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By fast freddy - Last Year
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Hi guys , I know I'll get blasted for going to an 8 volt battery, but hey it starts like a brand new car.. I was worried about the 6 volt radio ( bone stock 55 country sedan ) so I wired in a 15 amp capacity buck converter and adjusted the output down to 6.2 volts to the radio , seems to work as expected. But the i got thinking (dangerous ) why cant I wire it into the yellow wire at the solenoid since it seems to be the main if not only power feed off the battery , effectively controlling the feed to everything to 6.2 volts ? I'd be interested in your thoughts... Thanks Fred
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By 55blacktie - Last Year
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If everything is working as it should be, and you're happy, why change it?
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By fast freddy - Last Year
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It is working great but first day out it blew a bulb and I can only expect more
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By 55blacktie - Last Year
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I hadn't thought of that, but I did swap out all of my bulbs to 12v when converting to 12v. It's not a fun job on a 55 Tbird/w dash in place, even with the seat and steering column removed (I'm claustrophobic).
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By miker - Last Year
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The heater motor will probably be ok, and I don’t think the King Seely gauges are real voltage sensitive. But I don’t know that. The bulbs will have a shorter life, but having never tried that 8 volt solution I don’t really know. You might go check the voltage at the headlights, fast idle to get a charge and lights on. The old wiring might just have enough voltage drop from age and connections that they’re still ok. Likewise the tail/brake lights.
What did you set the charging voltage to? I’ve mainly seen 8 volt batteries used on old tractors, and there’s not a lot of electrical on an old tractor.
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By DryLakesRacer - Last Year
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It’s a band-aid at best but I’m sure you’re aware of that. I worked for a Sears Auto center in the 60’s and it was common to install 8 volt batteries in bigger GM cars. I’ve run 12 volt tail/stop bulbs on 6 Volt Harley Davidsons. For interior lights you can turn your dimmer rheostat down just a little but it will cause a little extra heat. Good luck.
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By paul2748 - Last Year
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As others mentioned, your putting a band aid on whatever problem you have (and you acknowledged it). Fix what's wrong - connections, wire sizes, etc.
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By fast freddy - Last Year
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I set the regulator at 9.5 volts... my concern is that I blew the lt rear turn bulb , first time out
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By fast freddy - Last Year
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went over connections and put some new (large) cables on and it was better but I wanted better still
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By alanfreeman - Last Year
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I agree with Paul. I have four '54's and they are all 6 volt. One has all new wiring harnesses and power windows and seat and the windows roll up and down on 6 volts faster than my modern cars. They all crank and start quickly because the wiring is good. If you are keeping your car original then fix your problem.
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By 55blacktie - Last Year
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It's very common to convert 6v to 12v; Ford did it in 56. Why? Cars were being equipped with more power accessories, and higher-compression engines required more cranking power. Whether you have 6v, 8v, or 12v, all of the components should be in good condition.
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By fast freddy - Last Year
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Just an update .. decided to abandon my idea of controlling all the voltage at the input .. Just adjusted the regulator down to 8.5 from 9.5 , seems easier on bulbs with no issues Thanks for all your opinions and coments . I'll let you know if anything arises Fred
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By paul2748 - Last Year
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You may find out that the 8.5 will not keep your battery fully charged. Normal 6 volt systems usually require around 7 or so volts and 12 volt systems around 13.5- 14.2 volts to keep the battery fully charged.
fast freddy (6/24/2024)
Just an update .. decided to abandon my idea of controlling all the voltage at the input .. Just adjusted the regulator down to 8.5 from 9.5 , seems easier on bulbs with no issues Thanks for all your opinions and coments . I'll let you know if anything arises Fred
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By fast freddy - Last Year
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I'll keep an eye on the battery state thanks Fred
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