12V to 16V Conversion
 

Hey Fellas...
Can anyone give me insight for a conversion. I presently have a 468 BBC with a 6-71 blower in my bracket car and I am considering a change to 16 Volt. What must I do to convert. Obviously I need to buy a 16 v. battery. Many people have converted because there must be an advantage. If it is too cost prohibitive then I may just stay with what I have. I am doing a complete rewire in my 55 Chevy for just drag racing. There are no wires left in the car and dash. All have been removed so I can do a professional installation. Thanks for any input!!

The only thing you have to do is buy the battery and put it in. Once you do you'll wish you had done it a long time ago!

12v to 16v Conversion
 

Thank You Rabbit!! Is it really that easy???? Can you tell me what are the advantages.

It is not really that easy..... you still need a new charger for the 16V and have to update your alternator if you run one :lol:


Now it is that easy.

12v-16v conversion
 

shawnp Thank You for the additional information!!

If you don't run an alternator make sure the battery is rated to be used without one. A friend of mine has one of the lightweight Turbostart 16v batteries and it doesn't give you any warning that it is running low. Start up head to the lanes, get ready for the round and nothing. We have found that that particular model is to be used only with an alternator. Don't know which ones are or aren't that way though, sorry I myself run 12v. Just a heads up.

Curtis

Re: 12v to 16v Conversion
 

The advantage is a 16 volt gives your ingnition more than 14 volts which is what it needs to opperate correctly. When you run a 12 volt battery and no alternator your not giving the ignition more than 11 to 11.5 volts (unless you run an alternator). You can put 3 12 volt batteries in a car, but you still have 12 volts. Also 16 volts spins the starter like a diesel motor turns over. fast and hard enough to start big inch high compression motors.

I've heard all kinds of stories about somebody knows somebody that had problems yata yata yata, but I've never seen it. In mud racing racing if you see somebody with a 12 volt battery you don't have to worry about him being fast!! :D I run the XS Power like this one http://www.summitracing.com/parts/XSP-S1600/

It also speeds up your fan, water pump and fuel pump so make sure to check you pressure after you install it.
You can save about $100 if you buy the charger for 16 volt only, but I bought the 16 - 12 volt just incase I needed to charge a 12 volt.
I put a new battery in my truck every year or 18 months at the most. I'm not gonna go to a race and have battery issues.

You can also run a 16 volt alternator if you need to.

Trust me you'll like it!

Re: 12v to 16v Conversion
 

Was this toward me?

12v to 16v conversion
 

Thanks again Rabbit!! for the info Hey...."Tricks are for Kids"

Even with the alternator, make sure to check your charge. With the 16v stuff, when it's dead it is really dead. LOL. We give it a full charge at some point during the week or before going into the trailer when done for the weekend. We will charge it again after time trials and time permitting will charge it between later rounds.

Re: 12v to 16v Conversion
 

Nope, but I hear it all the time from people that have really never tried a 16 volt and the ones that have had problems run the batteries for years which even a 12 volt would be no good after that long.

A friend of mine wanted to try a 16 volt, but another friend talked him out of it. I gave him one of my old batteries and told him to try it. He bought a 16 volt charger and loved the 16 volt set up. The battery didn't last long, but it gave him a chance to try it for a month or so then bought a new battery.

One thing that I have found to help is that using a battery the way we do dischages them pretty hard so I charge it hard (25 amps), until it's charged. I don't trickle charge it at the 5amp setting. I do charge it again a little while before I run, but that's just a peace of mind thing.

And yes, when they die they die hard and harder to jump off. Not that they die any faster, but it just doesn't die slow like a 12 volt.
Also If you run it for a few seasons and it gets weak CHANGE IT or it will die on you.
With that being said, if you go to a 16volt you want go back. IT IS WORTH THE COST if you are a serious racer.

i know this has been dead for a few months now but rather then start a new one on the same topic... i will just post it here :)

now... if i switch to 16 volts .. will my tach, gauges and 7al2 box be ok? i run an alt so i know i have to change it :wink:

just a FYI: got a friend who builds batteries and is a guru when it comes to them! now when charging at higher amps it will increase the out power of the battery but will not last as long in between charges ..... if you want the battery to last longer and still have that good zip... you slow charge it a 5 amps till its full... then hit it with a high amp charge for a few minutes ... this will even off the charge in the individual cells. plus doing full charges with higher amp will greatly reduce the batteries life and when it dies...it dies hard and fast!!

anyone? also im running dual 12v batteries now..... do i need dual 16 volt batteries?

One 16 is all you need.

thanks rabbit... what about my other question in the post above that one?

Everything will be ok.
Like I posted a while back. Make sure to check your fuel pressure. The 16 volt speeds everything up a little and if you have your fuel regulator really close to pushing past your floats the 16 volt battery can be just enough extra to flood your carb.

If you're planning on using a charger for the battery, make sure it's compatible for your particular battery. Not all chargers are the same even though they're for 16 v batteries.

I've seen that with the fuel pump also, I've did a lot of testing on wire size to electric fuel pumps on 12v stuff also, most run to small of a wire to them.