1960s Smoke pours out when new battery is hooked up

[bcroe]

The short path most likely was thru your alternator
main rectifier diodes.  My method would have
immediatly identified the alternator as the path. 

You had best check, for no alternator or wiring
damage, and full output is still available. 
good luck, Bruce Roe

[TJ Hopland]

I too am wondering if you maybe let too much of the smoke out of something, even back then they didn't give you too much extra.

I was gonna say something about reverse polarity.  I was gonna ask around the lines of things like cable colors, I have seen it where maybe they were originally black but at some point someone replaced one with a red because that was all that was available at the time and it happened to be on the ground side.  Ya see a red and black and just assume. 

Reverse polarity is a thing with some group size batteries indicated by an R in the model.  That could also be a difference in the group sizes you mentioned, I assume part of the group spec is polarity as well as location of terminals.  I want to say I first ran into that with a 60's Ford.  It was something like the 6 cyl option was one way and the V8 was the other otherwise it was the same battery in the same location and cables were not long enough to reach if you got the wrong one.

[Big Fins]

Most top post batteries have different size posts. The positive is always larger and it's almost a dead giveaway that the positive cable would be very loose on the negative post.

Either way, glad you got it sorted with no apparent damage. Happy cruising up in The Big Sky!

[Jon S]

I too am wondering if you maybe let too much of the smoke out of something, even back then they didn't give you too much extra.

I was gonna say something about reverse polarity.  I was gonna ask around the lines of things like cable colors, I have seen it where maybe they were originally black but at some point someone replaced one with a red because that was all that was available at the time and it happened to be on the ground side.  Ya see a red and black and just assume. 

Reverse polarity is a thing with some group size batteries indicated by an R in the model.  That could also be a difference in the group sizes you mentioned, I assume part of the group spec is polarity as well as location of terminals.  I want to say I first ran into that with a 60's Ford.  It was something like the 6 cyl option was one way and the V8 was the other otherwise it was the same battery in the same location and cables were not long enough to reach if you got the wrong one.

There are 2 Group 27 batteries - 27 and 27F. I use the 27 in my Cadillac and the 27F in my Lincoln. The 27F has reversed polarity for Ford products.

[Big Fins]

There are 2 Group 27 batteries - 27 and 27F. I use the 27 in my Cadillac and the 27F in my Lincoln. The 27F has reversed polarity for Ford products.

The polarity isn't reversed on the 27F. The posts are in opposite positions but are of the correct polarity.

[Jon S]

The polarity isn't reversed on the 27F. The posts are in opposite positions but are of the correct polarity.

If the posts are reversed, the polarity is reversed. Negative and positive are reversed

[Big Fins]

I'm not going to argue with you. I'll let the rest of the board prove you wrong.

[tcom2027]

Flow is positive to negative. Post location is determined by the placement of the plate pack in the case. You can take apart a Group 27 turn the pack 180 degrees in the case and you have a 27f.

If the negative post  was in front of the car facing the engine will now be in the back facing toward the inner fender well.

I've forgotten which post is in front but you get the idea.

tony 

[Jon S]

I'm not going to argue with you. I'll let the rest of the board prove you wrong.

Reverse polarity in a direct current (DC) battery occurs when the positive and negative terminals are connected in the wrong order. This can happen when the negative cable is connected to the positive terminal, or vice versa

[TJ Hopland]

A group 27 like many of the top post groups has the posts fairly near the corners.  If you set the battery the long way so the posts are near you positive will be on the left.  If you rotate it so the posts are away from you it will be on the right.  Some applications have long enough cables and no clearance issues you can just rotate it to get them on the correct sides.

The 27F or 27R depending on the brand has them flipped so if the terminals are near you positive will be on the right.  Away from you positive left.  This is for applications where say part of the battery is tight against or tucked under the fender or cowl so you can't just rotate it so the proper terminal is on the correct side to reach the cables. 

Why they could not just switch which cable was slightly longer and use the 'normal' battery flipped?  Was it a few cents cheaper?  Maybe the braided ground cables were cheaper than the regular cable so they wanted the regular one to be short as possible?  I just ran into the same thing with a lawn mower.  3" longer battery cable and either would work but no they can't do that.  I'm just gonna go to the store and get a longer cable so I can use either including the more common on all my other stuff uses.