This is probably a dumb question but Im gonna ask anyways. A friend of mine has an '03 Honda Rancher ES. The front and rear need a few welds. Is there any chance of shorting out the computer or the display? Thanks..and be gentle..I know it was a dumb question..lol.

 

Actually, that is a great question,with todays quads having more and more electronic controls and sensors, a strong electromagnetic surge like the energy from a welder could very well do some kind of damage. To be safe, I would pull the battery leads off, and unplug your coil and CDI box, to minimize any stray voltage from going where it shouldn't. Also, put the ground clamp as near to the welding area as possible, to keep the path to ground as short as possible.

 

Yeah that is a good question. I can tell you I do a lot of welding on cars and have never had anything to short out yet but I'm not saying it couldn't. I work at a body shop and just today I clipped a car which is cutting it in half and put a different half on and welding it back together. I've probably clipped around 15 cars and none of them had anything shorted out after I welded them back together.It would be wise to take off the battery cable.

 

Most shops I've been around remove the ground wire from the battery of a vehicle in you are welding on it.

 

i agree. good question and great heads-up for the rest of us. i am a welder in a locomotive shop and it takes several hours to unhook all of the computers on the new locomotives in order to prepare to weld on them.

it sounds like removing the battery ground is good enough, but also hook your welding ground on a good clean ground as near as possible to the weld.

but, i personally would try to completely unplug the most expensive electronics such as the CDI and display.

monty

 

how long is it going to take you to dissconnect the battery? 15 seconds? If your planning on doing any frame welds you do know when the frame is welded at the factory the frame is heat treated after the welding is complete so that the welds ending up being the same temper as the frame. If you don't know what ur doing you will weaken the frame, heating and taking the temper out if you weld on it. There are high tensel wire and welding rods that will work, but the average wire and rods you buy at ur local hardware store won't work. Welding anywhere on the frame should be done by a professional, or an expert on everything like me.

 

well, expert, the frames are NOT heat treated. they are MIG welded and sent straight to the paint shop. a good clean weld will not weaken anything. the key words are good clean weld.

monty

 

took the words right out of my mouth monty lol. thanks for all the help and responses guys..glad to know it was a good question!

 

NO ur wrong! They are heat treated, x-rayed and checked for cracks. The steel frame tubes are plane jane cold roll steel, they are bent and shaped then welded, then the whole frame is heat treated, when cooled they are x-rayed then they fit them in a jig to make sure its straight and alined. THATS A FACT,,, JACK !!!

 

Motof150, you have no idea what you are talking about. they x-ray submarine hulls and gas pipelines, not atv frames, and cold-rolled is how bar stock is made, not tubing.

monty