Picture yourself sitting at your campsite, kickin' back a cool one. Birds are singing, crickets chirping, and the air is clean and fresh. This is what it's all about. Getting back to nature. Out there with the flora and fauna, far removed from the hustle and bustle of city life. Night falls, and you decide to pack it in early. It's going to be a long walk out. Your truck won't be going far with that kind of damage. "One of these days", you think, "I'm getting an on board welder......" Once considered a luxury item for the off-road crowd, on-board welders have hit the mainstream in a big way. Trails like the Rubicon, Sledgehammer, Jackhammer and the like have quickly "put the hurtin'" on even the most well built rigs, and as a result word has spread far and wide that on-board welding capability is a pre-requisite for a well equipped trail rig. The ability to repair a cracked frame, spring hanger, etc. can often mean the difference between a minor inconvenience, and a ruined weekend. Racers too have discovered the benefits of equipping their chase vehicles with mobile welders. Getting a chase truck to a disabled vehicle is far easier, and faster than a tow to the pits. Once on scene, the ability to repair major breakage in the field can easily mean the difference between a trophy and a DNF. Light, simple, and efficient, portable welders are a valuable tool in the racers arsenal, and thanks to their affordability, they're accassable to even low buget teams. Once you've weighed the options and decided to bite the upgrade bullet, the question becomes "Which welder to buy"? With several brands on the market, and each claiming to be the best, the potential customer can easily become confused. Which is more reliable? Which is more powerful? Which is more versitile? And of course, there's the question of price..... Mobile Welding & Power of San Diego CA. believe they have the answer you're looking for - "The Mobi Weld PowerStation". Background Information Mobi Weld was invented by a Swiss engineer who wanted a product free from the problems associated with capacitor / solenoid welding technology. As a result, the Mobi Weld unit was designed with state of the art transformers and solid state technology, putting it in a class with first rate shop welders like Miller and Lincoln. The push for reliability also carries over into the Mobi Weld's power source. The Mobi Weld system uses standard Bosch alternator (available in 3 amperage ratings). The reason for using the Bosch over a modified Delco was four fold. First, Bosch rates their alternators "hot" what that means in simple terms is that a 90 amp Bosch puts out a consistent 90 amps, hot, cold, or anywhere in-between. The modified Delco alternators used in several portable welding applications carry higher amp ratings, but are measured "cold". As temps rise, the modified Delco will drop it's output considerably. Second, the modified Delcos are being pushed to generate considerably more amperage than their cooling system was designed to handle. As a result, they are prone to early failure, and high replacement costs. Third, in the case of a dead short, the alternator "self saturates", protecting itself from damage. Lastly, Bosch alternators are sold the world over, and since the alternator components are stock, you have access to replacement parts and services just about anywhere you're likely to be. That reliability has led to the Mobi Weld system being corporate approved by the engineering departments of both Kawasaki USA and Textron; manufacturer of Cushman utility vehicles, E-Z-GO turf vehicles, Jacobsen and Ransomes professional turf-care equipment, Citation Jets and Bell Helicopters. Mobi Weld has also seen heavy use by the Malaysian military, and numerous African safari vehicles. With a 10 year reputation for quality in the overseas markets and South America, The Mobi Weld unit has come stateside to go head to head with Linc-Arc, Premier and others for the hearts and minds of the American off-road marketplace. Portable Welding - And More! Combining the functionality of an arc welder, power generator, and battery boost / charger, the Mobi Weld PowerStation is available in 3 performance levels, tailoring the product to the needs of the consumer. 55 amp Alternator / 120 amp Welder 3000 Watt power Generator 100% Duty Cycle 110V DC Current 90 amp Alternator / 180 amp Welder 3000 Watt power Generator 100% Duty Cycle 110V DC Current 140 amp Alternator / 250 amp Alternator 5000 Watt power Generator 100% Duty Cycle 110V DC Current While the high frequency DC current supplied my the Mobi Weld can run any electrical universal motor (including those using carbon brushes), such as grinders, drills, saws, and even items like hotplates, blenders and coffee pots, there is a limit to what it will power. Items using capacitors or induction motors (like TV's, computers, fluorescent lights, and many compressors) are not compatible with it's output. None the less, the broad range of items compatible with the Mobi Weld open up a world of opportunities for the outdoor Recreationalist. Product Evaluation Part 1 Off-Road.com was chosen to put the the Mobi Weld 90/180 amp "Professional" model