im going to weld a new exhaust mount on my truck, we just got a welder so im not totally familiar with the whole routine. should i unhook my battery or anything before starting?

 

I would definitely unhook the battery. If you don't you could damage your ECM (Electronic Control Module).

 

if youre just starting out i would definitley get some scrap pieces and get a feel for the settings. i wouldnt want to 'learn' on my trucks exhaust.

 

well ive already practiced. and its only a mount, nothing fancy

 

I've never seen anyone (professionals) ever unhook the battery. They just clamp to the frame closest to the welding spot and tack away.

 

Well ill just give you some advice and you can decide. First its not just a mount and if you wanna do it right grind where you are gonna weld that mount and grind where you are gonna put the ground. Make sure the ground is within 3 feet of welding and attached to the rail you are welding on. This will minimize the risk of destroying the trucks computer. If you want to better your chances of not destroying the computer then disconnect the battery. I personally have never fried my ECM in any of the vehicles that I work on, I know people that have.

After welding make sure you put a good durable coating on it. Since its under the truck i would suggest rubberized undercoating or something that is that durable. Especially since you are in Canada.

Enjoy the welding!

 

k i just welded it..
see the thing is i couldnt get my truck close enough to the welder to get the ground really close to the spot where i wanted to weld.. so i connected the ground to the passenger side of the frame rail, and i was working on the driver side.
but anyways it worked and nothing is fried