chassis repair on my landy

[richmbatch]

hi new to this mig welding i am going to try some patches on my chassis please could you advise me on a few thing firstly when i tack the patch in place can i hold the piece of steel without getting a shock and do i have to undo the battery terminals thanks...........

 

[madkayaker]

Good luck! You can hold the plate in place no trouble. My 1960 Landy says disconnect battery and alternator before welding

 

[richmbatch]

isnt there a strap thing you can get to go across the terminals

 

[DrNik]

the voltage used when welding isnt an issue, so hopld that plate all you like, you may get a shock if its raining and your on the ground,had that before, AND NO YOU DONT HAVE TO REMOVE A BATTERY CONNECTION WHEN WELDING

 

[waldershelf]

I replaced a tubular outrigger and put a patch on the rear cross member on my 90 yesterday. You wont get a shock from your welder so don't worry about that.

I never bother disconnecting the battery and never had a problem.

The best advice I can give you about welding Land Rovers and pretty much any other old metalwork is spend as much time as it takes to get it clean and back to bare metal before you go near it with the welder.

Plating my rear cross member yesterday was a nightmare, it was inaccessible, multi skinned and rusty, as a consequence the finished job while strong enough is not a pretty sight.

 

[Mode1]

I always remove a terminal from the battery,on a landy theres not so much in the way of delicate electronics which could be spiked buy a power surge,but the alternator diodes can possibly be damaged apparently.I have welded cars many times and forgotten to disconnect the battery.only remembering after id started with no damage,except one time where the alternator packed up afew days later,,coincidence maybe.

 

[Burdekin]

If you have the earth right next to the job you don't need to disconnect the battery, if you have the earth a good distance away then disconnect the battery. The current travels between the arc and earth clamp so if a long way away then god knows where it goes, but if right next to it only goes that short distance.

 

[madkayaker]

I understand very well what your all saying and I know how electricity works (it is my day job after all) but is it really worth the risk? If its a Landy old enough to need welding (insert own joke about a Landy should come with a welder as standard etc) the only thing that might need to happen after battery off is radio needing code.

 

[Burdekin]

Disconnecting the battery will stop the current travelling through the battery, but if you earth well away from the job what about any electronics and bearings etc, does disconnecting the battery prevent current travelling through them and possibly causing problems? Clamp the earth next to the job and you won't have an issue. I've done it that way for 25 years and not had any issues, the current only travels from the arc to the earth and not through anything else.

 

[Robotstar5]

the only thing that might need to happen after battery off is radio needing code.

A Landy with a radio, what will they think of next?

 

[madkayaker]

On that doesn't leak

 

[Old Dog]

When welding vehicles disconnect both the positive and earth and join the two leads together(not the battery terminals, don't laugh I've seen that done. come to think of it, better weld than his repair in fact ) this will stop damage to electronics, it does happen I've been called out to 11 new vehicles at a body builders that need new ECU's after being welded and the battery not disconnected. Not a cheap repair just for the sake of taking off a couple of leads.

 

[Mode1]

Unless its gas welding :P