Do not try to jump start the car with a 12 volt battery, and don’t try to use two 6 volt batteries. I don’t know what you mean by saying the previous owner had two batteries – that sounds like asking for big trouble! A 12 volt battery will damage parts in a 6 volt car – don’t do it! A 12 volt battery is 2 -6 volt batteries in series – just as bad as a regular 12 volt battery. Two 6 volt batteries in parallel (+ to + and – to -) is OK, but silly – all it is, is a somewhat larger 6 volt battery.
With 6 volts, the connections and cables must be in superb condition – everything must be spotlessly clean and tight, and all connections must be made to clean bright shiny bare metal parts – no paint, no grease, no dirt, no rust, no “battery disconnect” switch. This is MUCH more important than on a 12 volt car. The cables should be as big around as your thumb – 12 volt cables are not man enough to crank a 6 volt starter. The cables must have copper cores at least 3/8 of an inch thick (I’m talking about the copper part here, not the whole cable). If there are any clamp on repair ends on the cables – throw them into the weeds and get yourself a new set of cables, made from at least size 00 cable (double ought). Go to a golf cart battery place, they deal with this stuff all the time and can make you the right cables
If your car won’t start because the battery is dead, disconnect it (or remove the battery from the car) and put it on a charger at 40 amps for at least an hour, then reinstall it (or hook up the cables again) and try to start it with a known good battery. If you don’t have a charger that will charge a 6 volt battery, it’s time to buy one!
Don’t let the “positive ground” name throw you, it is exactly the same as what you are used to except for which terminal of the battery is connected to ground – no special techniques are needed to deal with it.
Don’t try to jump the car off another car unless the donor car is also 6 volt positive ground! (There is a technique for doing it with a 6 volt negative ground car, but those are scarce as hens teeth anyway, I don’t think it will ever come up for you).
Don’t try to jump the car with a 12 volt battery – you will very likely do some serious damage to the car and possibly to yourself! (Yes, it is POSSIBLE to do this in an emergency, but you need to be instructed in the procedure, and it takes two people and some very quick reflexes to do it without damaging things – you’re better off just remembering NOT to do it!).
The battery must be connected with the + terminal connected to the engine block ground, and the – terminal connected to the starter and other electrical devices. Don’t reverse anything, or connect + to – on anything – you will damage the batteries, and maybe yourself doing that – batteries will explode from the heat and sparks when you connect them backwards.
Dick (still driving many 6 volt cars – without starting problems on any of them!)
Since you posted a similar question on the IML, and since others have replied with conflicting advice, I’m going to post this to the IML also – let the fur fly! Those who disagree with me, save your breath – I’m pretty d*rn sure of my facts here.
Dick Benjamin
From: YBSHORE@xxxxxxx [mailto:YBSHORE@xxxxxxx]
Sent: Friday, September 15, 2006 1:42 PM
To: dickb@xxxxxxxxx
Subject: My '55 if you don't mind
Tried to start my '55 NY w/331 and two speed with 6 volt system and was stymied as to why I got NOTHING, yet the transporters and the seller (ebay purchase) both said it was running when loaded on the several transports. MY question: with the positive ground system, should I have jumped with pos on neg and neg on pos for possible turnover? I did not "push" it when I tried by pos-pos, neg-neg but my jumpers sure were getting hot. Any ideas? It also is a fact he has used two batteries and tied them together but NOT converted. I cleaned and tightened all the battery terminals yet was just apprehensive about trying the jumpers opposite from anything I have ever been taught as this is my first experience with a six volt system.
1955 New Yorker Deluxe Sedan
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