Packard Forum Index » Post-War (1946-54)

GOOD MORNING,

I HAVE A 37 120 COUPE, I WOULD PREFER AN 8 VOLT BATTERY IN IT OVER THE 6 VOLT.......ANY PROBLEMS IN DOING THIS?
THANKS
LEE

An idea that's found, at best, very limited appeal over the years and I would recommend your labor and $ are far better spent finding out what's not up to snuff with your 6 volt system. Poor ground and undersize battery cables are the most frequent culprits.

I would think this would shorten the bulb life, also, a lot of radio repair places won't warranty any radio work done for cars with 8 volts, so they must not like it for some reason.

Yes, potential issues with radios, bulb life, and then also the issues relating to adopting a charging system intended to charge 6-volt batteries to now charge an 8-volt system.

All in all, not a particularly good idea.

THE POINTS WERE STUCK CLOSED IN THE REGULATOR..........

ON THE OTHER NOTE WITH 8 VOLT BATTERY, NO DRIVING AT NIGHT, NO RADIO, I LOVE THE THE 8 VOLT CRANKS OVER......WONDER IF THIS WOULD BE OK?

THANKS MUCH

WITH NO RADIO AND NO NIGHT DRIVING......WOULD THIS BE OK? AND HOW ABOUT COIL OVER HEATING?

These things always baffle me a bit, some folks (not saying you're one of them) think the 50 million or so cars made with 6-volt systems never started or were driven reliably.

So let me ask, why are you considering this in the first place? If you've got some particular problem, let's work on solving it rather than taking some route to mask the real problem.

Lee, Many years ago I had a 39 Cadillac 60 Special that the previous owner installed an 8-volt battery to "fix" a slow cranking starter. He also did many other fixes to work around other problems instead of repairing them. The first thing I did was to replace the battery with a proper 6-volt and upgrade the cables to correct gauge. Then, I overhauled the starter. The car cranked nicely and started quickly after these repairs - hot or cold.

I also have a nice 115C Convertible Coupe that lately has been driven very little. Last week, I went to the storage unit to visit it for the first time in six months. Everything looked to be okay, and I wondered if the car would start without having to remove and recharge the battery. I turned the engine over, with the key in the off position, for four or five times of a few seconds each until I saw oil pressure registering on the gauge. Then I turned on the key, pumped the accelerator pedal a couple of times, and cranked the engine. It started right up.

Something for you to consider before making any unnecessary changes.

(o[]o)

Not getting into the authenticity or need question, but my dad used them for years and the 51 I drove thru HS had an 8volt battery. Other than needing the regulator set higher no other changes were made to my recollection. Bulbs were brighter so probably shorter lived, but no other components had problems.

Dear 37Packardboy:

Thumbs down on 8-volt batteries. They were just a used car dealer trick.

I saw a video of a brand new 6-volt car cranking over and it was fast.

If your starter is slow then first call and get quotes on new cables from one of the suppliers in Rhode Island. If you are not sure then check the voltage loss through the system (Note sure, go to any good starter generator place and they can help you.) This measures poor connections in the system. A good set of cables can make a huge difference.

I don't know if they still make them, but another UCD trick was the 6-12 battery. I knew a lot of Cadillac owners who used those.

Packards do better than the Cadillacs so I would suspect your cables are bad.

Good luck with your car.

PS: One of my neighbors was stuck in the driveway. The whole computer went dead for no reason. I pulled out a cheapo meter and found a corroded post in the circuit. The connections were tight but nothing was going through them. They usually aren't that easy.