For the Great Race Battery Question

[joeker]

We are running the stock 6v gen. I was thinking about putting the battery on a tickle charge every night (or so) to make sure we start with a charged battery each day. Any input? Do you think the results will or will not out weigh the effort. My thought was if the charging system was not quite up to speed we might give it a break by starting with a fully charged battery. Aaaaa just a thought, joe

[studegary]

If you have a good battery and the car's charging system is working properly, you shouldn't need a trickle charger overnight. If you were only doing idling and many start-ups, a charge might be okay to do. With your driving the car on the road and only starting the car a few times a day, there should be no need to charge the battery overnight. Depending on the charger, you may overcharge the battery this way and be worse off. I am sure that if your battery is dead some morning, you will be able to get a jump or push start. Check that the system is working properly and good luck.

[curt]

I would think a full charged battery would last all day if charging system goes down, what is the danger of too much trickle charge and damageing the battery?

[joeker]

I will have to check but I think the trickle charger has an over charge protector. It was designed to be put on a battery for storage (boat, motorhome, etc.) I was just wondering what you guys thought. Like always thanks for all the responses and the viewings. We can use all the help we can get. Joe

[studestu]

When I ran the Great Race, we kept the original 6 volt system, but hooked up 2 batteries in parallel to give extra boost if needed. It is easier to do on a 37 Dictator than a 51 Champion because of where the battery is located. We could go in at a coffee break and leave the auxillary cooling fan running and not have any problem with the car starting. We did a lot of overkill on most systems when getting the car ready for the race, which wasn't that necessary after everything was said and done. I agree that if your charging system fails you should have enough battery power to keep running for the day, since you won't have any accessories to run. I would suggest that you carry a spare generator that you know works along with fuel pump and water pump.
Studestu

[joeker]

Studestu thanks for the insight. I like the idea of the second battery (very nice). Spare Generator....great missed that one. I have spare water-fuel pumps, themostat, wheel seals, wheel cylinder kits, master cylinder kit, wheel bearings etc. but I forgot an extra gen. thanks joe

[studestu]

Good luck to you, it sounds like you are more prepared than your initial message made it sound. I will look you up at the Laramie, Wyoming lunch stop.
Studestu

[curt]

My back ground is Kaiser , they have 6V neg ground, the regulators were the problem. Some thought the neg ground was hard on regulators. I do not know. Most of my problems were fuel related, old tank ,cleaned,BUT still rust,and muck in the lines to the carb,etc.

[studeclunker]

Why not just carry an extra battery? You've got the charger in case it's needed.

Lotsa Larks!
Studeclunker
A.K.A: out2lunch

[joeker]

Not knowing the state of the Battery in the car, we will probably buy a new one and can use the other as a spare. Good thinking Studegary. I have a spare set of brushes for the gen. but no rear bearing or bushing (EEkk). We will know alot more tomorrow at this time when my father picks the car up. He is flying out from Ca and will pick me up in Maryland on Tuesday evening. Joe

[hank63]

When your battery charger says "full", check the specific gravity and verify against the standard in your area. (Usually the s.g. is lower in hotter climates.) If the s.g isn't as high as it should be, the battery is probably getting close to retirement.
/H

[Danarchy]

are you concerned with original look? if not I would suggest buying a [u]OPTIMA</u> (Red Top) 6 volt battery. I have used them for years in various 6 Volt Germany cars that were driven frequently at times, then would sit for weeks without being started or charged.

Dallas,Texas