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MG MGB Technical - 6V Battery -- What do you like?

Which brand 6volt batteries are people using, what do you like, what don't you like....what is a decent price for the pair?

Moss wants $175 each for their batteries....I'm not inclinded to pay that much for run-of-the-mill 6 volt batteries.

Thanks,
erik.
EMB Erik Brzoska

Make the change to a single 12v battery....size Group 26

You will not look back.
Rick Ingram

Or 2 12v for double capacity? (type 063)
K Harris

I've used Interstate batteries for over 25 years with great success. The first pair lasted 8 years, the second set lasted 13 years. RAY
rjm RAY

auto zone does have a 12 volt that will fit right in on the passenger side and mine already had the the hole for the ground cable. just remove the ground cable and re-bolt and that should set you up.
RP Padilla

I've had more life out of my 6v batteries than my 12v, I'm still on my 3rd set after 20 years. With very little use over winter they have never failed to start the car. The originals have tar tops, individual caps and exposed links, but I prefer the more modern type with concealed links, these are available (in the UK at least) with either individual caps or single 'troughs' for topping-up. Check the Cold Cranking Amps (CCA) and get the highest you can, they vary from 250CCA to 295. The roadster came to me with a single 12v, and a povvy little thing it was too even though the cradle had been extended and the it would only come out by being tipped on end.

You need to be careful with batteries in parallel, they must be the same age and spec, but even then as they age one will tend to discharge into the other.
Paul Hunt

Thanks All!!

I bought a 12V Group 26 Walmart battery for $50 and it dropped right in.
I also bought a 32" battery cable from Walmart and it fit perfectly for the ground.

Car starts right up now!!

Thanks,
Erik.
EMB Erik Brzoska

I have been running a single 12volt in my roadster for the last 3 years. It was a cheap 063 and is plenty powerful enough and works out at a fraction of the cost of 2 6volts. There is no point in fitting 2 12 volts as you will only finish up replacing both of them in the future. I did have to remove a little of the lower lip of the battery to get it in.
Trevor Harvey

"I did have to remove a little of the lower lip of the battery to get it in"

Probably nullifying the guarantee ...
Paul Hunt

Bought 2 6v's from moss years ago and they were duff batteries, would not charge to full capacity, and the tar was separating from the casing.
Finally took them to the dump and bought a gropup 26 12V Diehard and have never had a problem since.
Samuel Sullivan

I have had my MGB for 41 years and I fitted my first 12v battery in 1976 and I have not looked back since.

Up until 1976 I continually had problems with corrosion on the terminals and short battery life, but the conversion to one 12volt battery fixed that.

That first battery actually lasted 10 years believe it or not.

Nowadays I use a battery which is most likely the same as recommended by other contributors from the US, which fits perfectly in the tray without any modifications except a different bracket to restrain it.

Yes, I do have to carefully remove the lower lugs with a saw but I have done that now to at least 4 sets of batteries without any problems. This takes about 5 minutes.

The same model of battery now powers the car with a V8 engine without any difficulties.

Ian Buckley

Hi Folks:

I have used Interstate 6 volt batteries for may years and they do last a long time, The price is now very steep and its almost impossible to find them even through there dealers. There are other companies who make them, but are expensive. During the early 70's after the Lucas 6's died, I tried Sears 12 volt batteries, and had a terrible experience because the MK 1 MGB RB340 regulator with generator can charge up to 15.5 volts or more; kept boiling out the electrolyte, so I went back to 6 volt batteries without any subsequent issues. My Interstates failed this March and I decided that I wouldn't try wet cells again, so I used the Westco Miata 12 volt battery from Moss. The primary reason is that the Absorbed Glass Mat(AGM) battery prefer a higher charging voltage over a wet cell battery. So far, the battery exceeds my expectations, and fits nicely in the passenger battery box. Moss sold the Westco for $99 and is rated @475 CCA while the 6 volts are less than 300 CCA.

Rich Boris, 67 B roadster
Rich Boris

Hi Folks:

A follow-up to statement regarding using dual 12 volt batteries; that setup places the vehicle in a very dangerous situation, since if one battery shorts out internally, a huge/massive current drain from the good battery could cause a fire, something you don't want near the fuel lines or tank.

Rich Boris 67B roadster
Rich Boris

Rich-
Ever think of setting the regulator up correctly?

FRM
FR Millmore

According to the Leyland Workshop Manual the 15.5v Rich mentions is within the specified range - at 10C/50F at any rate and so shouldn't cause excessive problems. And in any case two 6v are exactly the same as a single 12v i.e. six cells in series, and so shouldn't react differently to the same charging regime.
Paul Hunt

Agreed Paul, but it's certainly to the high side of the 14.7-15.7V 10C/50F range, and in the real world the thing was probably measured at something more like the 40C/104F underhood, where V should be 14.1-15.1. It's never been entirely clear to me what you set it at when the batteries are under the car, which might be near ambient (cold - 0F) or very hot - 150F in summer sitting still on the hot road; and the underhood temps at the regulator are warm to frying. And agreed that there is no difference between 1x12V and 2x6V for similar construction lead acid batteries.

In the event, Rich claims problems with a 12V and none with two 6's, so firstly the voltage setting is too high, and secondly the lower energy density/better cooling/larger surface area of the two 6's makes the difference.



FRM
FR Millmore

Have to agree with Paul, never had any problems with 6 volt batteries, just changed 2 Lucas 6 volts after 12 years.
Graham
G Cherry

FRM - I'd always imagined that the temps refer to the regulator, that is definitely going to vary characteristic-wise with temperature. Ah yes, Rich was claiming problems with 12v as you say not 6v, I'm too used to people complaining about 6v :o)
Paul Hunt

This thread was discussed between 03/11/2009 and 09/11/2009

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