Re: 8 volt battery

Posted by HH56 On 2023/5/6 18:34:42

From time to time this subject has come up and going to an 8v battery was a fairly common thing to do back in the day as cars got older and maintenance slacked off. Many posters on the forum say it is not necessary and this is true if the engine and electrical systems are kept in good working order. If there are issues, 6v ignition systems are somewhat unforgiving of voltage loss that can be caused by dirty connections or too small a wire.

If the engine is tired the slightly faster cranking can help or if the electrical system, particularly the connections, might be in less than decent condition the extra 2v can make enough difference to compensate for small voltage loss from bad connections. Any loss can lower the voltage available to the coil enough that the spark becomes erratic.

You do need to make sure bulbs are rated 6-8v and in some cases radios are stressed since battery voltage directly powers tube filaments and the extra 2v will be felt. Many radio shops won't even work on radios if they are in an 8v car.