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]

Originally Posted by 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

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]

Originally Posted by RuffedUpXJ

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]

Originally Posted by kb9qdi

Sweet.....I like it

Thanks. I'm amazed how it welds.

Originally Posted by 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.

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]

Originally Posted by WrenchMonkey

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.

Originally Posted by 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.

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]

Originally Posted by Coppertop

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.

[WrenchMonkey]

Originally Posted by Coppertop

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

Something like this:



That's the idea anyway...

Ours don't have the fancy little arrow, just a white stripe...

See ya

[jfiscus]

remove the air box Nate, keep a list of what parts you buy from where, I'd like to do this asap also. Do a cowl snorkle intake, that's what I'm doing next, that'll free up all your air box room.

[RuffedUpXJ]

Yeah thats what I saw and thinking I will be doing. i am adding a pully to the PS pulley so I can run the alt of of that with a V-belt

[jfiscus]

With adding an extra pully it would be a good time to convert to dual electric fans to relieve some of the stress on the system by removing the fan clutch. I've seen a few in person now that run dual electric OEM fans with no issues.
get ahold of me sometime & we'll do these projects. My garage is wide open now that I got the old CJ out so plenty of room for whatever ideas we come up with.

[RuffedUpXJ]

Yeah i planned to take that thing off since I have never had a shroud for it anyways. Right now we are still unwedding-ing and trying to get the house back to normal. Doesn't help my contract job ends in at the end of the year and the old lady was laid off 2 weeks before the wedding. Anyways enough of that.

Anymore test with this Weldernator?

[Coppertop]

Thanks for the pic Robert.. I hope to get some time next week to check on the elect box. May try and stop at Radio Shack tonight.

Nick

[RuffedUpXJ]

Originally Posted by Coppertop

Thanks for the pic Robert.. I hope to get some time next week to check on the elect box. May try and stop at Radio Shack tonight.

Nick

I hit up Radio Shack for a "Project Box", two switches, two fuse holders, and a LED yesterday and also got a 110V plug from the depot.

This is how my control box is looking right now:

[Coppertop]

Nice job RuffedUpXj... What your cost in your elect box?

Nick

[RuffedUpXJ]

Originally Posted by Coppertop

Nice job RuffedUpXj... What your cost in your elect box?

Nick

It's like $18 right now and then when I add the welding disconnects it will almost double. But its nice and contained so no water or Haspin dirt inside.

Now its alt. and welding leads with stinger and ground. So the big bucks are left. I plan to head to UPullandPay and look at some Fords with accessories and hopefully a Cronw Vic since they are 130 amp with the Police Option that could have 180 amp.

[maddhatter]

Very cool set up. Nice work.



What welding rods should be used?