Hot Rods 6 volt battery question

Hey we have this 38 ford , stock 6V pos ground and we had 5 batteries fail in almost 2 years . We checked for voltage drains , none found and the car is started about once week or so and drives great but after a few months the battery just won't stay charged up. These are just normal parts store batteries , not an optima or anything . I believe everything on the car is working normal . Just a short lifespan on batteries . Any ideas from the guys still running 6V systems ?

 

I have the same BAD luck
because the PQQR O'Henry---(candy bar)
just doesn't get DRIVEN every day.
so a battery tender keeps it READY to go...
and TOTALLY disconnected for those long DOWN times.

 

I have the same 6V battery from NAPA for the last 8 years or so with no problems. Perhaps your charging system needs a good looking at. Even a bad ground can hurt your charging system.

 

and i've had the same battery for 4 years ...Mike is CORRECT ....


i have adjusted the regulator to put out a bit more and clean battery cables every year,
and now i might need to check the generator (again) AND make SURE its puttin out...
like some womens i know ...lol

 

It has new battery cables that are thick for 6v ,had a rebuilt generator , now has a new 6v alternator. New switch , solenoid, grounds were cleaned . We have been using a battery tender in between drives . Everything I can think of points to junk batteries , but this many ? So just asking you guys for reference.

 

OKAY check all the above especially the ground cable. I have stock Model A Fords and get 6 - 8 years on 6V batteries. Be sure to keep water level up too. I'm using Deltran Battery Tenders on everything including my riding mower.

 

check for shorts.

 

First check your voltage output with the motor doing about 1000 RPM- should be over 6 volts, around 7 (someone will help here with the correct charging voltage for a 6 volt system). You can do this by simply measuring across the battery with the motor running.
If it is not higher than 6 volts , you have generator/ reulator problems. (This is assuming your battery is fully charged )
Next, check the output of your battery tender- just turn it on & hook it onto the battery and measure the voltage again, should be higher than the battery voltage-around 7-9 volts.
If these check out, your batteries or connections are suspect.

 

Agree to check output voltage at normal driving RPM. If it's overcharging, it will boil the battery, reducing it's life a lot.

 

Vibration and or heat can kill a battery pretty quick. I have noticed the batteries that come from a certain farm chain store in our area do not last very long.