Running (2) 6-volt Optima Batteries in Parallel - Good link

[Johnny S]

Found this link that I thought some of us might be interested in. It does what seems at first glance to be a great job of explaining and illustrating how to connect two (2) 6-volt Optima batteries in parallel to increase your cold cranking abilities and make starting a little bit easier on our 6-volt systems. Granted its expensive but ... probably works well. Not something everyone wants to do but it does look interesting and easily doable.

http://www.fzoldcars.com/Page_8.php

And, the double bonus is that at the same link it describes and illustrates how to prepare and hand paint the recessed letters (or numbers) on newly chromed parts. Again quite well described and illustrated.

John

[Captain Neon]

How does wiring two 600 CCA batteries in parallel get one 1800 CCA. Wouldn't it be no more than 1200 CCA and probably closer to 1000 CCA? I am not an electrical engineer so maybe there is something I am missing. By my understanding, one would have to wire three 600 CCA batteries in parallel to get 1800 CCA.

[dezeldoc]

He is a little off on his painting, the adhesion promoter is for going over old paint. the self etching primer is what goes down on the metal, it has a ingredient that will etch or bite into the metal where as the promoter does not. the way I always do mine is with self etching then the color. no need for the other unless you are going over old paint then it would be ok. His battery method is ok.

[Californian]

I never had the optima, but I have had an Interstate dry battery in my 89 FLHS for about 5 years and its just starting to show the need for replacement so I am becoming a fan of the dry cell batts for what ever use...

I tried using two six volt acid batterys on a 53 Crown Imperial I had in the early 70's and used whip cord cable for battery cables, because it was available, a bad conductor I found out, better to use copper core welding cables. The extra battery after a few months was low on voltage, I always figured because of the whip cord cable with ,several non -copper stranded wire circuits was not a good high amperage conductor and it was to far away from the charging system on the other side of the engine compartment also the specific gravity on the cells started going lower..Kind of like the charging system (Gen & Regulator) will recharge the battery closest to it...

I finally opped for the large group two I think it was, they used to come four six volts, two on each battery box on oppiset sides of the Mack tractor's were I worked, I believe they were in sereis then parrelel to make for a 12 volt system...

I also found out after rewiring my 37 Ply, if you have new wiring on a stock six volt system , it will perform well in what it was made for....

I found this 37 Plymouth two door sedan at a Skaggs Drug store parking lot in Prarrie Village KS in 1980 just a few days after the fillie Genuine Risk had paid $ 64.00 on the front end at the Kentucky Derby ...I heard the generator start squeling and located a starter & generator rebuilding shop in Kansas City KS and borrowed some tools and had that three brush generator fixed for $15.00 , had new glass put in all the way around and had the title chaged in my name, called JC Tayolor and had it put on my Insurace and started the 6 day crusade to drive that car back to CA..First gear had a few teeth miisuing but all the other gears were good Mt St Hellens had just erupeted and the ash was coming down to the high plains.. The car overheated and I stopped at Salina KS , after having it checked at the radiator shop all was cool and I kept the cars speed down to 45-50 mph , ( I was trying to make Denver in one day)

Now somewhere along the way I found Walter P's boyhood home in Ellis KS and took a photo of the 37 in front of the house W.P.C. had lived and a copy was reprinted on the cover of the Silverdome Gazzett , the local Walter P. Chrysler Club that was started by Norm Frey and friends.. Just as I was leaving Grand Junction Colorado , I noticed the destination sign 125 miles to next service and a hitch hiker who road with me to Sacremento.. it was cold that spring , hadn't dressed for the occassion so we stuffed news paper in our jackets and along side of the seats and doors to stop cold air, no heater of course.. It was the first time that I had been on I -70 then US 50 the Lonelieist Highway in America..The views were just spectacular heading west and when you hit the top of a peak I believe it was the Frisco Mts in Utah and look straight ahead and the highway dipped into a canyon and up to the next peak to peak and the distance looked like it was about 10 miles or more and then look to north and see a major storm headed your way, and thats when you know you put all your trust in W.P.C. enginering and this 37 Ply 201 Road King to make the journey....

Once in the S.F. bay area , I stopped into Antique Tony's on West Gertrude in Richmond CA and showed him my recent find ... Talk about wrecking yard ettiqutte, If you lived by Tonys simple rules of closing doors & trunks etc and listen to what he told you before ya went scavageing and have some respect for him and his yard and that type of respect pays off in dividends of long lasting friendship. At that time you coulndn't have found a better friend in the old car racket..Tony always said we would miss him when he was gone and he was right....

The 37 Ply is in a safe place out of the weather waiting for me to have the time to fix the brakes and fuel system in order to make her road worthy again...

Tom (09)