It's a 53 Chevy 210 inline 235, 6v. Today I was reassembling the engine and at the same time was charging the battery with a "smart charger". I get to the point where I need to see if it's going to fire, so I turn it over and it catches and runs. Great! So I shut it down and realize that I forgot to disconnect the "smart charger" - AND - I notice that the "smart charger" has switched itself to 12v. I switch it back, let it top up the battery and disconnect it. Now it won't turn over. I turn the key and I get nothing - not even the gauge needles move. Any ideas on what I blew out?
I doubt you blew anything out but what amp capacity is the SMART charger? The battery is a huge filter and to push its voltage up more that a couple of volts would take a ton of aperage from your charger. Re check the battery terminals for tightness and where the battery large wire connects to the starter.
Maybe you have something dumb like a bad battery terminal. Check the voltage at the battery posts with a voltmeter and see what you've got.
Start in the first place everyone recommends for 6 volt. Clean the grounds. In your case, just start by cleaning the cable connections to the battery and reattach. Do you have a volt meter that you can check to see if the battery is putting out 6 volts (they are probably about $10 at Radio Shack but it has been a long time)? Do you have the correct cables designed for 6 volts (they are larger than 12 volt cables but most young parts counter salesmen don't know that)? Charlie Stephens
A volt meter shows 6.19 volts at the battery terminals. It also shows 6.20 volts at the ignition switch. I will check and clean the ground terminal and where it's grounded to the engine.
Turn a load on (head lights) and check the voltage on the terminals and at the switch but not necessarily at the posts.
x2 on the tips given so far. You battery is very likely just fine. There is a bad connection somewhere. It is not uncommon for a flaky battery cable connection to be fone one minute and completely 'open' the next, with seemingly nothing happening in between to change anything. The fact that it worked and then it did not actually points to a bad connection.
No click on the solenoid? Nothing? You either have a bad / no connection or blew a fuse somewhere. You have, I assume, the heavier battery cables needed for a 6-volt system and not the skinny little 12v cables, right? Remember, half the number of volts, twice the amperage.
It's alive! Thanks for the input, all. Turns out the majority of advice was right on the money - it was the simplest thing: I made up new battery cables and presto - full power. Took her for a cruise tonight and other than a mysterious occasional 'chirp' from the rear suspension, it ran like a top. Gotta love that Stovebolt 6 sound.
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