Positive ground…

[rustydusty]

I’m installing a new 6v battery in my A10. The battery is currently hard wired with a fuse on the + side. Will this work as a fuse on the ground side or should I cut off and install it on the negative (hot) side…

[Triton Thrasher]

It’s better to have the main fuse on the ground/earth/return side.

[groily]

It’s better to have the main fuse on the ground/earth/return side.

Is where I put mine too.
Although much of the literature - eg Dr James Smith's 'Classic Motorcycle Electrical Manual' - goes for the live side.
Probably the most important thing is that, where the horn and/or  brakelight are taken direct from the battery, they are covered. Often they aren't in live side fuse installations. As they are among the commonest sources of short circuits  . . . .

[Greybeard]

I happened to buy a generic double fuse box so both + and - are fused.

[Triton Thrasher]

It’s better to have the main fuse on the ground/earth/return side.

Is where I put mine too.
Although much of the literature - eg Dr James Smith's 'Classic Motorcycle Electrical Manual' - goes for the live side.
Probably the most important thing is that, where the horn and/or  brakelight are taken direct from the battery, they are covered. Often they aren't in live side fuse installations. As they are among the commonest sources of short circuits  . . . .

Fuse on the return side also mitigates the sort of short circuit that clumsy mechanics (blush!) cause by touching the battery live terminal and the frame, with a spanner.

[rustydusty]

I happened to buy a generic double fuse box so both + and - are fused.

I already have the hot (negative) side fused, so that would work out fine…

[rustydusty]

So I added the supplied electrolyte to the battery, put it on my “intelligent” charger. It showed “charge” for an hour or so, then indicated “bad”…

I don’t get it. This battery is new.
When I said “new, I forgot to mention that it has been sitting in the box, on my shelf for 20+ years…

Ordered a new one, hopefully it hasn’t been sitting on their shelf for 20 years…

[muskrat]

G'day Rusty.
You might be able to resurrect it by hooking it up to a good battery and charging through that. It worked for me once or twice.
Cheers

[Rex]

Or by hooking up an old style "non-intelligent" battery charger in parallel with it and keeping both connected until the "intelligent" charger senses the battery has reached a certain voltage. It's usually very quick.

[RDfella]

I have a couple of 'intelligent' chargers and often have to question their IQ. As Rex has suggested, reverting to a 'dumbo' charger is usually more effective. In fact the only time I still use one of the 'intelligent' ones (have thrown a couple away over the years due to charging fussiness) is when I want to charge a small (eg motorcycle 6v) battery and need to leave it on for an unknown period, when a conventional one might cook it.

[rustydusty]

Thanks guys, I will give that a try…

[Greybeard]

As other have said, so called 'intelligent' chargers are stoopid. If the battery has no voltage they will not come out to play. I bought an old style charger from FaceAche Market Place. I suggest you do something similar. 👍

[rustydusty]

Well I hooked up my “stupid” charger in series with my charger that claimed to be smart, and after an hour of charging, came up “bad” again. My voltmeter says 6 volts but that is probably a “surface charge”. I have a “load tester” but it’s not designed to work with a small 6 volt battery.
No problem, I have a new battery coming in the mail in a couple of days…

[Greybeard]

Storing an unused lead-acid battery dry should not cause it to deteriorate.

Have you been able to try a traditional transformer+rectifier charger?

[Rex]

Well I hooked up my “stupid” charger in series with my charger that claimed to be smart,

Parallel, not series.
In series the clever charger will just think it's a 12V battery with three duff cells.