battery shut off on ford power stroke

[aametalmaster]

[QUOTE=NathanH;298631]

Heck, there is even a hydraulic oil that is non-conductive that we have use in buckets with non-conductive hoses.

Yup worked on many bucket trucks for my neighbors tree company...Bob

[elvis]

The equipment I have welded on I have disconnected both terminals of the battery and completely unplugged the Computer (body controller type deal, completely mechanical engine) so I didn't fry it. I also connected the ground as close to the weld as I could. This was for actually striking an arc on the equipment itself. I have plasma cut and welded off of the tailgate of my fancy diesel pickup before. I usually insulated the workpiece from the truck with a double layer of heavy welding blanket. Nothing bad happened, yet. I think a battery disconnect is a good start, but I would try to isolate the welding area as much as possible.

[Steve83]

So that means use nylon bolts to attach the bed to the truck so not to pass current from the welder to the chassis. I see...Bob

Apparently, you don't. Copper bolts can be used, as long as they don't make a continuity path from the welding surface to the truck chassis. Sort of exactly like the cab (body) mounts, which is why a cab/body ground strap is required to provide continuity to the electrical components in the cab. So use junkyard body mounts, and DON'T add any grounding, and your work surface will be electrically isolated from the chassis.

.

[G.Blackbeard]

never have i had an issue. i have clamped my ground onto my tailgate or now my deck and welded all day with no problems. done that with my truck shut off and idling, hundreds of times. now if i clamped at the back and was welding the frame behind my front bumper with the truck running...then i would worry!!

[cruizer]

Hmmm, how many rig welders are out in welding land. Many thousands I'd guess. Many work off the back of there skids. Let alone muffler shops who weld your muffler on, Haven't heard of any problems yet.

The idea is to clean a good ground point (work clamp) and have it as close to the weld as possible.

Disconnecting your battery and/or computer leads is absolutely pointless

[aametalmaster]

Apparently, you don't

Yup i do. As long as the mounts work properly and don't rust together or rust out (common here in Ohio) everything is fine. The road salt eats everything...Bob

[J hall]

Well I must be the luckiest guy in the world, because I have been welding on the back of my 2002 F550 for several years. Stick,FCAW and even the dreaded CAC.
I have had no problems at all.

But I haven't tried putting the ground clamp on the front bumper and then welding on something on the bed, either

[Portable Welder]

This has been a topic before, I'm on my 6th welding truck and have always welded off the back of the trucks.

I weld on equipment on a regular basis, I repaired a fender on a semi today in fact as well as work done on a wood chipper ( Also today )

I have been welding on vehicles ( At least 3 a week and as much as maybe 10 a week ) for the last 25 years and have never had a problem.

What I never do is put my ground at the front and then weld on the back.

[Sberry]

The equipment I have welded on I have disconnected both terminals of the battery and completely unplugged the Computer (body controller type deal, completely mechanical engine) so I didn't fry it.

You figure you WOULD have fried it if you didn't? So how do we know we didn't by doing it?

One of these days we are going to hear a story about welding etc and I unhooked everything,,,, that act is way more dangerous and likely to cause a fault than leaving it aloneLikeeI mention before,,, chances of dying in commercial airliner vs road traffic. I know people that wont flydon'tnt think twice about throwing a leg over a Harley and dodging traffic.