Joined: Aug 2017 Posts: 174 Threads: 53
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Hello all,
I have a 1924 Boulogne replica which doesn't have a starter motor fitted in the interests of lightness. It's almost impossible to get started on the handle so is usually bump started, but this is obviously impractical and I think I'm willing to sacrifice some weight for convenience.
I have a bacon slicer starter motor ready to fit, but the car is fitted with no charging system, and I'd like to avoid the weight/space/cost of a standard 6v battery.
Does anyone have experience of using a relatively small 12v battery, probably designed for a motorcycle as a total loss system? Will 12v damage the starter motor or the gears? It'd also be useful to know what battery specs I would need as a minimum.
As a slight aside, I'm missing the locating dowel for the starter motor - is this a specific item or size, or can I find something else that fits?
Any advice welcomed!
Joined: Dec 2017 Posts: 1,160 Threads: 68
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Location: Nottinghamshire. Robin Hood County
Car type: Austin Ruby Mk1 1935
Hello Rupert, If weight is your thing instead of a battery have you considered one of the new small jumper packs that you charge at home and is good for a number of starts. You could clip it direct to the starter and still have no need for a charging circuit.
John Mason.
Would you believe it "Her who must be obeyed" refers to my Ruby as the toy.
Joined: Aug 2017 Posts: 174 Threads: 53
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That's a great idea and I do have one already.
My only concern is that it can be quite fussy and sometimes doesn't like batteries that are too dead, but it's certainly worth a try!
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Location: Scottish Borders
the dynamo on our fabric saloon hasn't worked for a very long time. We use a battery conditioner connected when the car is in a garage.
A fully charged standard size 6V battery is good for at least 500 miles always using the starter. We have LED headlights too.
I suspect this in fact works better than the standard 3 brush dynamo which tends to overcharge the battery. That isn't good for it.
Jim
Joined: Aug 2017 Posts: 1,193 Threads: 71
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Having just had a dynamo refurbished and having fitted LEDs to the Cabriolet, I asked the dynamo guy to set the charge rate to be about 3 amps, which I wouldn't have thought would overcharge the battery, would it? That's my supposition, anyway...
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Location: Essex
Or you could just buy a cheap 12v battery on offer from euro car parts and use it to jump start the car... or one of those motorbike paddock starters if you're a lottery winner.
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I have a 6v gel battery that came with an RD I brought back from Seattle. It was loose behind the seats and did not fit the battery box!
It is good quality USA made and seems powerful and compact. Send me a pm if it may be of any use and I will send details. It may still be somewhere in the "for sale" section. I am near Stratford-on-Avon. Price very negotiable ?
David
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Thanks David, I'll see if I have any luck with my starter pack in the first instance and will certainly bear you in mind
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Hi Rupert,
I own a Wragg single seater number 8. It has a mag engine and no charging system. Froom day one it has been started with a bacon slicer 6 volt motor. It has always been started using a Yuasa YB14L-B2 12 volt battery. This is my 29th consecutive season with the Bert Hadley Championship and to date I have not had a problem . The battery lasts much more than a day of starting and running the SU fuel pump.
The batteries are available from Tayna Batteries and originally were maybe fitted to a 500cc Kawasaki.
Hope this helps.
Peter
