8 volt battery

Blackhole49

Well-known Member
Location
White Lake MI
Don't want to start a debate on why.
I have been reading (mixed opinions) that if you install an 8 volt battery in a 6 volt system (8n ford), the voltage regulator can be adjusted to put out 9 volts. How do you do this?
 
I agree, I wouldn't either. I remember reading a service bulletin years ago from another tractor company, (MM), advising not to install 8V batteries in a 6V system.
 
Adjustment of a vibrating voltage regulator is largely a lost art and not something I will attempt to teach in a chat forum.

Dean
 
You bett ya..you get the same answer here. One of my dads friends did that with an old 6volt car. You need to change bulbs, battery, reset the regulator, and Heaven help you if you have electric gauges! A good and HEAVY battery cable set is 99% of the problems. On my 300U I think it was 4o cable I got hold of . Real thick stuff and it sure starts now. Get welder cable cause it has many fine strands of wire and this allows the cable to carry voltage and amperage better. It is also a lot easier to work with and bend. A neat trick you can try is jump another tractor with a very heavy jump cable set. When the other tractor tries to start the cable actually MOVES because of the magnetic fields involved. Clean connections and GOOD cables are magic!
 
I adjusted an old regulator on a Super 77 Oliver years ago, probably over 15 years ago, while it can be done, and isn't the easiest thing to do, part of the problem is getting the cover sealed properly again to prevent condensation / rust on the internal parts. Sometimes if you don't get the proper gap on the contacts they wont open and you have to remove the cover again. Sometimes a lot more work than it has to be.
 
I found this on the internet and might work. Have fun. !!
First, I firmly believe an 8 volt battery is a solution to a nonexistent problem. The properly set up and maintained 6 volt system is all you'll ever need.

If you absolutely must do it, here's how to set up the regulator: You'll never be able to get the cutout relay to close until the voltage regulator is set to at least 9 volts. Once that's done, or at least approximated, the cutout relay can be adjusted to close at 8.5 to 8.75 volts. Drop the idle speed low enough for the cutout relay points to open at slow idle, and attach the voltmeter lead to the Armature terminal on the generator. The voltage will probably be somewhere in the range of 5.5 to 7 volts. Slowly increase the idle speed and watch the cutout points and the voltmeter. As the cutout relay closes, you'll see a slight change in the armature voltage. BTW, an old style analog meter (the one with the needle)will be better for making these settings. A digital meter is just too sensitive. Repeat the speed up/close cycle and adjust the spring tension on the points until the cutout relay is closing at the proper voltage.

Once the cutout is closing correctly, it's time to do the final adjustment on the voltage regulator. It's the unit with the spring-closed points directly behind the "field" connection on the regulator. Don't tinker with the coil with the points held closed, and the heavy wire windings. That's the current regulator, and its setting should be OK with the original setup from the 6 volt battery. Now- - -voltage regulator setting- - - - -Start out with a fully-charged battery. If necessary, use an external charger on it until the specific gravity of the battery acid is 1.265 or higher. This is very important, as voltage set with a partially-charged battery will go higher as the battery charges up, and you'll boil it dry. Set the voltage against the charged battery to 9 volts, and re-check it after the cover is installed on the regulator assembly. The setting will drop slightly as the cover is installed due to a better magnetic field being created around the regulator coils. I've set several hundred regulators with the above procedure, but practically all of them were 6 or 12 volt units. I tried to avoid having anything at all to do with an 8 volt setup, as they're nothing but a royal pain in the butt!
 
Yes, it can be done but few know how to do so these days and learning will take trial and error.

DO NOT even think of using a digital volt meter.

Dean
 
Thanks for all the replies. Not sure I want to try, but I need to do something. For those who say fix what I have, I beg to differ. New battery, solenoid (NOS), cables and a rebuilt starter. Generator works perfect. When it is 0* out it just doesn't spin fast enough to start. Put my neighbors 8 volt battery in it and it fires as soon as I hit the button. Tired of weighting for warmer weather.
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(quoted from post at 14:32:00 03/25/15) Thanks for all the replies. Not sure I want to try, but I need to do something. For those who say fix what I have, I beg to differ. New battery, solenoid (NOS), cables and a rebuilt starter. Generator works perfect. When it is 0* out it just doesn't spin fast enough to start. Put my neighbors 8 volt battery in it and it fires as soon as I hit the button. Tired of weighting for warmer weather./quote]

Seems like your battery and starter is not the problem, appears you have an ignition or fuel issue. A properly tuned 6V system doesn't need much to start it. On my 9N you just had to blip it and it was running. Or, why not just convert to 12V? Seems like you are heading that way eventually, when the 8V no longer does it or you can't find an 8V battery.
 

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