My on-board welder project(The Hillbuilt)

[Coppertop]

Since I started wheeling theres always been a desire to carry everything a person needs to get off the trail. Including a on-board welder ,after checking the price of a store bought one .Well lets just say I had to come up with a cheaper option..
The Hillbuilt was born.


A 130 amp alternator I picked up at U-pull &Pay for 25.00 bucks..

The custom made bracket.



The install ,removed the a/c compressor and bolted the custom made bracket to the mount.




The first weld with a set of jumper cables as the leads.. Heck it was a test couldn't believe it turned out that well.. I had one hand on the welding lead and the other on the throttle speeding up the engine for amps.


So the Hillbuilt is borned ( Trademark and patent pending)

A video to follow ..

Comments,Concerns,and input welcome.

Nick

[WrenchMonkey]

Sweet!

I know there's a way to bump up the idle, but I'll be damned if I can think how at the moment...

And I guess you have to signal the new alt when you want it to charge, right? So it doesn't run all the time?

Details, son! Details!

(Otherwise, how the hell are the rest of us supposed to infringe on your patents?!?)

Robert

[Coppertop]

Sweet!

I know there's a way to bump up the idle, but I'll be damned if I can think how at the moment...

And I guess you have to signal the new alt when you want it to charge, right? So it doesn't run all the time?

Details, son! Details!

(Otherwise, how the hell are the rest of us supposed to infringe on your patents?!?)

Robert

Yes all good questions my friend..

The throttle. I'm thinkin' bike lever shifter & cable assy.

The wiring is still work in progress. Yes it will not run all the time.. Input welcome..

Nick

[WrenchMonkey]

Did a little searchin...

Apparently, the later (post-renix) Police-issue XJ's had an "Extended Idle" switch that'd bump the idle about a grand.

Kicker is, the PCMs are all the same, so the circuitry is there. Find the right lead, ground it through a switch on the dash, and bingo.

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=35197

Post #21 is where it starts getting good...

Robert

[Coppertop]

Nice work Bud Hmm... very interesting.

Reconsidering the bike cable...

Nick

[Coppertop]

More info worth mentioning...

The alternator...
As mentioned purchased from You Pull & Pay for 25.00 bucks.
Removed from a 1998 Ford Expedition 4.6 engine.
It's a Auto Zone Reman Duralast Part# DL350-16 130 amp.

The wiring...
To get the alt to charge and/or weld I did the following.
The orange wire on the A terminal of the regulator was supplied with constant 12 volts.
The green wire on the I terminal of the regulator was supplied with 12 volts when I was ready to weld.
The output terminal for the welding lead and /or battery charging connection.
The ground lead was clamped to the alt body and to the metal being welded.

I'm thinking about making a elect box.. Guess I could buy one I have seen several different ones on other welding setups.

My goal to keep it simple and on the cheap. Out of pocket so far 35.00 Bucks

Nick

[RuffedUpXJ]

So did you just run a switch or a relay to supply the 12V to the alt. ? Also I plan on running my AC with a second alternator with a second V-belt pulley and stuffing the alt. in somewhere. Also, I like the idea of a clutch on the second alt. to reduce the load but might just make it easy to adjust for the belt and just put the belt on when I want to weld. So have you made anything to adjust the throttle position to adjust the power?

[Coppertop]

So did you just run a switch or a relay to supply the 12V to the alt. ? So have you made anything to adjust the throttle position to adjust the power?

I'm still deciding on the final switch and wiring set-up... I ran out of time to work on it this weekend .. It will be a few weeks before I'm back on the project.

I like Robert's (Wrenchmonkey) post about wiring in a high idle switch.

Nick

[kb9qdi]

Sweet.....I like it

[jfiscus]

Another idea would be to take a look at the cruise control setups on XJs & replace that cable with another "bike cable" type of setup that you could position at a certain RPM when welding was required.

[Coppertop]

Sweet.....I like it

Thanks. I'm amazed how it welds.

Another idea would be to take a look at the cruise control setups on XJs & replace that cable with another "bike cable" type of setup that you could position at a certain RPM when welding was required.

Yep, the bike cable is a great idea and I was going this route till Robert found the High Switch set-up. Good point on the bike cable allowing you to set it at certain RPMS.

Decisions,Decisions...

Nick

[WrenchMonkey]

Well, if you're going to wire a switch to engage the second alternator, you could get a double-acting switch that'd do both at once: trigger the alt and the high-idle.

In fact, I could get you a big manly one you could mount right under the hood, next to the alt, so you hook up the cables, flip the "on/off" switch, and go.

Robert

[RuffedUpXJ]

Did you just go to UPullandPay and asked what cars had a higher amp alternator? Also, I am planing the bike cable ish idea for the adjustablity.

I am putting in a control box under the hood with the switch there since I will have to hook the cables up and adjust the idle.

[Coppertop]

In fact, I could get you a big manly one you could mount right under the hood, next to the alt, so you hook up the cables, flip the "on/off" switch, and go.

Robert

Hmm. Like your thinking..If not to much trouble,maybe a pic of the switch.

Did you just go to UPullandPay and asked what cars had a higher amp alternator? Also, I am planing the bike cable ish idea for the adjustablity.

I am putting in a control box under the hood with the switch there since I will have to hook the cables up and adjust the idle.

Sorta, I went down there and checked all the fords.. Sometimes I've seen newer alts on them. Once I found the donor. I called a friend at O-Reilys he looked up the alt for that vehicle. If it's a full size with all the elect accessories, it should be a high amp alt.

Yep, My control box will be similar to yours.

Nick

[RuffedUpXJ]

Sorta, I went down there and checked all the fords.. Sometimes I've seen newer alts on them. Once I found the donor. I called a friend at O-Reilys he looked up the alt for that vehicle. If it's a full size with all the elect accessories, it should be a high amp alt.

Yep, My control box will be similar to yours.

Nick

I picked up part of my control box today from Radio Shack. I am planing on using the quick disconnect welding ends and like 20' of leads. So one thing I am thinking I will wait on is the panel gauge. I have all the wire between the Alt and control box but need leads and disco's and the stringer/clamp. So hopefully a call to a good friend will net me all of those. I guess working at a steel erection company in the summers might pay off.

I am got some work ahead of me since I am keeping my AC comp since it houses my OBA. So I haven't figured out if the battert is moving or the air box is out of the picture.