. When you remove the battery from the charging circuit, the generator will be free to run unregulated and that can cause internal damage to the generator. Tom JohnJAS 10-23-2017 @ 9:24 AM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 19 Joined: Jun 2014 39 Ford Deluxe 91A-70B All Original Hello Gary M, just an FYI, if you take off both cables, car should stay running. Now, I’m not the expert, but always remembered that alternators (alt) and generators (gen) act as a power supply. Gens have permanent magnets and commutators, alts use electromagnets to create the field. Alts charge (alt)ernating current (AC) which is converted in the alt to Direct Current (DC) as that is what vehicle electrical system uses. Alts provide much more wattage/amps than gens for ‘the work done’. And 1963(ish) seems to bout the time auto industry switched to alts. Even then demand on elec systems required improved systems. Older carburetor based engines (you were talking bout the '70's cars) could run relatively easy w/o battery, however, the more current vehicles with PCM controlled fuel injection require constant 12v. If any compromise in charge system with or w/o battery, car won’t continue to run. I believe the other thing important to mention is all cars need a ground, and that ground is the vehicle chassis, not the ground of the battery (and in our case w/these 6v Fords, the + side). The important thing to remember, if indeed you ever do remove a current supply side cable on your Ford (- side, the 'HOT' side) is Not To TOUCH It To Anything when the engine is running (generator turning) because you find out immediately the ‘ground function’ the chassis plays. Finally, if you’ve gotten 7 yrs out of a battery, then, ‘Bless you’. Don’t think I ever kept a battery that long (max for me, any battery, 5 yrs). If your driving is only periodic (and maybe I’m telling you something you already know) buy 6v automatic charger (not a ‘trickle’ charger). They’re certainly avail usually simply a 6v setting on a 6v/12v 6/12 amp type auto charger (I still like analogue needle and scale) which will charge and then provide 2amp trickle charge and reboot to a higher amp if it senses drop in voltage and then return to trickle. Some more sophisticated types provide a 'boost' cycle to prevent scale build up on the plates, but the 'auto' type just described can certainly function for your purpose w/o spending 'an arm and a leg' . Batteries do like a ‘state of charge’ or a ‘steady state’. They don’t like to remain ‘uncharged’ for extended periods of time. For 12v usually 12.5 and 6v I’ve always seen 6.25. When uncharged for extended time, voltage starts to drop below these levels and that can surely shorten battery life and you can wind up stuck somewhere unexpected. Obviously, if you keep it charged and check the electrolyte periodically (I don’t think I’ve ever seen a ‘maintenance free’ 6v), you’ll extend its life. Gary M. 10-22-2017 @ 7:22 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 218 Joined: Oct 2009 Sorry about that, I meant to say 6v pos gnd. I put in a new battery and its running great. Ill put a volt meter on it sometime this week. Thanks for the help guys.... 40 Coupe 10-22-2017 @ 3:51 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 1674 Joined: Oct 2009 Charge the battery then take it to your local auto parts store they will check it for output. cliftford 10-21-2017 @ 5:50 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 845 Joined: Jan 2014 With the engine running at a fast idle, put a volt meter across the battery. You should see around 6.8 to seven volts which would mean the gen. is charging. Yes, it should keep running at a fast idle when you pull a cable. 4dFordSC 10-21-2017 @ 3:56 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 266 Joined: Oct 2009 Unless your car has been converted at some point, or is hooked up wrong, it should be 6v positive ground. Gary M. 10-21-2017 @ 3:32 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 218 Joined: Oct 2009 Hi guys, I haven't had my 39 Tudor Standard out since last year(busy home life). Well I took it out today for inspection and the battery was dead. I just charged it last week but its about 7 years old. I jumped it and it made it to the station for inspection. It would not start when I was leaving so the station owner gave me a jump. The car still has its original 6v neg. ground system except that I replaced the cutout with a voltage regulator that looks just like a cutout. I assume that the battery is the problem here but I want to make sure that the charging system is working properly .Back in the 70s we would start the car and pull off the negative terminal, if the car charging system was ok the car would keep running. Does that work on the old Fords or is there a better way to make sure its charging? Thanks....

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