Welding & frying electronics on the welded item
 

I need to reinforce a guard on the mower deck of my zero turn mower
(Grasshopper 52" w Kohler Command engine). I'll probably take the
battery out just because I have to tip it up at a 45º or steeper angle
to get to the underside easier and I don't want to take a chance of
the battery leaking. I'll probably clamp the ground on the deck not
far from where I'll be stick welding. Do I need to do anything
special to keep from frying any electronics on the mower?

If I were welding on a car, what do you do to prevent ruining
electronic devices?

Correct the email address if you want to reply off line.

RWL

Welding & frying electronics on the welded item
 

On cars, clamping next to the weld is risky, but usually done. Muffler
shops routinely mig without blowing up the ECM this way, and on late
model cars, even disconnecting the battery can lead to a world of hurt,
as many systems need to be re-coded or initialized. If it were MY car,
I'd disconnect both battery terminals, connect them together with a
jumper, and unplug all the modules before welding. The latter might
require considerable labor time for access to them.
JR
Dweller in the cellar

GeoLane at PTD dot NET wrote:

I need to reinforce a guard on the mower deck of my zero turn mower
(Grasshopper 52" w Kohler Command engine). I'll probably take the
battery out just because I have to tip it up at a 45º or steeper angle
to get to the underside easier and I don't want to take a chance of
the battery leaking. I'll probably clamp the ground on the deck not
far from where I'll be stick welding. Do I need to do anything
special to keep from frying any electronics on the mower?

If I were welding on a car, what do you do to prevent ruining
electronic devices?

Correct the email address if you want to reply off line.

RWL


--
--------------------------------------------------------------
Home Page: http://www.seanet.com/~jasonrnorth
If you're not the lead dog, the view never changes
Doubt yourself, and the real world will eat you alive
The world doesn't revolve around you, it revolves around me
No skeletons in the closet; just decomposing corpses
--------------------------------------------------------------
Dependence is Vulnerability:
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"I'm sorry, Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that.."

Welding & frying electronics on the welded item
 

"JR North" wrote: On cars, clamping next to the weld is risky,
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
No, that is the right way to do it. What you DON'T want to do is put the
ground clamp somewhere else, for two reasons: 1.) Don't give the welding
current a return path that could include any electronics. 2.) Don't give
the welding current a path that includes any bearings. Disconnecting the
battery is not necessary--the welding current isn't going that way, and
wouldn't hurt the battery if it did. The battery can handle hundreds of
amps easily. And you are right: disconnecting the battery could cause you
to have to reprogram a bunch of stuff, including your radio stations and the
radio's antitheft lockout.

Welding & frying electronics on the welded item
 

On Jul 21, 3:23 am, "Leo Lichtman"
wrote:
"JR North" wrote: On cars, clamping next to the weld is risky,

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
No, that is the right way to do it. What you DON'T want to do is put the
ground clamp somewhere else, for two reasons: 1.) Don't give the welding
current a return path that could include any electronics. 2.) Don't give
the welding current a path that includes any bearings. Disconnecting the
battery is not necessary--the welding current isn't going that way, and
wouldn't hurt the battery if it did. The battery can handle hundreds of
amps easily. And you are right: disconnecting the battery could cause you
to have to reprogram a bunch of stuff, including your radio stations and the
radio's antitheft lockout.

If reprogramming is NOT the issue the disconnecting the negative
battery terminal (Which is recommended for my car) will leave in
theory every circuit open and as sunch not ABLE to pass welding urrent
through them.

I've heard of an instance where a stainless exhaust was installed
without disconnecting the negative battery terminal. After the system
was TIG'ed in the car wasnt running right and it eventually required
the replacement of the computer to blow it.

I'd rather reprogram a radio than replace an ECM Computer

Brent
Ottawa Canada

Welding & frying electronics on the welded item
 

As a welder in many shops with different backgrounds including heavy truck
body fabrication and truck trays as well as light vehicle trays and other
light vehicle work i can confirm that it is common established practice in
all shops to disconnect the negative terminal at least, and in some places
the positive also. For most trucks, and many light vehicles in the mining
sector they have a battery isolation switch for safety and turning that off
is sufficient.

