8 Volt

[Robert Smith]

Hey guys, I made the jump to an 8 volt battery. Now, before I start driving, I've been told that I'll have to adjust the regulator to accommodate for some more charging from the generator.

So, I'm not sure how to adjust the regulator properly... anyone who's done this, help me out since I really don't want to burn out a regulator.

Thanks!

=Robert=

[wldavis3]

That's right, Robert.

The "regular" voltage regulator puts out about 7.5 volts +/-

at speed, so with an 8 volt battery you would need to

put out about 9.5 +/- volts. But, I have heard that

adjusting the voltage regulator is a touchy thing. There

are adjustments for both voltage and current. I think the

service manual outlines how to do it, but, of course, not to

8 volts. You would probably need to find someone who

has some experience with this to get it done correctly.

[laynrubber]

Get a good digital voltmeter and hook it up, either to the battery or somewhere hot with large cables. To adjust the voltage output you have to adjust the point gap (think more gap....more volts?). I found it best to remove the regulator when i did this and it was several install and remove to get it to where i wanted it.

Not a hard job just a little tedius

[Don Coatney]

Hey guys, I made the jump to an 8 volt battery. =Robert=

Why 8 volt? Are you converting to 12 volts in stages? You should buy an 8

volt alternator. Then next step go with the full 12 volts as you will get tired

of replacing burned out light bulbs

[Robert Smith]

I've talked to a few guys that suggested 8 volt batteries. Just enough to give more cranking power and a little brighter lights. They never mentioned burning out bulbs.

I'm going to take the car over to a place early tomorrow morning and see if he can adjust it right.

=R

[steveplym]

I've talked to a few guys that suggested 8 volt batteries. Just enough to give more cranking power and a little brighter lights. They never mentioned burning out bulbs.

I'm going to take the car over to a place early tomorrow morning and see if he can adjust it right.

=R

Robert I've been running an 8 Volt battery for about 8 years now. I had an older mechanic adjust the regulator for me when I switched it over. Then a few years later I was having trouble with the regulator and bought one off of ebay that was already set up for 8 volts. I run at night and haven't had a headlight bulb fail yet. Car starts quick and the lights are brighter.

I did talk to a gentleman with the car pictured below and he told me he has been running 8 volts in his 6 volt cars for years. He did tell me he has had a few headlamp failures, but just carries a spare.

[randroid]

Robert,

First, you don't need to adjust anything, or at least I didn't. You won't realize the full potential of the battery but you'll sure get more juice than a 6V gives. The lights will be brighter and the engine will start faster (mine did at 8000' in the N. Colorado Rockies). The part about burning-out bulbs is quite true, which was the deciding factor for me switching back to 6V, but a forum member with new wiring said he's not had that problem so when I re-wire the lights I'm very tempted to give 8V another shot.

-Randy

[BobT-47P15]

Do you notice anything slightly different about the grill on that nice

green coupe????

I rather like that shade of green, which is an original shade, or very close

to it. Back in the late 50s, a friend bought a coupe that color, and

did a little customizing on it, then painted it the ever popular "candy

apple red."

[BobT-47P15]

Also, look at the little rubber bumper for the hood in the second photo.

See how tall it is??? It is as tall as or a tad taller than the ridge in the

fender where the hood joins it. I bought some new bumpers a while

back the seller says are correct for the P15. In my opinion, they are

not correct as they are shorter and actually not tall enough to contact

the edge of the hood.

Just putting that out for whatever it may be worth.

Who sells a taller bumper.......I have no clue.

[PatS....]

Do you notice anything slightly different about the grill on that nice

green coupe????

Is it the parklight whisker? Seems to go further around the fender than normal.

[Young Ed]

Right Pat I didnt notice that until Bob pointed it out. Nice little touch.

[Robert Smith]

Say, we're a tad off topic here!

I'm thinking of taking the 8v battery back... I was told by the guy here who did the electrical on my car a few years ago that I'm opening a can of worms. That I'm going to burn out my generator and so on.

I'm so not sure what to do... I hear stories of good and a few stories of bad things... and the electrician tells me to get rid of it and warns me that I'm going to ruin everything.

I don't know.

R=

[Young Ed]

IMO it shouldn't be needed. The only benefit is the brighter lights which apparenlty can come with more burnt out bulbs.

[Robert Smith]

I have an 8 volt battery put in the car right now, and when I started it up yesterday, it started great... Like I've been told it would... however, the ams gage on the dash shows a negative charge and I don't know anyone who could adjust this thing for me... I don't feel comfortable doing it since I'm almost sure I'll burn the darn thing out... that's my run of luck.

