How Good Is 6 Volt System In Cold Weather??

[PatS....]

My original '49 Chrysler first belonged to my Uncle, then he gave it to my aunt, then my Dad bought it and then finally, me.

My aunt and uncle were well off and had a double garage even when the car was "new" to them (it was a demo bought in '53), so they had little starting problems and my uncle owned an Esso Station so it was tuned all the time.

When my dad bought it in around 66 or 67, we had a little single garage but it was full of crap that 4 kids accumulate (dad was none to happy about that)

It became apparent the first year that the old Chrysler had no use for our winters, which were much more severe in the 60's than now.

I guess part of the problem was that he used his company truck to get to work, so the Chrysler would sit for a few days between uses.

The night before a planned winter use was a bit of a procedure.

He would start it up as soon as he got home from work, though it usually needed a boost. Run it untill it was warm, shut it down, place a few old furniture moving pads over the engine and rad and plug it in.

Then, before he went to bed, he would go out, take off the pads and start it again and let it get warm and then put the pads back on and go to bed. He brought the battery in and placed it by the heat register.

Until about 3am when he got an old roaster pan filled with BBQ briquets and light them, and slide them under the oil pan.

And even after all that, it was still touch and go whether it would start in the minus 20 to 40 temps.

And the there was the snow to deal with...or not. The car always had good winter tires and that car was pretty heavy, but it would get stuck at the drop of a hat on flat ground. Frustrating.

After 2 years of that, he just parked it on the street for the winter or in my grandfathers garage. Too much of a PITA. He wouldn't sell it though...my aunt made me a promise that he was obligated to keep.

He had to sell me the car when I got my learners at 14. I had to wait until 15, but I came up with the $300.

I seldom drove it in the dead of winter either.

In the middle of July at 80 degrees, if you threw a snowball at that car, it would get stuck and not start!!!!

We did learn one thing though and that is that a Fluid Drive WILL start with a push to about 20 mph!!

Did that a thousand times in that car.

Now, if a car did that to me it would be off to the crusher, but that old Chrysler just had something special

Summer 1972 Glenmore Park Calgary

[Lou Earle]

I began my driving career in Virginia/dc area in 1957 . Rather cold

I had the following cars 48 plym 31 a model 48 ford 53 ford 53 Chrysler and 51 Chevy over the next 10 years. All were 6 volt and I never had any problem with starting in cold weather and I believer it was because my father was a stickler for having all our cars properly tuned up . I have also heard a lot of stories about poor cranking in summer. I really think weak batteries account for a lot of the complaints. Remember when u are throwing everything to the starter the spark is weaker.

Don't believe me do this:

hook any spare 6 volt battery directly to your distributor and see what happens when u crank it. You will be amazed if you have had a hard time in the past cranking.

Anyway I do think the 12 volt is an improvement just like electronic ignition electric choke fuel injection etc but remember I drive an old car by choice and kinda like the old stuff - even the old OK technology

[55 Fargo]

You know I have heard all these experiences, and believe them to be true of these engines. But here in Sunny Manitoba, there is a huge commercial fishing industry, on 3 huge lakes Lakes Winnipeg, Manitoba and Winnipegosis. On these lakes they used Bombardiers to do there net setting, hauling fish and getting around the lake. Guess what was the engine of choice for these machines, a Chrysler flat head 6, almost exclusive, until recent times.

Now it is colder here than anywhere in the USA with the exception of Alaska and maybe the the northern tips of Minnesota and ND. But these engines were all used on a regular basis on the frozen lakes. One problem I did hear of is guys blowing out the bottom ends of these engines, probably because of dirty or poor quality thick oil. They probably used tiger torches, fire embers in a pan or something on the lake,or kept them running a lot...............Fred

[Rodney Bullock]

Pat, we were reading your post and I almost cracked my hip when you said "in the summer if you threw a snow ball at the car it would get stuck and not start" There are some cars that are templimental. I thought this of my plymouth until I learned how to start it, I was flooding it and I was pulling the choke out to far, it was months before I really learned how to start it in cold weather. I remember seeing my grand dad and uncle start a car in the winter once, one maned the key and the other put there hand over the carb opening. I think they were trying to get the gas up to the carb. When I had the plymouth up here I would start it once a month, always started and those thin tires would do well in the snow. I remember one sunday me and the wife got in the plymouth to go to the store 25 degress, The wife knew it was not going to start, two pumps of the gas and half pull on the choke, started right up. 5 min. later heat and off we went. nice, she made me take her everywhere that day and you know what she liked it. We got to J.C. Penney's and all the first floor employee's came out, man it was nice. You know I was sweating bullets when we got in to leave:cool: Yeah it started off we went. When I ask for a new part I get it. "anything to keep that thing going she will say" You got to love a flat head six!

