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EFV-8 Club Forum / General Ford Discussion / Battery life span?

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Discussion Topic: Battery life span? -- page: 1 2

Gary M.

03-28-2010 @ 8:51 AM

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My 6v battery is about 4 years old and was working fine up until the fall. I stored the car in the garage which does not go below freezing. I kept a charge in the battery all winter up until about 2 months ago when I got involved in a fix up project and lost track. The battery is now not strong enough to start the car,and so it spent 10 hours on the charger. When I checked the acid with a hygrometer,there were 3 balls floating in the first 2 cells and only 1 ball floating in the last cell(closest to negative terminal).Since the battery never got cold enough to freeze,is this battery still good? Do I need to charge it for alot longer? I have been using a 1 amp charger to put a slow charge into a very dead battery. Thanks...

TomO

03-28-2010 @ 10:16 AM

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Using a 1 amp charger to charge a dead battery can take as long as 48 hours. A 4 year old battery could be on its last legs, but I would give the charger 24 hours total to see if the last cell will come up. If it does, I would still have the battery load tested before the summer touring season.

Tom

supereal

03-28-2010 @ 10:24 AM

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I hate to sound like a broken record, but the answer to battery life in lightly used old cars is the Optima, hands down. They provide cold cranking power of more than 800 amps, retain a near full charge for months without attention, and prevent acid leakage that destroys battery boxes, etc. As to life, my first Optima lasted seven years, and I still use it as a six volt source for diagnosing purposes. Under the best circumstances, conventional lead-acid batteries seldom last more than four years, if that, providing adequate power.

51f1

03-28-2010 @ 1:11 PM

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And they are ugly and look out of place in an old Ford.

Richard

jerry.grayson

03-28-2010 @ 2:19 PM

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Put the Optima battery in a Ford script case.

Gary M.

03-29-2010 @ 2:18 PM

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Does anyone make a Ford box that an optima 6v battery will fit into and look authentic?

Gary M.

03-29-2010 @ 2:22 PM

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Also,I forgot to ask what is the normal amperage charging rate for a 39 standard while running? Its a stock 6v system. Thanks...

supereal

03-29-2010 @ 2:38 PM

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Look at page 134 in the C&G catalog. It is online at cgfordparts.com They sell them in a couple of different styles.

supereal

03-29-2010 @ 2:44 PM

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Check your voltage across the battery poles at fast idle (above 1,000 rpm) and with the lights on, if you drive at night. You should see about 7.5 volts. This is a more accurate method than measuring current (amps). Dash gauges are seldom accurate, and most hand held meters are not able to read the amps without an add-on. If you have the three brush generator system, you can adjust the charging rate. If it is the two brush style, the regulator does the job, but don't try to adjust it or it is likely you will ruin it.

TomO

03-30-2010 @ 8:09 AM

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Putting an Optima in a Ford case requires modifying the battery tray in a 1939 Ford. The Optima is taller than the battery case for the 39 Ford.

The battery case must have the bottom removed and then make a cutout in the battery tray to receive the Optima and build a shelf under the tray about 3/8" below the bottom of the battery case.

These measurements are approximate, measure your battery once it is in the case for exact measurements.

Tom

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