I'm not sure what to do.

[Don Coatney]

I have an 8 volt battery put in the car right now, and when I started it up yesterday, it started great... Like I've been told it would... however, the ams gage on the dash shows a negative charge and I don't know anyone who could adjust this thing for me... I don't feel comfortable doing it since I'm almost sure I'll burn the darn thing out... that's my run of luck.

I'm not sure what to do.

Did you install the 8 volt battery with the positive post going to the ground connection on your engine and the negative post going to the starter solenoid switch? My guess is the battery is installed backwards and that is why your amp gauge is reading backwards.

[Powerhouse]

want brighter lights...do what i'm gonna do...get halogen bulbs. Granted mine are prefocus not sealed beam...but...

7” Halogen Sealed beam replacements.

These units will fit right into a 7” PAR 56 lamp

socket and they have high and low beam elements. For use with 2-headlamp systems.They connect to a 3 pin plug, same as a standard 7” bulb.

not DOT endorsed.

6v Systems = ELE235 $39.50 each

www.RestorationStuff.com

OR...you can just drive in a darker neighborhood...

[Robert Smith]

Did you install the 8 volt battery with the positive post going to the ground connection on your engine and the negative post going to the starter solenoid switch? My guess is the battery is installed backwards and that is why your amp gauge is reading backwards.

Well, my car is negative ground... someone switched it over to a negative ground at one time. The black cable comes off the block and the red goes to the solenoid. I put the black cable to the black post and the red cable to the positive post... I believe it's in correctly?

=R

PS: I'm not so much doing this for brighter bulbs; I'm doing this to get the car started faster and easier

[Powerhouse]

negative ground....whaaaaat did josh do know? HAHAHA:D

[Robert Smith]

Josh didn't convert it... Must have been the clown who owned it before! lol

Anyway, I took it up to a different shop here in town that my folks told me about, the guy I recall last time I saw him had a '46 Plymouth club coupe there... I talked to him about it and he told me that car had an 8 volt battery! And that they adjusted the regulator on that and everything seems to be ok. So, he adjusted my regulator... and now it's charging just over 9 volts to the battery.

Should be ok now, we'll see!

Thanks again guys for all your input!

R=

[steveplym]

Do you notice anything slightly different about the grill on that nice

green coupe????

I rather like that shade of green, which is an original shade, or very close

to it. Back in the late 50s, a friend bought a coupe that color, and

did a little customizing on it, then painted it the ever popular "candy

apple red."

We noticed that too Bob. Actually if I would have noticed it before I talked to the guy I would have asked him about it.

[Robert Smith]

Well, I started the ol' gal up to go to work today, that starter cranked right over! Didn't even have a chance to turn three times when she started!

She started right up after work, didn't even give me a problem there! I then decided to take her out for a little evening walk... the head lamps, dash lamps are as bright as I'd expect them to be if it were a 12volt battery sittin' under that hood!

It's like driving a totally different car at night! Gee whiz, it's amazing what a few more volts can do!

=R

[steveplym]

Well, I started the ol' gal up to go to work today, that starter cranked right over! Didn't even have a chance to turn three times when she started!

She started right up after work, didn't even give me a problem there! I then decided to take her out for a little evening walk... the head lamps, dash lamps are as bright as I'd expect them to be if it were a 12volt battery sittin' under that hood!

It's like driving a totally different car at night! Gee whiz, it's amazing what a few more volts can do!

=R

It does make a difference. I will probably convert my car to 12 volts someday, but right now the generator and voltage regulator work great and the car starts great. I don't need a radio or any other 12 volt items. So 8 volts will do for now.

[BobT-47P15]

Back to that picture of the green coupe.......yes, what I noticed was the

longer bezel of the parking lights. They must have re-done, and extended

the bezel by using a piece of grille trim perhaps.

[Robert Smith]

I must say, that green club coupe is quite interesting... the longer stainless from the parking lamps is quite unique. The guy must have a friend in a machine shop that knows how to work stainless. However, I will say I do miss the bumper guards... those always look nice on a car I think.

Now, here's a question for you guys... this 8 volt battery is a little larger then my battery tray... do I just take out the tray and set it on the shelf? Right now it's mostly in but a corner just hangs out, it's a heavy battery and wont wobble but, just wanted to know what some of you 8 volters have to say about it.

=R

[BobT-47P15]

Is it longer than the tray from front to back, or from the inner fender

out toward the engine......or both?

If it would help any, you might put a piece of wood in the tray to bring

the bottom up level with the edge. Or you could cut the edge of the

tray. Just need something to support the battery and for it to be

secure.