Welding on Deuce do i disconnect batteries?

[rneely]

I plan to do some mig welding on my deuce body, fixing some rust holes. Should I disconnect the batteries first before welding?

 

[ratat98]

There's really not any sensitive electronics on the deuce that would be affected, but it's always a good practice to disconnect the electrical system when welding on a vehicle.

 

[rneely]

Thanks ratat98, does this mean the battery and the alternator?

 

[ratat98]

I usually just disconnect the batt, and I haven't had any problems, but I've heard some people disconnect the alternator too. Maybe someone else will chime in with a better answer.

 

[Djfreema]

I welded on mine and left the batteries connected and did not have any problems.

 

[steelandcanvas]

I'd rather disconnect the system and not need to instead of not disconnecting and wish I had. Too easy to play it safe.

 

[Goose2448]

Or just weld on it using the batts for the welder.

 

[rronning84]

I have welded on mine with the batteries connected and have welded on mine using the batteries and all is well. I do agree though that it is good practice to get in the habit of disconnecting them.

 

[bigmike]

I welded on my deuce both the cab and bed with everything attached and had not issues at all.

 

[zebedee]

Connect or disconnect, that is the question. Whether it be .....

I always disconnect alternator and battery/'ies, I was told to do so many many years ago, but can't remember why. (Something to do with solid state huge-a-ma-flips or something and bad grounds/power surges, eddy currents and depleated Uranium dust, blah de blah.....)

Eddy currents are an issue with coiled welding cables if you are welding near to the welder and hitting the heavy amps... You should lay out all the cable in "S's" or fig 8's rather than loops on top of one another - whether laying in a pile or hung on a hook.

Electrical experts please jump in and correct me if necessary. Welding I can do but electrical....... not so much.

 

[tennmogger]

If you consider that welding can impose 30, 40, 50 volts across small portions of the truck, that's enough voltage to damage lighting, regulators, gens and alternators. Bottom line depends on where the current flows. Sure, if welding on the frame and you put the ground on frame nearby, no problem, but what if your rod touches the fender. No telling where that current flows or what component gets voltage across it. It's always safer to disconnect battery ground, IMHO. I even disconnect the truck ground from the batteries when I'm using the truck batteries to power the Ready Welder to weld on the truck.

 

[135gmc]

Remember, Murphy's law governs every repair you do. I installed a battery disconnect in the ground lead on my '135, and since I always parked it with the switch OFF, that solved the question. Back when I used to work on railroad equipment, we had to be very careful to have the welder's ground lead solidly grounded to the locomotive as close to where we were welding as possible - since we had steel wheels on steel rails, there was always a chance of grounding through the wheels/rails if the ground to the frame wasn't good, and the roller bearings didn't care much for welding current if the rails became the ground circuit. That's nothing that can happen with a concrete floor and rubber tires, but it's still good practice to ground as close to where you will be welding as you can.

 

[4x4 Forever]

I'd rather disconnect the system and not need to instead of not disconnecting and wish I had. Too easy to play it safe.

Ditto...

Shouldn't make a difference, but better to be safe than sorry...

 

[F18hornetM]

Same here have welded on it many times without disconnecting, but good advice would be to unhook ground cable off battery. Place ground clamp from welder as close to work as possible. Like someone said there isn't much in the way of electronics on these trucks.
Modern trucks have half a dozen PCM's/modules and thats much more scarey not to disconnect the batteries.

 

[Rustygears]

As indicated, it's all in where you place the welder grounding clamp relative to your work. Honestly, if you are grounding through a bunch of stuff like frame, bolts, etc. to weld a bumper, you're likely to fry the vehicle wiring and pop the lights, never mind the damage to bat or alt. you also get crummy welds. If you clamp to the same physical steel object you're welding and the ground clamp is cleanly making contact, electricity always takes the path of least resistance and that will be rod/ mig/ TIG to clamp through the work piece. Never coil welder cable or wrap around any metal, especially steel. This will cause a huge loss of effective amperage and strike current due to inductance, not eddy current. It has nothing to do with damage to the truck, just poor welds and possible damage to the welder if it is a fancy TIG or mig or inverter set. All the above also applies to plasma cutters as well.

 

[zebedee]

Darn it - now I'll have to go research Eddy Currents..... But thanks Rustygears for the terminology correction.

Another cautionary tip. Don't weld 'through' your vise - ie., ground on the welding table/bumper etc., and then the positive on the work piece in the vise jaws. This may cause the thread of the vise to arc and therefore 'pick-up' (slag etc.) damaging it.

 

[F18hornetM]

All great advice.
Actually I clamp to the lock on the vise base. Its clamping the back half and the bottom of the base together so it doesnt go through the threads.
I know its good to take precautions, but there is no need to worry over it. Just take the normal precautions, ground close to your work being the biggest. Ive been welding on trucks and equipment for 30+ years and havent yet burned up anything. Although I did see a CAT pcm burned up once. That was on a newer truck. I have never saw any wiring burned up or lights blown out. That is unless we actually set it on fire from heat, not current though. Maybe others have seen it, I have not.
All just my 2 cents worth.

 

[m816]

Read the TM's It states in there to disconnect the Batteries before any welding on the truck. I don't remember which one or where it says to do that but some times the fog lifts and things come back to me. That was one of them. I think they were refering to the flamable vapor that is emitted from the top of the batteries.

 

[6x6TRex]

If you consider that welding can impose 30, 40, 50 volts across small portions of the truck, that's enough voltage to damage lighting, regulators, gens and alternators. Bottom line depends on where the current flows. Sure, if welding on the frame and you put the ground on frame nearby, no problem, but what if your rod touches the fender. No telling where that current flows or what component gets voltage across it. It's always safer to disconnect battery ground, IMHO. I even disconnect the truck ground from the batteries when I'm using the truck batteries to power the Ready Welder to weld on the truck.

Most welders will put out 25-35 volts max when welding. You should be fine as long as you have a good ground close to where you're welding.

Eddy currents are an issue with coiled welding cables if you are welding near to the welder and hitting the heavy amps... You should lay out all the cable in "S's" or fig 8's rather than loops on top of one another - whether laying in a pile or hung on a hook.

The coiled welding cables is a old welding trick to slightly lower the amperage you're welding with, for when the amps you need is between two settings on the welder.

 

[MarcusOReallyus]

I always disconnect alternator and battery/'ies, I was told to do so many many years ago, but can't remember why. (Something to do with solid state huge-a-ma-flips or something and bad grounds/power surges, eddy currents and depleated Uranium dust, blah de blah.....)

Hmm. That would be uranium dust that has been forced to wear plain-front pants?

Anyway, you for got the dilithium crystals and antimatter collimators.





But seriously, folks, is it that big a deal to disconnect a battery & alternator?


Why wouldn't you?