1915 model T

[Edy]

New member here...just wanted to introduce myself and ask my first question...I recently bought my 1915 model T and I am ready to install the 6 volt battery and was wondering are the model T's positive ground or negative ground... I do have a 1919 engine in it with an electric starter but I just want to hook it up right so I don't mess anything up... thank you in advance as I have been doing a lot of reading here on the forum and really enjoy learning from what appears to be some very intelligent and knowledgeable people ... my T has been fully restored and has been sitting in a garage for the last 10 years and I can't hardly wait to here it finally running again...again thank you in advance...R E Burrow..Chugiak Alaska

[ChrisB]

Negative ground.

Make sure to clean all connections really good.

With all connections clean 6 volts will work well.

Chris

[RajoRacer]

I have a good Model T friend in Eagle River - perhaps I can get you guys together ?

[speedytinc]

Be sure battery cables are the large 6V type. 0 gauge. NOT the skinny 12V cables 6 gauge.

[Edy]

Be sure battery cables are the large 6V type. 0 gauge. NOT the skinny 12V cables 6 gauge.

I have a good Model T friend in Eagle River - perhaps I can get you guys together ?

Thank you RajoRacer that would be awesome

[Edy]

Negative ground.

Make sure to clean all connections really good.

With all connections clean 6 volts will work well.

Chris

Thank you ChrisB.... I was thinking that it was but the old battery that was in it was not connected but it was sitting with the positive post by the ground wire so that's why I wanted to ask and make sure

[Edy]

Be sure battery cables are the large 6V type. 0 gauge. NOT the skinny 12V cables 6 gauge.

Yes that I had already checked and they are... thank you

[Wayne Sheldon]

A 1915 did not have a battery, box, or wiring for one originally. So anything would be something someone added. Often, people used the standard 1919 and later factory battery carrier. Sometimes they used era type after-market battery or tool boxes on a running board. Other people would scavenge up heaven-only-knows what themselves. Sometimes under a seat, or in a runabout's turtle deck. Almost anything is possible. Negative ground is preferred, but some people did wire model Ts backwards. There is a silly (read as stupid?) reason for that.

[Allan]

An Optima 6 volt battery can be laid on its side under the back seat. It just needs to be held down and have its terminals isolated from any other 'stuff' you might carry there. Otherwise the suggestions Wayne made are valid, but these involve drilling holes in the frame/splash panels which some would frown upon, me included. I did mount the battery in a tin box on the running board of my wide body D and F roadster, but that was how it was done originally on that car, so i was not fussed about drilling holes in the splash shield.

Allan from down under.

[Edy]

A 1915 did not have a battery, box, or wiring for one originally. So anything would be something someone added. Often, people used the standard 1919 and later factory battery carrier. Sometimes they used era type after-market battery or tool boxes on a running board. Other people would scavenge up heaven-only-knows what themselves. Sometimes under a seat, or in a runabout's turtle deck. Almost anything is possible. Negative ground is preferred, but some people did wire model Ts backwards. There is a silly (read as stupid?) reason for that.

Yes my engine is from a 1919 and the battery carrier

[Edy]

An Optima 6 volt battery can be laid on its side under the back seat. It just needs to be held down and have its terminals isolated from any other 'stuff' you might carry there. Otherwise the suggestions Wayne made are valid, but these involve drilling holes in the frame/splash panels which some would frown upon, me included. I did mount the battery in a tin box on the running board of my wide body D and F roadster, but that was how it was done originally on that car, so i was not fussed about drilling holes in the splash shield.

Allan from down under.

Thank you Allan

[Original Smith]

If your car is a real 1915, you don't need any of that stuff listed above! Buy yourself a small 12 volt battery, about the size of a Model T coil. All you need is some 18 gauge wire for the positive and negative connections. That's it.

[TWrenn]

I agree with O.S. on my 15 touring I had one under the front seat and it worked fine.

[Steve Jelf]

I think some may have missed the part about this being a 1919 engine with starter.

[ewdysar]

If your car is a real 1915, you don't need any of that stuff listed above! Buy yourself a small 12 volt battery, about the size of a Model T coil. All you need is some 18 gauge wire for the positive and negative connections. That's it.