through it's paces under a variety of real world conditions. The test mule of choice was "Project PreRocker", a 1986 Ford Ranger ST/X equipped with a stock charging system. In order to guard against electrical failure, PreRocker had it's wiring checked, and a fresh battery installed prior to the installation of the Mobi Weld system. On the outside chance that things go sour, the unit features a 5 / 2 year warranty on the power box / alternator, and a 30 Day Money Back Satisfaction Guarantee. The Mobi Weld comes out of its well packed box ready to install, and with most of it's wiring already in place. Included in the kit are... New Unmodified Bosch Alternator Mobi Weld Power Generator Mounting Brackets (if available) Set of #4 Welding Cables with top quality Tweco Welding Plugs, Tweco Stinger, Tweco Ground Clamp, and Battery Terminal Clamp Speed Setting Throttle Technical and Wiring Diagrams Booklet The Process Begins The Mobi Weld unit comes with clear, easy to understand instructions, but it must be noted that one should have an understanding of automotive electronics. A competent shadetree mechanic will be able to do a complete installation within 4-6 hours. Mobi Weld provides a tech support line, and stands ready to offer assistance, and help you through any difficulties you may encounter. Another consideration of the installation is that your vehicle likely did not come with a Bosch alternator. This will intimidate many would-be installers, as it looks like nothing lines up. Well, it doesn't, but that's far from an insurmountable problem. Mobi Weld has brackets available for a variety of vehicles, and if you happen to own one that hasn't made their list yet (like ours), modification or fabrication of the bracketry is also within the range of the average mechanic. If this sounds like more of a job than you want to handle, you should have the work done by a professional installer. As the underhood area of the Ranger is tightly packed, the "piggybacking" of the Bosch into the stock system (in a dual alternator set up) was not an option. However the 90 amps of power generated by the Bosch is nothing to sneeze at, and improves on the stock system by over 30%. The second consideration was where to place the head unit. Because of the cramped quarters, it was determined that something had to go (I.E. Be relocated), and the logical choice was the radiator "catch can" / windshield washer fluid reservoir. With that out of the way, a nice area opened up on the inner fenderwell directly behind the driver side headlight. Installation Installation began with a cleaning of the engine bay, followed by disconnecting the battery. We then removed the air filter housing / ducting assembly to ease the access to the stock alternator. Now with room to work, we went about removing the stock alternator. Since the Motorcraft uses a plug in harness, the plug was simply unsnapped, and the harness relocate safely out of the way. After un-bolting and removing the stock unit, we set the Bosch in place for a trial fit. Because the Bosch has a completely different housing than the Motorcraft, big changes were in order. While the lower mount will work with the inclusion of a spacer, the upper bracket needed replacement. Whereas the Motorcraft places its mounting holes at the 2 and 6 o'clock positions, the Bosch is arranged in a 6 & 12 o'clock pattern. With the top bracket now too short, we were left with 2 options. Fabricate a new bracket, or hit the junk pile to see what might turn up. Fortunately for us, we found an alternator bracket from a Ford 390 FE engine that was just what the doctor ordered. With some cleanup work, the bracket made for a perfect fit, saving us the time and effort of fabricating a replacement. Second on the list of mods was slightly enlarging the lower mounting hole on the Bosch to allow for fittiment of the larger diameter Ford mounting bolt. Using a drill press and the proper bit, we carefully bored the hole to it's proper dimensions. From this point, bolting up the alternator was standard procedure. With alignment checked and the Bosch bolted into place, work moved to the opposite side of the truck, determining placement of the head unit and secure placement of the mounting bracket. Since Project PreRocker sees a lot of high speed desert use, the last thing we wanted was to loose an expensive piece of equipment due to shoddy mounting. Conveniently, the inner fenderwell provided an ideal solution, matching the bracket perfectly. With the bracket in place, the unit sits at a 90 deg. angle, and is protected from the elements by the trucks body contours. Now that the 2 major components are in place, the next step is to find a home for the Rectifier, and the 56 ohm / 10W resistor. Mobi Weld provides an abundance of wire, ensuring you'll be able to mount these items in convenient areas. While Mobi Weld recommends that the rectifier near the battery and with it's exposed terminals clear of metal bodywork and other conductive materials, we were forced by space constraints to mount it on the inner fenderwell behind the power box. The resistor was located on the inner fenderwell, beside the starter solenoid. The last of