This will be an interesting thread moving forward......

[thepumpguysc]

I worked on one ONCE..
I had to stand in the hopper to reach the leaking inj pump..
The job looked simple enough, probably take me an hour..
By the time I was done, the soles of my shoes were MELTED.!!!

 

[sled dog]

I don't think I've ever read where someone enjoyed working on anything to do asphalt equipment. I think it's in the same category as landfill equipment. Do you have to heat up the stuck on asphalt to remove it so you can work on the machine?

Yes on the heat. Torch and scrapers. Sometimes an air hammer. Everything is a pain, BUT, nothing compared to concrete paving machines. EVERYTHING on those is air hammer...

 

[Vetech63]

I see a lot of potential problems.

1st. It looks like it has been working in the salt environment of Florida its entire life.
2nd. I see a LOT of rust forming.
3rd. I was supposed to go to the job where it was working and observe the operation. Now it is down with some type of electrical problem.

I'm wondering how much of the electrical system has been hacked. I saw 2 primary feed wires coming off the batteries in one pic.........not good. Could be for extra lighting but I doubt it.

I'll be opening ALL the electrical panels looking for corrosion...........I have a feeling I won't give this machine my blessing but we will see. The company is sending the operator with me. They are asking $230K for this machine.

 

[digger doug]

I see a lot of potential problems.

1st. It looks like it has been working in the salt environment of Florida its entire life.
2nd. I see a LOT of rust forming.
3rd. I was supposed to go to the job where it was working and observe the operation. Now it is down with some type of electrical problem.

I'm wondering how much of the electrical system has been hacked. I saw 2 primary feed wires coming off the batteries in one pic.........not good. Could be for extra lighting but I doubt it.

I'll be opening ALL the electrical panels looking for corrosion...........I have a feeling I won't give this machine my blessing but we will see. The company is sending the operator with me. They are asking $230K for this machine.

See any wire nuts ? Hacked up wiring harness, rusty, salt environment......I'll bet after you get
home, it will soon show up to the shop, the boss ignoring what you advised.
Reason ? he invested in a plane ticket (and hotel) for you and the operator, won't want to do this 3-5 more times looking for a good one.

 

[sled dog]

I think the asking price is 200K high. Now if it was a late model 2500 maybe, a 1000 no way.

 

[HarleyHappy]

I had the pleasure of running and repairing a Roadtec Grinder for a couple of years, when they first started.
Had a Cat 3406 in it and was overpowered vs the Cat 350 grinder I had run.
Had plenty of torque but man you could rip that drum up quick.
Friggin waste of 2 years of my life working 75 hours a week.
Was so good at welding by the time I got done, I could run 5/32” 7018 using high heat for welding on carbide teeth bases, all positions like it was nothing.
Finnaly quit when machine started up while I was underneath it welding, for like the third time, with the key off.
Wrapped the lead around the drum and almost killed me.
They sent out an engineer that told me it was impossible.
Just loaded up my tools and drove truck back to the shop and left it.
POS.

 

[Welder Dave]

Did you disconnect the battery before welding? Have always heard to disconnect the battery to avoid frying electrical or electronic equipment but never because it could start the engine. That's got to be scary as hell!

 

[thepumpguysc]

Funny u should mention that Dave..
I get pumps all the time, MF, Perkins mostly with the wound gov spring that’s completely fried and stretched out, due to welding on the machine w/o disconnecting the battery..
I always ask the customer if they’ve been welding on the machine..?? The look on their faces is priceless.. & the answer is always the same,
“How the he!! did you know?”..
The only thing I can figure out is, the current traveled thru the electric shut off solenoid.??

 

[Welder Dave]

My dump truck that was a former plow truck with all kinds of electronics has stickers all over warning to disconnect both battery cables before welding. When I worked at a place that built winch trucks, the new trucks had stickers to also disconnect the ECM's.

 

[Joe H]

What does the fried spring do/cause ?

Joe H

 

[thepumpguysc]

It greatly reduces the governor max rpm.. you’d be lucky to get far from low idle..

 

[Truck Shop]

Did you disconnect the battery before welding?

Good you asked that--How many times I've heard it won't make any diff--I know the circuits
ecms in a refer unit don't like it. Always disconnect.

 

[cfherrman]

I had a welder unhook battery cables on my pickup when he was welding on it and he gave me a weird look like he never does that. I just told him old truck hard to get parts

 

[Raildudes dad]

Around here we call it a Fire Station.

