The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay Battery size??

I have recently aquired a 1949 3100 with what I believe to be a 1954 235 engine in it. The block is marked casting 3835911 by the fuel pump with F54Z stamped next to the distributor, and the head is casting 3835913.

I am ready to spin the engine after an unknown time of it sitting unused. The engine spins by hand with the plugs out, and all the valves move when I turn it by hand.

It looks like it was converted to 12 volts at some point. Generator is marked 12V and there is an ignition ballast resistor?? mounted on the firewall (a white rectangular ceramic looking thing with a wire screwed to each end). There is no battery right now.

What size battery should I buy?

Can I just use jumper cables from my daily driver 1988 K1500 to see if it will spin before I buy a new battery? How can I know for sure if its negative ground?

Thanks!!!

I would go ahead and jump it. It's going to be
a neg. ground. Chevy came with neg. ground, GMC
with positive. There is no reason why anyone
would want to switch to a positive grd. Also,
if the gen. says 12V and it has a resistor then
its a 12 volt system. Now, having said this,
you don't know if the person who had it wired did it
correctly. So, you still could have some
problems, but getting the juice to it is your
next step and see what goes from there.

Make sure your medical insurance is current and stand back when you hit the switch, just kiddin :p

Hope I'm not too late to weigh in. I agree with all thats been said but wanted to add that my 54 was converted by one owner to 12 volt. He sold it to someone else who began converting it back. He then had to sell it and guess what I got - a mess. BE SURE TO GO OVER EVERYTHING FROM POINTS AND CONDENSER TO VOLTAGE REGULATOR, STARTER - YOU NAME IT, before you try and jump it. You might just save a few dollars by replacing/rebuilding something instead of frying it.

Good luck!!