If you have an MSD or similar box installed on a car will welding on the car fry it? Is disconnecting the battery or shutting off an off/on switch adequate or does the unit need to be disconnected?
The biggest thing with welding and electronics is the welder's ground. If you put the ground clamp on clean metal and put it close to what you are welding, you shouldn't have a problem. Notice that I did not say "you won't have a problem". You want to be safe, disconnect it.
Generally NO, the box is on isolators (or should be) but attach the ground close to where you are welding
I have always disconnected the battery on anything I am welding on. From cars to trucks to race only cars.
When I use to out fit new trucks with work beds, the manufacturer of the beds recommended to disconnect the battery, during installation, to protect the electronic devices! But my B/L told me that there are hundreds of thousands of welding trucks ( including him) that weld on their flat beds all day long and never unhook the battery with no problem! That kinda solved the problem for me! Bones
How long does it take to disconnect a battery lead?! Why not just 'play-it-safe' and disconnect battery........then no worries.......simple! 6sally6
It may depend on your welding process. If you TIG, do you only use a work piece "ground" (which actually just completes the welding circuit) or do you also have a separate high frequency earth ground? If you don't have a HF ground, and want to play it cautious, I would remove the MSD box and put it somewhere other than the shop while you weld. The MSD tech support site has recommendations regarding welding.
With the battery disconnect switch off, Welded on extra drag car motor mounts, didn't harm the M.S.D. box or distributer but did hurt a nice 100 amp one wire alternator Next trip to the drag strip the car had a bad high rpm miss and electric gauges had the wiggles Took about two weeks for me to figure out that the alternator was sending positive current into its own case. Found this out disconnecting the one wire from the alternator and the gauges still wiggled at rpm Took the belt off and gauges settled down, replaced the alternator and high speed miss was gone. Next time welding it will be removed.
With a ground connection there is always a chance that its not making as good a contact as you think it is, or that the path back may go thru something or some area you didn't forsee. So there is always a minor chance that a problem might happen......but in general its not a problem. You also have to consider that when you disconnect and reconnect electrical things there is also a chance of screwing something up. When working for a govt contractor, they were not allowed to work on circuit cards unless they had a ground strap attached to their arm. The static electricity jumping from them to a circuit card could ruin the card even though it wasn't a noticible charge.
Ekimneirbo, do you know what that big ****on looking thing is on the top of that ringer washing machine???? Bones
Boy I still remember screaming as the rollers took in my 4 yr old fingers. My mother quickly hit the release ****on to open them up. I believe the ****on on top of that unit releases the rollers.
You got it! We had these when I was a kid! Still have one out in the garage.That one was the “ deluxe” model with the quick release. My grandmother’s machine did not have that feature! She got her hand caught in her’s and it started up her arm before she could reach over and put it in reverse! Thats the little gear shift looking thing on the end of the rollers. Pretty sure these wouldn’t p*** regulations today! Folks were tougher back then! Bones
My great grandmother ran her arm through one. She always said a spot on her arm that looked like raw hamburger was caused by it. It was there through her dying day.
I sure wish I had my mom's old ringer washer from the 50s. It had a beautiful copper tub, and for anyone that appreciates beautiful machines, it would look great as a display item. Memories. Bob
I have my Mom's old Wringer Washer, like in picture. Green porcelain tub and legs, can't remember what brand. Wife took some of it apart to get re-plated, 33 years ago. Still waiting.
I remember kick starting my mom's gas powered Maytag before she got her first electric one. We had a exhaust pipe hose running through the wall right next to the well pump where we pumped the water to heat on the stove to wash the clothes with. I just pull my battery disconnect on my Drag car and weld away my used MSD 6 still works fine.
I have one like that, with a motor on it, another with a hand crank. I was thinking of making a power bead roller out of the motorized one. Me and my dad used them to clean our red rags...fill, soap...drain...over and over. But now it easy enough to buy a bag for 6 bucks...lol
BUT! I'm surprised that no one came up with the most obvious answer to the ***led question...right? I'd bet a weeks pay that the best MSD box won't weld a crossmember in...
Used to keep the crank ones to wring out the shammies back in the day. Think every full service gas station had them setting by the pumps around here.
Dyno Don taught me that you could weld with a magneto installed if you left the switch in the on position. Otherwise it would weld the points together. Back to the original topic
I know we are off topic again but, My grandma had a two cyl maytag washer and the concrete floor in her washroom with a drain in the floor. She just stuck the flex exhaust pipe out the window. lol
Welding current will take the easiest path to ground not necessarily the closest. Sometimes that can be pretty weird. I've had high frec boxes do not good things to the TV in the house. It needs a good earth ground by itself.
Twenty nine posts and not ONE comment about the old expression regarding the misfortune of “getting one’s *** caught in the wringer” Ray
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