When I recovered my Father’s very-not-original “16” touring after 25+ years of storage, it still had his 6v dry cell lantern battery (the square one with the coiled spring terminals) sitting under the driver’s seat at the end of the gas tank, wired up to the battery side of the coil box. Used only for starting, he said that it would last for years and 1000’s of touring miles. Replacements were available at any drug store or supermarket. Apparently, this was a pretty common solution for the active Model T Club members with non-starter cars in the early 1960’s (before the MTFCA was formed).

Keep crankin’
Eric

[Edy]

I think some may have missed the part about this being a 1919 engine with starter.

Thank you Steve

[Norman Kling]

One other thing to check. The polarity of the cutout on the generator. A Model A is wired with a positive ground and the cutout looks just like a T cutout. If the cutout is backward you will burn out the generator. The cutout should only allow the current to flow from the generator to the battery, but not from the battery to the generator, so if your cutout is correct with the engine not running, you should have voltage on the side of the cutout where the wire is connected, but no voltage on the side that is connected to the generator, then when the engine is running, you will have voltage on both sides. You can check this with a light bulb between the contact and ground. On the side toward the battery the light will light up but on the side toward the generator it will not light until the engine is running.
Norm

[Norman Kling]

One other thing to check. The polarity of the cutout on the generator. A Model A is wired with a positive ground and the cutout looks just like a T cutout. If the cutout is backward you will burn out the generator. The cutout should only allow the current to flow from the generator to the battery, but not from the battery to the generator, so if your cutout is correct with the engine not running, you should have voltage on the side of the cutout where the wire is connected, but no voltage on the side that is connected to the generator, then when the engine is running, you will have voltage on both sides. You can check this with a light bulb between the contact and ground. On the side toward the battery the light will light up but on the side toward the generator it will not light until the engine is running.
Norm

[Edy]

One other thing to check. The polarity of the cutout on the generator. A Model A is wired with a positive ground and the cutout looks just like a T cutout. If the cutout is backward you will burn out the generator. The cutout should only allow the current to flow from the generator to the battery, but not from the battery to the generator, so if your cutout is correct with the engine not running, you should have voltage on the side of the cutout where the wire is connected, but no voltage on the side that is connected to the generator, then when the engine is running, you will have voltage on both sides. You can check this with a light bulb between the contact and ground. On the side toward the battery the light will light up but on the side toward the generator it will not light until the engine is running.
Norm

Thank you Norm I will definitely check that

[TWrenn]

I think some may have missed the part about this being a 1919 engine with starter.

Ha ha! Brain flatulence again!! or I could blame it on being out in the heat too much!
I DID see that and promptly forgot. Nothing new there.

[Edy]

I think some may have missed the part about this being a 1919 engine with starter.

Ha ha! Brain flatulence again!! or I could blame it on being out in the heat too much!
I DID see that and promptly forgot. Nothing new there.

You mean I'm not the only one that has that brain flatulence problem???? Believe me it's not the heat.... 43 years in Alaska

[TWrenn]

Ralph....LMAO!!!

[Philip Lawrence]

Please post photos of your model T. It could be a pre-dated 1919 made to look like a 1915. This has been very common thing to do over the years. That by the way doesn't make it right. The 1915 Ford has been the most faked model year.
This is why model T's from 1916, 17, 18, (especially are so rare today). 1919 and 1920 year models have also been converted into 1915's but are more common today because of the larger number of them being produced as opposed to the earlier models.

For those that know the differences these modifications really stand out big time. I don't really think the difference in value between a 1915 and a 1919 is much. Post some detailed photos so members on the forum can determine the correct year of your car. I would suggest that if it is a later year model T that you correct any modifications done to it to make it appear like a 1915. Or if none of this matters to you at all then you can just leave things as they are. Good luck and Happy New Year!

[Scott_Conger]

I'll bet that some time in the last 5 years, he got something figured out

How/why do these old threads get dredged up?

[Tim Moore]

Mystery to me also, seems quite random and strange.

[Original Smith]

Do you want to keep it all 1915?