[Norm's Coupe]

Rodney, I think you just hit the nail right on the head. You have to train yourself starting these old cars. It's a learning curve after being use to the fuel injected cars everyone is use to today, or the old cars that automatic chokes. You have to learn how to operate that choke and carb, then provided everything else in the car is good, it should start right up all year round.

[55 Fargo]

Hows this for a cold weather start, its 6 below outside, mind you it was 28 in the garage. Car started fairly easy, but has 15 W 40 thick oil in her, took a long time to warm up in this weather..........Fred

[FMSPEED49]

Mine starts the same wether its 10 degrees or 90 degrees, if she sits for over a week , i have to pump the throttle bout ten times, and vroom, if less than a week three pumps and vroom. and shes got 60+ thousand on her.

[RobertKB]

I was three years old when my parents emigrated from England to Canada in 1952. First thing my dad did was buy a '53 Plymouth (not my present car). First winter was reasonably mild but the winter of 53/54 was one of the worst on record. He swears that one day it actually hit -50F and he had to head from the small town we were living in to the city about 20 miles away. The '53 was plugged in and although it did not want to start, it did. These old girls would start in cold weather when new and if your car is tuned up, has a good carb and choke, and a strong battery with the right cables, they should start when it's cold. I took the block heaters out of mine as they sit in a heated garage but I have run them in the bitter cold and they have started after sitting outside occasionally when it is well below freezing. Probably the biggest drawback is ancient wiring and this will affect a 6V or 12 V car. A new wiring harness will fix that although both my '48 Dodge and '53 Plymouth have their original 6V wiring.

[daddyo23]

Rodney' date=' I think you just hit the nail right on the head. You have to train yourself starting these old cars. It's a learning curve after being use to the fuel injected cars everyone is use to today, or the old cars that automatic chokes. You have to learn how to operate that choke and carb, then provided everything else in the car is good, it should start right up all year round.[/quote']

THAT'S what I have to figure out. The '48 will just crank away until I drop a little gas down the carb, then, vrooom!, starts right up. I think the carb does need a re-build though. One of the bowl screw threads are stripped and whoever re-built it last time used what looks like too big of gasket on it. It acts like gas isn't getting up there so you pump, then get out and look and there's gas moisture on the base. Started her today, 0 F and about 30 in the garage. Just abit of gas down the throat, half choke on and ran great. Warmed it all the way up. Man, I love that flatty. Wayne P.

[wilmot andy]

My 98 GMC 2500 didn't start this morning. Had to take my van and leave my wife and kids stranded at home. Dual batteries are fine, and you can hear the fuel pump run, will have fun changing the wires and cap where I park the truck outside.

[pflaming]

I had a '50 Plymouth, lived in Western Nebr and it always started. Dad told me to keep the gas tank fuller in winter so I did. On one of our old vehicals we had an electric backup fuel pump and that can really help. Remember gas evaporates faster in cold weather so the carb "could' evaporate so a good fuel pump is required. Does your hood have good insultation in it? As mentioned earlier, we also ran 10 wt oil in the winter January on. . .

[55 Fargo]

Shel, could the 12 volt float charger not be modified into 6 volt, or not possible

[Jerry Roberts]

I read earlier that a good way to make your own float charger is to get one of those very small chargers that might be for vidio games , something that puts out a little more than 6 volts and just leave it hooked up . Someone then asked how to tell the + from the - and the answer was to test it with your voltmeter then mark the leeds and install your own clamps for the battery posts .

[splat1955]

Hey guys, I'm behind in reading all the posts since the beginning of the month...just been too busy to catch up at a decent rate, but wanted to bring this post up again in regards to Shels' statement about a 6V float charger.

There is a charger made by Schumacher (not sure if that spelling is correct)...anyway, it's a 12V & 6V unit. Pretty small in actual size. You can charge either the 12 or 6V at different amps, I think at 2, 4 and 6 if I remember correctly. Anyway, at any of the amp settings, once the battery has reached full charge, the charger switches over to a float charge, and I think it does it for either the 12 & 6V. I got a couple of them from a guy on the bay......He was selling them pretty cheap, although he stated they were returns but supposedly good. But again, the price was right so I bought 2...glad I did cause one seems to only work on 12V....or maybe it just seems that cause it kicks off on 6V but I think my 6V battery is fully charged and may be why it kicks off when I try to charge it. Anyway, just thought anyone with a 6V battery would want to know that I am pretty sure the Schumacher model MW-600A is the unit I have and allows a float charge for both 12 & 6V.

Handy to have around this time of year....I originally bought the unit for my tractor battery, a small 12V unit that I've since figured was a bit to old to really benefit by charging it....needed replacing.

Took a few pumps, and a bit of cranking to get fuel in the right spot, but it fired up and is now in the cellar, napping for the winter.

Bought a "float charger" at Harbor Freight for less than $5 (before tax) to put on the lawn tractor battery. Wish the made one in 6 Volt for $5