the "hard parts" to be installed is a throttle position lever. Consisting of 2 mounting brackets, a bicycle shift lever, and a cable clamp, this simple system has long been used by rockcrawlers to maintain steady RPM in rugged terrain. We chose to mount the lever underhood, making sure that nothing could inadvertently catch it, and send us for a wild, uncontrolled ride. Mounting the cable to the throttle arm was a straightforward operation, following the mounting points of the stock throttle cable. This operation is critical for safety. DO NOT cut corners! With everything bolted down tight, it was time to start wiring the unit to the vehicle. Electronics Mobi Weld seems to have gone above and beyond in trying to make their instructions clear and easy to understand. Regardless, as stated earlier, you should have an understanding of automotive electronics before proceeding, or have on hand someone who does. MW = "Mobi Weld" powerbox Connect the Blue wire MW to the Blue wire on the resistor Connect the Yellow wire MW to the Yellow wire on the resistor Connect the wire from "12V on /0V off" to the yellow to yellow connection (above). Aside from following Mobi Weld's instructions, our biggest challenge came in tracing down a "12 volt on / 0 volt off wire". Once we had found the little bugger, thanks to a digital multimeter (don't leave home without it!), the wiring was correctly routed, and secured to avoid unwanted movement. Connect thick red cable from the positive terminal of the rectifier to the positive battery terminal Reconnect the battery Use a multimeter to verify that the alternator is charging at between 13.4V and 14.7V Congratulations! You've just installed the Mobi Weld! With the original alternator harness bypassed, you may or may not wish to trace the wires down and permanently remove them from the vehicle. Optionally, you may tape the wires off and secure them, in case you revert to the stock system at some point. Product Evaluation Part 2 - Welding With the Mobi Weld unit properly installed, wiring secured, and throttle lever double checked, we began putting the welder to the test. For general purpose usage, Mobi Weld recommends a 6011 electrode, but the unit will accept a variety of electrodes up to 1/8 in. Plugging the leads (welding cables) in to the powerbox is a simple 1/4 turn affair, making connection a snap. The 20 foot leads themselves, provide a great range of movement and flexibility, allowing you to easily get to the work to be done. The Tweco stinger (electrode holder) is a high quality unit, and provides a firm grip on the stick from nearly any angle. The ground clamp however left a little to be desired. While the Tweco ground clamp was blessed with a strong spring, it's lightweight construction can allow it to heat up quickly, and it's small contact area will erode over time, causing a loss of ground. We'd like to see a better clamp, but for occasional users, it will perform well. First Impressions After firing up the truck and setting RPM to 2000, I ran several beads on some 1/8 in. scrap steel. The Mobi Weld strikes an arc with almost ridiculous ease, building confidence in the user from the get go. After playing around a while and getting used to the feel of the welder, I moved on to butt and corner welds. Again, the Mobi Weld proved it's ease of use, laying down good beads, with excellent penetration. Our test project for the Mobi Weld was the mounting of a battery tray for the ORC Rail. Built of 1/8 in. mild steel, the tray was to be attached to both 3/16" flat stock and .095 wall tubing. After test fitting, we prepared the joining surfaces for for a combination of butt, corner and lap welds. After starting the truck and bringing the engine up to 2500 RPM, the Mobi Weld made short work of the project, holding a solid arc and providing quality welds. Because of the location of the tray in relation to the chassis work, we were at times restricted to tight quarters, yet the ease of striking the arc, combined with it's solid continuity made the job go relatively painlessly. Conclusion Since installing the Mobi Weld PowerStation, we've welded up bumpers, brackets, and posts, powered Makita grinders, boosted batteries, and generally had a grand old time with not a problem to report. After getting used to having this capability on-board and ready to go at a moments notice, it's hard to imagine going back to off-roading without it. The unit has taken the beating of desert running without a whimper. Repeated harsh bumps, washboard roads, and a steady diet of dust have had no adverse effects on it. Whenever it's been needed, it's never let us down. If you're tired of envying your friends welder equipped rigs, perhaps it's time to take the plunge and get a Mobi Weld PowerStation. No, it doesn't come in chrome, no it won't improve your articulation, and no it won't improve your rig's appearance....until you really need it. Then, my fellow four-wheeler, it's gonna' look like heaven. Mobile Welding & Power, Inc. 805 Niantic Court, San Diego, CA 92109 (619) 488-2305, (FAX) 488-9878, (800) 991-WELD http://www.mobiweld.com info@mobiweld.com

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