16 volt or 12 volt ?????
#11
Senior Member
RACING JUNKIE
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Ohio
Posts: 936
Zip
The 16V dangers nothing that you have listed unless your electronics and components are decades old. We are making the switch to the 16V system for starting purposes. We have wired, rewired, changed batteries, changed starters, changed starting routine but always seem to have issues. I could have added a second 12v battery dedicated for starting purposes only buy why would I want to add the extra weight when the 16V battery is the same weight as my 12V battery?
The 16V dangers nothing that you have listed unless your electronics and components are decades old. We are making the switch to the 16V system for starting purposes. We have wired, rewired, changed batteries, changed starters, changed starting routine but always seem to have issues. I could have added a second 12v battery dedicated for starting purposes only buy why would I want to add the extra weight when the 16V battery is the same weight as my 12V battery?
#12
Senior Member
RACING JUNKIE
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: La.
Posts: 2,890
Actually, shawnp
I probably opened my mouth when i shouldn't have. For this i appolagize, it's true i don't run any of the newer equipment IE: MSD 8AL programable and multiable stage nitrous, etc. and all electronics in my car is atleast 10 yrs. old and i run 2 batteries. As far as i know no one around here runs the 16 volt system. We just hook up the battery charger between rounds and drag the cars/dragsters up thru the staging lanes, only firing once just before the next run.
I realize that we don't have the fastest cars in the US around here but there's a few door cars that run low 5's and and some dragsters that run mid 4's.
I got a call a few hrs ago that the 468" pump gas motor that i built (less than $1,000.00 short blk) ran 9.77@137mph with a 250 shot in Baton Rouge this afternoon. That motor is in a 3700lb plus 66 Biscyne minus driver. Last week he was driving it around town with mufflers and all. I forgot to ask if he still had the mufflers on, i'll find out tomorrow when he comes home.
Sorry if i stepped into an area that i haven't been in yet IE: starting problems.
Zip.
I probably opened my mouth when i shouldn't have. For this i appolagize, it's true i don't run any of the newer equipment IE: MSD 8AL programable and multiable stage nitrous, etc. and all electronics in my car is atleast 10 yrs. old and i run 2 batteries. As far as i know no one around here runs the 16 volt system. We just hook up the battery charger between rounds and drag the cars/dragsters up thru the staging lanes, only firing once just before the next run.
I realize that we don't have the fastest cars in the US around here but there's a few door cars that run low 5's and and some dragsters that run mid 4's.
I got a call a few hrs ago that the 468" pump gas motor that i built (less than $1,000.00 short blk) ran 9.77@137mph with a 250 shot in Baton Rouge this afternoon. That motor is in a 3700lb plus 66 Biscyne minus driver. Last week he was driving it around town with mufflers and all. I forgot to ask if he still had the mufflers on, i'll find out tomorrow when he comes home.
Sorry if i stepped into an area that i haven't been in yet IE: starting problems.
Zip.
#13
Senior Member
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Chelsea Oklahoma
Posts: 556
Ok..i think i will take the 16 volt out, i wasnt prepared to buy a 16 volt charger, and a 16 volt Alt. the reason i was asking, was when we hooked up the 12 volt Alt. after about 5 min it started smoking and caught fire, soo i think i will just stay with the 12 volt set up...and just sell the 16 volt battery to buy a 12 volt..but fellas thanks for all the input..Ray
#14
Senior Member
RACING JUNKIE
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Ohio
Posts: 936
Zip
We never had any starting issues until we moved to the 555 and then the 582's. These alky motors can be a little stubborn to start in the morning especially early in the season and later into the season when temps are 30's and 40's in the mornings trying to start a car. We never had any issues on with alky on a couple of the smaller motors we had and never had any starting issues when we were on gas. I probably could have looked to add a primer system to start the car on gas but I decided that going 16V was going to save weight in the car. If I was going to upgrade to 16V in a car with existing electronics or gauges I would be on the phone with the manufacturer to make sure they were compatible for the additional voltage.
We never had any starting issues until we moved to the 555 and then the 582's. These alky motors can be a little stubborn to start in the morning especially early in the season and later into the season when temps are 30's and 40's in the mornings trying to start a car. We never had any issues on with alky on a couple of the smaller motors we had and never had any starting issues when we were on gas. I probably could have looked to add a primer system to start the car on gas but I decided that going 16V was going to save weight in the car. If I was going to upgrade to 16V in a car with existing electronics or gauges I would be on the phone with the manufacturer to make sure they were compatible for the additional voltage.
#15
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RACING JUNKIE
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Coldwater, MI
Posts: 2,998
Originally Posted by bigray
Ok..i think i will take the 16 volt out, i wasnt prepared to buy a 16 volt charger, and a 16 volt Alt. the reason i was asking, was when we hooked up the 12 volt Alt. after about 5 min it started smoking and caught fire, soo i think i will just stay with the 12 volt set up...and just sell the 16 volt battery to buy a 12 volt..but fellas thanks for all the input..Ray
You'll need to take the alt in and get it fixed now also
#17
Senior Member
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Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Orient, OH
Posts: 384
Gotta have the alt fixed anyways might as well switch it to 16 volt. I will never use 12 volts in a racecar ever again. My little 408 use to destroy starters no matter what I did (15:1 comp). went to 16 volts and never had an issue!!! 16 volt was also about .08 faster than 12 volt. Spins my 496 over like the 12 volt did with the plugs out!
Better fuel delivery, more hotter spark, starts a helluva alot better and a night and day dif in how much better the cooling system works.
I dont see any reason for 12 volts in any racecar.
Better fuel delivery, more hotter spark, starts a helluva alot better and a night and day dif in how much better the cooling system works.
I dont see any reason for 12 volts in any racecar.