Just spent the weekend trying out the new (to me) battery. Everything was 12v for YEARS. I found a deal on a pair of 16v batteries and decided to try it after much research. BOY what a difference it makes! The little engine in my Maverick is a 438" windsor at about 15:1 compression. It cranks hard (285 cranking pressure) and previously running 12v, when cold or after hotlapping, it would crank a little slow. After dropping the 16v battery in and cranking the engine over, I literally thought that maybe I'd left the spark plugs out. Radiator fan works a LOT better. Water pump turns faster/cools better. MSD works fine (6AL). Headlights are a lot brighter, tail and brake lights are brighter, and the A/C (actually an old defroster) fan inside the car sounds like it's going to take off when I turn it on. No more worrying if it's going to crank over or not on a cold morning at the drag races or hotlapping in later rounds. Only two downsides. First-the charger. You can't use a cheapie Walmart charger because they're all 12v. You'll have to pick up a 16v charger-I bought "The V" battery charger-which is 12 and 16v, digital readout, and also drops back to a trickle charge once the battery is fully charged. Figure spending about $200 on a charger. Second downside is that not everyone at the races carries an extra 16v battery if yours dies, and noone has an extra 16v charger. So if the charger fails, you're out of luck...most times at a drag race, you can usually get by the entire race without having to charge a 16v although it does get a little slow in the late rounds. Other than that, no regrets. I didn't improve ET any or MPH but it's sure a lot more confidence inspiring when I hit the switch and it starts immediately rather than "wah....wah....wah....wah...vroom. 16V=highly recommended.
16 volts will burn out your bulbs faster and any electric gauges will also be affected. a 12v battery charges at 14.2 volts - what do you use for an alternator with a 16v battery?
Paul, 16v has been used for YEARS in drag racing. Well at least 10 years that I know of. And to my knowledge noone burns anything unless it was old or worn out to begin with. No alternator. It's not needed. It ain't a street car. 12v systems typically charge at 14-15 volts anyway so 16 is nothing. With the engine running, all the fans on and the water pump running, I am showing 15.8 volts. also has a transbrake (in a Powerglide nonetheless oh no I bastardized my Ford), delay box, MSD, and other sensitive electrical stuff. No different than any other drag car. Also has an LM-1 but I am taking it out-our class is a no electronics footbrake class. Even though the LM-1 is not really an electronic device, it gives people something to gripe about. The delay box and transbrake are connected to a weatherpack connector so I just unplug it & remove. But it all works fine on 16.
Most automotive electronics and accessories can handle 16v for racing use without any adverse effects. The comparative time these components are on is reletively short compared to daily use. The electric gauge issue, I am curious about. 18v seems to be the level at which most automotive electronics malfunction.
Mavman, Didn't realize your setup is close to mine, although you have 30ci on me. Mine origiinally had 2x12v batteries, but the guy before me changed to one large truck 12v. As for the alternator, I still run one because it came on the car and has been on there since its old B/SM days. I also have a 2spd, and use the transbrake, electric fan, electric fuel pump and 7AL3 along with a drivers fan for me while in the staging lanes......................in 100 degree weather it gets a little toasty with your drivers suit on and in the car with no roll down windows. A lot of the racers have portable generators and although I don't have one yet, I will. If I take the alternator off I would definately need to charge during rounds. I guess I need to look into the 16v battery. What is the size and weight? John
Sorry Mavman, I didn't see where you said it was a drag only car in your post. I can see it could be useful under those conditions. I wonder why it didn't give you better times.... I have heard so many times that the alternator draws 5 hp... (actually a 100 amp alternator at full charge only draws approx. 1300 watts or under two hp. under drag racing conditions I doubt the alternator actually draws more than 325 watts (about 1/2 hp) and your increase in speed and better times seem to suggest that it uses less than that.
John, Depending on which alternator you have, it may be possible to convert it to 16v. Some are easily modified-others haven't found the regulator yet for 16v...although an electrical engineer or someone smart with electronics (definitely not me!) could figure it out. There's some companies that offer 16v "mini" alternators. I had a 12v version (denso) on mine for a while before I went to 16v. Really had no need for the alternator as I don't have much of an electrical system to begin with-not much draw and it charges between rounds in about 2 minutes unless I leave the pump, fan, and interior fan (A/C)...and then it's usually 5 min or thereabouts. With the new 16v setup even with all the stuff on cooling the car off, it takes less than 5 min to charge between rounds. Can't say enough good things about the charger (The V brand). Like mentioned, the 16v stuff has been around for quite some time. It's just now starting to take off though. I fully expect to see more and more alternators, batteries, etc as 16v gains popularity. EDIT: did a little reading and found that most of the stuff I've seen for converting the alt to 16, in a nutshell it requires removing the internal regulator completely and running the alt wires directly from the brushes to an external regulator sourced from a Chrysler (they're adjustable apparently). Set it to 18-18.5v and it should be good. There's probably tons of info out there as to how to do it...I just didn't read much into it.
ALOT of people running 16V in drag racing and are very happy with them. I'm glad you are enjoying yours.....I stayed with two 12v batteries and wonder sometimes if I should have gone to 16v.
The Pro Stock team I worked for ran Turbostart 16 volt batteries back in 1994. I am sure there is some type of step - up transformer/regulator for an alternator to charge the system.
I'd almost think this was a troll post....lol. so you're starting a 12V starter with a 16V battery? "wow..it spins REALLY FAST"!!! "My bulbs are REALLY BRIGHT!!!!! My pump.... oh I can't take it.. ROFLAO Remember that a 16V battery will want to be charged to 18V or more, and with a 12V charging system charging it to 14 volts or better you're simply running an undercharged battery.. and getting away with not damaging your lectronics by sheer **** luck. If you did charge it correctly you WILL burn out you 12V stuff. Big battery cables and a 12 volt battery are lighter..
LOTS of people doing it without burning out stuff and most racers don't run an alternator. I have heard that it will shorten the life of your light bulbs but a most racers are not concerned with that.
Using a 16 volt battery on a 12 volt system is no different than what the old guys did when they ran 8 volt batteries on a 6 volt system. 12 volt systems are actually 13.5-14 volts, so you are only adding 2-2.5 volts roughly. Last drag car I helped on had a 24 volt starting system. Two 12 volts hooked together with a 12 volt starter. It would really wizz it over! 24 volts to starter, everting else ran off of one of the 12 volt batteries. Don't remember how they had it set up like that. We went two seasons on a starter before we had to replace it, and then it was because of a broken nosecone {Chevy}.
Series parallel switch will do it. Runs 12v until you push the start button and then it sends 24 to the starter. Or by creative use of a pair of Ford starter solenoids Lots of the old Detroit 2 stroke diesels cranked the engines at 24v. That's where a lot of the series-parallel switches are found (on vehicles that were 12v systems but with 24v starter). Like mentioned...those who have never run 16v are the folks who knock the conversion. Kind of like those who have never raced with a 2 speed automatic and are stuck with a 3 speed. They don't know what they're missing...and that's perfectly fine. Just one more first round duck!
I've never run a 16v conversion and I haven't knocked it, however, I know that there is more than one way to skin a cat and you can make 12 and 16 work just fine, depending on the application. Also, you can make a 3-speed combo fast just like you can make a 2-speed combo fast....it's all about the combination. Steve Petty and Tim Lynch went VERY fast w/ a rossler 3-speed....they've also gone very fast w/ a glide. Alot depends on track conditions and gearing/converter setup for a particular situation.
