The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay 8 Volt Battery

Hey guys and gals. I was told that i could use an 8 volt battery for my 51 chevy 3100 instead of the 6 volt battery. Are there any issues if i do this?

Thanks

Darrell

A properly tuned engine and cleaned connections is all you need. Would you run your house lights on 240? I'm sure somebody will speak up and say it's fine but it was designed for 6 volts not 8 volts or even 12 volts.

yes Darrell, there are multiple issues, like needing to re-adjust the voltage regulator correctly, putting excess strain on your 6V generator, and constantly replacing burned out light bulbs - as Vern says, with the wiring all in proper condition the 6V system works fine - especially make sure you have the correct heavy gauge battery cables, not the wimpy 12V ones generally used nowadays

Bill

An 8 volt battery is a solution to a nonexistent problem. Find someone who understands electricity, and get him to show you how to get the 6V system running properly. It's mostly done by using the proper size conductors, having clean, tight connections, and adjusting the voltage regulator properly. 8V batteries cause a host of problems and are mostly used by people who don't want to go to the effort to make a 6V system work right.
Jerry

These guys are 100% right.
The PO of my truck 'upgraded' to 8v and was proud of it ... runs better now that I've cleaned things up and got it back on 6v.

I recently convinced a gentleman to go back to 6 volts instead of the 8 volt battery. Updated his cables to the right size, and made sure all the connections are clean and he is happy and no longer having issues with his truck. (Not a stovebolt though)

Thank you guys. I figured that was the case, just wanted to confirm. Staying with the 6 volt battery.

Very happy with 8 here. We have big cables etc and 6 was fine...until winter. I put electronic ignition on the truck and it needs 5.2v minimum. My wife uses her truck daily and in the cold months the battery voltage during starting would drop below 5.2 and it was like having the key off.
Lightbulbs haven't burned out, headlights are brighter and the horn too. Regulator puts out 8.4 volts so I haven't even bent the arm to bump that up yet though I probably will.

The secret to the 8 volt battery is there is none. You put the battery in the truck, you enjoy brighter lights, faster starts, much nicer starting in the winter. Don't adjust your regulator unless you want to purchase bunches of light bulbs. Its the perfect solution for those purists who insist 6 volts is an actual solution.

Knowledge is power, and just like we have improved the old Marconi radio, we are also able to improve the old trucks with what we know now.

The reason 6 volts requires CLEAN 00 gauge wires, very clean connections, etc is because it requires TWICE the current of a 12 volt system. So imagine having a slightly degraded wiring system. Not a lot, just a little degraded. Then couple that with a carb bowl that empties before you start it again. Now, you have a useless piece of iron that's in the way and cant be moved until you have time to work on it.

This is why we use our knowledge and human evolution to improve our lives. Yes, I am being a jerk, but at my age, I have earned it by working on hundreds of 6 volt systems in the wintertime trying to get them started when there is a solution in this year 2013. There is nothing redeeming about a 6 volt system. I have and will continue to use 6 volt systems with the trucks I restore to ORIGINAL, but nobody asks for them anymore. They know better. Now, if they call themselves purists, they ask for hidden 12 volt systems that look like 6 volts. Sorry, I am sure this opens a huge can of worms, but its just honesty. Twice the current, twice the wire gauge size, twice the maintenance. HALF the power and ability to start in adverse conditions.

So Deve, in a recent post you stated that it is costing you a fortune repacing your 8 volt batteries evey two years. No why do you suppose they are only lasting two years?

don't remember EVER saying that. They are two year batteries so it sucks that they don't have longer life batteries at Tractor Supply, but I cant even imagine the cost of going thru 6 volters. No, longevity has nothing to do with it for sure. I have 3 years and counting on my current 8 volter.

The 8 volt battery has always been a band aid fix for a 6 volt system with problems. They are just like to old batteries we had 50 years ago that just didn't last very long. They were always more expensive than 6 bolt and since there is so little demand for them, I would assume them to be very expensive.

I have 3 old jalopies that have 6 volt systems with 6 volt Optima batteriess. I don't try to hide them because things like a 302 in a 46 GMC isn't original looking anyway. I have 4-0 cables which I keep in stock for my trucks and they work fine. However, if I were to use these jalopies on a regular basis, I would convert them to to 12 volt because there is no question that 12 volt is better because it requires half the amperage. Back when we used pre 56 GMC trucks in our business, we converted to 12 volt by having one group one in the battery box and another group one on the firewall in series. That cut our electrical problems by a lot and then when we added one wire Motorola alternators, we figured we were on the cutting edge of technologies.