Having your earth clamp as close as possible to the weld is also common
practice, or at least having it in the opposite direction of the
electronics. Stray current is hard to predict though, so far better to
isolate the battery. Provided earth is removed and all electronics were
installed correctly, this is the safest way.

Shaun

"Brent" wrote in message
oups.com...
On Jul 21, 3:23 am, "Leo Lichtman"
wrote:
"JR North" wrote: On cars, clamping next to the weld is risky,

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
No, that is the right way to do it. What you DON'T want to do is put the
ground clamp somewhere else, for two reasons: 1.) Don't give the
welding
current a return path that could include any electronics. 2.) Don't
give
the welding current a path that includes any bearings. Disconnecting the
battery is not necessary--the welding current isn't going that way, and
wouldn't hurt the battery if it did. The battery can handle hundreds of
amps easily. And you are right: disconnecting the battery could cause
you
to have to reprogram a bunch of stuff, including your radio stations and
the
radio's antitheft lockout.

If reprogramming is NOT the issue the disconnecting the negative
battery terminal (Which is recommended for my car) will leave in
theory every circuit open and as sunch not ABLE to pass welding urrent
through them.

I've heard of an instance where a stainless exhaust was installed
without disconnecting the negative battery terminal. After the system
was TIG'ed in the car wasnt running right and it eventually required
the replacement of the computer to blow it.

I'd rather reprogram a radio than replace an ECM Computer

Brent
Ottawa Canada

Welding & frying electronics on the welded item
 

"Brent" wrote in message
oups.com...
On Jul 21, 3:23 am, "Leo Lichtman"
wrote:
"JR North" wrote: On cars, clamping next to the weld is risky,

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
No, that is the right way to do it. What you DON'T want to do is put the
ground clamp somewhere else, for two reasons: 1.) Don't give the
welding
current a return path that could include any electronics. 2.) Don't
give
the welding current a path that includes any bearings. Disconnecting the
battery is not necessary--the welding current isn't going that way, and
wouldn't hurt the battery if it did. The battery can handle hundreds of
amps easily. And you are right: disconnecting the battery could cause
you
to have to reprogram a bunch of stuff, including your radio stations and
the
radio's antitheft lockout.

If reprogramming is NOT the issue the disconnecting the negative
battery terminal (Which is recommended for my car) will leave in
theory every circuit open and as sunch not ABLE to pass welding urrent
through them.

There is a "Memory Keeper" tool - essentially a lighter plug and a nine-volt
battery- that will keep the various ECM/radio memories powered up when the
battery is disconnected. Don't tied the battery cables together and be sure
to pull the courtesy light fuse(s).

-Carl
--
This just in: a disturbing new study find that studies are disturbing. More
on this story as it develops.

Welding & frying electronics on the welded item
 

I didn't mean placing the ground clamp next to the weld was MORE risky
than somewhere else, My meaning was, the whole procedure has inherent risk.
JR
Dweller in the cellar

Leo Lichtman wrote:
"JR North" wrote: On cars, clamping next to the weld is risky,
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
No, that is the right way to do it. What you DON'T want to do is put the
ground clamp somewhere else, for two reasons: 1.) Don't give the welding
current a return path that could include any electronics. 2.) Don't give
the welding current a path that includes any bearings. Disconnecting the
battery is not necessary--the welding current isn't going that way, and
wouldn't hurt the battery if it did. The battery can handle hundreds of
amps easily. And you are right: disconnecting the battery could cause you
to have to reprogram a bunch of stuff, including your radio stations and the
radio's antitheft lockout.




--
--------------------------------------------------------------
Home Page: http://www.seanet.com/~jasonrnorth
If you're not the lead dog, the view never changes
Doubt yourself, and the real world will eat you alive
The world doesn't revolve around you, it revolves around me
No skeletons in the closet; just decomposing corpses
--------------------------------------------------------------
Dependence is Vulnerability:
--------------------------------------------------------------
"Open the Pod Bay Doors please, Hal"
"I'm sorry, Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that.."