I worked for a county road dept for 50 years. The first 16 years I worked in the Engineering division - 30 =/- employees (BSCE 1972 Michigan Tech). I spent the next 10 years managing the Maintenance Division - the big boss just appointed me, never asked me. There I had 125 employees. I got the reputation for being for being hands on. There wasn't a job that I hadn't worked along side with the employees. Drove snow plow a time or 2 (Put one in the ditch ) I did a lot of listening and wasn't afraid "fix things".

Anyways after the 10 years, I voluntarily went back to the Engineering Division. There I didn't suggest change for the sake of change but to make things run smoother, more efficient. One day my boss walked in with a 50 year+ old, 30 inch high antique bronze fire extinguisher and antique fireman's helmet and said here you go, you're pretty good at putting fires out around here, employees, citizens, and even a few politicians.

 

[Welder Dave]

This reminds me that I need to make some handles and weld them onto the batteries cover on the grader. Not necessarily for welding but if I needed to boost it, the cover is a real pain to remove. It's made out of 1/8" plate and is a tight fit over the attached battery box. There's not much to grab onto and you need a big screwdriver or prybar to get it off. It's not as much of a pain to put back on but still a bit of a pain. Maybe I can tweak it a bit with a BFH.

 

[Vetech63]

I was taught that where the welding will occur and where the ground is attached is the most important. If you are going to do boom welding and attach the ground to a grouser pad, it will arc through every bearing and pin to make the connection. I always attach the ground on whatever I am welding if possible, or something right nearby. I will also disconnect a battery master switch if the machine is equipped with one. This may not be the proper way, but I have never lost an ECM/VCU/TCU.

Maybe one of you should start a thread about this very subject.............I'm sure I could learn something from it.

 

[HarleyHappy]

Did you disconnect the battery before welding? Have always heard to disconnect the battery to avoid frying electrical or electronic equipment but never because it could start the engine. That's got to be scary as hell!

You can’t reasonably disconnect the battery for that. You weld on one every day you run it.
You are always in a state of evolution, replacing bases and wear bars.
It has a battery disconnect for the engine but this is the grinding drum.
Yes disconnect was tripped but that doesn’t mean much on a diesel with hot cylinders. You are also underneath it with the hood up and stanchions jacked up in the back.

 

[HarleyHappy]

Yes, have to ground directly to the drum as you don’t want to arc through the drum bearings. I generally disconnect the batteries on most things I weld but certain things are just not plausible and as long as you keep your ground good and local, it’s not usually a problem but when it is, it sucks.

 

[Welder Dave]

You said it happened 3 times. Seems like after the 1st time you'd go to the trouble to disconnect the batteries. I have heard of electrical problems from welding even when the ground is attached right where the welding is taking place. Even a hot engine needs the starter to turn it over. On a machine that can kill you, it would seem the only way to be safe is to disconnect the batteries.

 

[Welder Dave]

I was taught that where the welding will occur and where the ground is attached is the most important. If you are going to do boom welding and attach the ground to a grouser pad, it will arc through every bearing and pin to make the connection. I always attach the ground on whatever I am welding if possible, or something right nearby. I will also disconnect a battery master switch if the machine is equipped with one. This may not be the proper way, but I have never lost an ECM/VCU/TCU.

Maybe one of you should start a thread about this very subject.............I'm sure I could learn something from it.

Yes, you want to have an electrical path of least resistance. However if your ground isn't absolutely perfect weird things can happen. Same thing if the electrode sticks on you. I think it could be similar to parasitic loss. Everything looks good and you can't find anything wrong yet the battery is draining over time. Usually you won't have problems but if you're welding on a machine worth 10's of thousands of $$$$$, why take the risk. It would be interesting to do some tests welding a couple feet away from a battery and welding 10 feet away. Might need some very sensitive voltage and amperage test equipment. Especially with stick welding, there can be quick voltage spikes when striking and establishing the arc. Can that voltage spike affect the electrics I'm not sure. If you went to the extreme end of things, would you do some air arcing on a machine without disconnecting the batteries? That's close to a direct short and definitely a major voltage and amperage spike when you strike an arc. Then the question arises, when do you disconnect the battery and/or other electronic components? If you need to gouge you disconnect but if you're just welding a little bracket with a 3/32" 7018 it's not worth the trouble to disconnect? I don't know all the answers but if welding on a machine could cause major electrical problems and put the machine out of commission is it worth the risk to not disconnect the battery and sensitive electronics?? Some will say it is but there are others who have found out the hard way it's not worth the risk. Most batteries can be disconnected in less than 5 minutes so I think there's also a laziness factor in some cases.