I keep the 3 jalopies I have on 6 volts simply to prove that it can work if it is properly maintained and cables are heavy enough. But I would never try to argue that 6 volt is better. I knew that back in 1957 when I drove a 1950 GMC to school and parked it on a side of a hill to make sure it would start.

This is the post that I was referring to Deve's post

TRY to understand that if you don't like 8 volts, maybe you thought you needed to adjust the regulator when you installed it. No, your 6 volt system charges at the rate of 7.5 volts. This is enough to keep your 8v STORAGE battery charged to approx. 90% of its capacity.

Its common knowledge with a battery that its best to keep it at 100%. Think about why this is. If you are accustomed to 6 volts, where every revolution of the starter is a very large step closer to dead battery, you NEED it 100% charged and you are very acutely aware of it. 8 volts turns the starter faster with less current and less consideration of the wiring health. 90% is actually more efficient in this case.

For those who think this is a bandaid, it simply makes your whole system more efficient and since 6 volt bulbs, gauges, resistors, etc etc are engineered 50% higher than the application, there is more than room for 8 volts. I don't expect to change anyones mind, but someday, when the battery dealer is out of 6 volters and all they have left is 8, try it and you will never go back. Especially if you live anywhere north of the Mason/Dixon line!

Remember that 6 volts takes twice the current of a 12v system meaning it requires much higher gauge wiring, hotter internals, really more danger of fire, etc. So a 6 volt starter is way happier at 12 volts and takes half the time to start the vehicle, thus improves longevity.

There are no holes to find in the above, its all just fact. Now does that mean you should change your mind? NO. 6 volts is a vintage standard and a symbol of purity. Its really a badge of honor for those who are really into this vintage purity thing. I honor those people above those who take the easy road and do all the modern upgrades. Its just not ME.

FWIW I'm going on the 7th year with my Optima. Hopefully I'll get two or three more. Time will tell.

Deve,
if you read your post that I referenced you will indeed see that you stated that it is costing you a fortune replacing your 8 volt batteries every two years.

I know it sounded like that. Nope.. 3+ years and counting. Longevity is not an issue in this conversation. I am not above making language mistakes.

8 volt batteries are obsolete. NO battery dealers in my area, including the one I work for, even bothers with keeping them in stock.
Properly maintained, 6 volt systems work fine. I know plenty of guys with 6 volt tractors that sit outside that fire right up, even in the dead of an Illinois winter.

on a similar subject, they are now making Lithium Ion batteries for our vehicles. I haven't done any research on them, so I don't know if they are available in 6 volt, but if they are, they would be in league with the Optima and maybe even better. No clue. That could actually be a mind changer for a lot of us.

What Deve posted regarding a fortune was: "I have several 6 volt AD's and its costing me a fortune purchasing 8 volt batteries every two years to keep them running 8 months out of the year." I think the 8v reference is a typo and Deve meant 6v?

Why would 6v batteries last only two years? Mine don't? I have 3 Optima 6v batteries and the oldest is only 8-9 years old.


Why would a 6v Lithium Ion battery be a game changer for an 8v aficionado? On the other hand, I really do not want to know. I'll wait to see the features/costs of Li-Ion 6v automobile batteries.


Maybe Darrel found a little helpful information in the earlier posts in response to his original question?

Lithium Ion batteries are not being made for "our vehicles", special packs of them are being used in electric vehicles [including golf carts and wheel chairs] that use external computer controlled chargers periodically, they can not be continuously charged by an alternator as in "our vehicles", but require special 'smart chargers', and the deep cycle LIon batteries available cost in the range of $600-$1200

Bill

7.5V is NOT a 90% charge - according to the Trojan Battery company, a 90% charge on an 8V battery is 8.41V - as has been pointed out before, a 6V generator will not keep an 8V battery charged, Trojan states that 7.67V measured on an 8V battery = a 10% state of charge, effectively dead .... the reason to keep a battery at 100% is so the battery will have its maximum useful life

Bill

Need to second Bill on the Li batteries. Li batteries are extremely susceptible to "thermal runaway" where one cell gets to hot, then the next cell gets to hot, and so on (until you get a fire). You need to be extremely careful when charing, and what type of current you are drawing on them.

Ok here is my 2 cents worth. Starter at 12 volts pulls about 150 amps. At 6 volts that would be 300 to develop the same power(Watts) so get a big cable and I mean a BIG cable and 6 volts will be just fine. 8 volts? Bad bandaid for the BIG cable problem. However if you have spent the money and have adjusted the regulator and like purchasing light bulbs then keep on trucking and don't worry. This is a non-issue that needs to be let rest. Any way my opinion is worth...2 cents...:)