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| | | | Joined: Jan 2020 Posts: 96 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jan 2020 Posts: 96 | I recently purchased this truck and it has an old 6V battery on a shelf under the hood that needs replaced and I noticed it has a battery shelf under the passenger floorboard (no battery installed). I quickly looked at the wires and it looks like both positive leads go to the starter (on two different locations) and each negative lead go to a starting solenoid (one lead on each side of the solenoid). I never worked on a 6V system before. The only reason I can think of for two batteries wired like this is that the second battery is only used for starting purposes.
Any thoughts?
Colton Kenshol
Hermiston, Oregon
1950 Chevy 3100
216 Motor
Mostly Original..
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 29,270 Bubba - Curmudgeon | | Bubba - Curmudgeon Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 29,270 | The one original 6v battery would have been under the passenger floorboard.
The other 6v battery might have made it easier to jump start (due to poor original battery/cables/maintenance).
You should have no problem starting an original-location 6v engine if the truck has the correct-size battery cable and ground straps/cables (1, 0, or 00 gauge - bigger is better), and all the connection points are clean & shiny (and protected with an antioxidant copper-impregnated "grease"). | | | | | Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 29,851 Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) | | Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 29,851 | Someone has added the second battery box under the hood, probably to improve cranking due to poor connections or too-small battery cables. It's also possible they left the under-floor box empty. Are the cable clamps under the floor insulated, maybe with tape or some other way of preventing the hot cable from shorting out? If the under hood battery box is big enough, a battery bigger than the Group 1 under the floorboard with more cranking amps might have been used.
Jerry
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| | | | | Joined: Jan 2020 Posts: 96 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jan 2020 Posts: 96 | Jerry,
The battery leads are not traped or insulated. I've never seen anything like it before
Colton Kenshol
Hermiston, Oregon
1950 Chevy 3100
216 Motor
Mostly Original..
| | | | | Joined: Jan 2020 Posts: 96 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jan 2020 Posts: 96 | Tclederman,
I've looked at the wires briefly, the positive lead is about twice of the negative lead.. I think I will upsize the negative lead.. Still have several things to do before I try and start the engine
Colton Kenshol
Hermiston, Oregon
1950 Chevy 3100
216 Motor
Mostly Original..
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 29,270 Bubba - Curmudgeon | | Bubba - Curmudgeon Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 29,270 | Good, Coltonk
Clean and antioxidant grease all attachment surfaces. | | | | | Joined: Jan 2020 Posts: 96 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jan 2020 Posts: 96 | I will tclederman, thanks.. I'm an electrician by trade and know the value of antioxidant grease
Colton Kenshol
Hermiston, Oregon
1950 Chevy 3100
216 Motor
Mostly Original..
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