Hey guys, I have a 2002 F-150..its got a few boo-boos on the rear passenger door and rear body panel (not the bed.)

I need to use a stud gun to pull out the small dents.
I simply can't get anything else behind them otherwise
I would use hammer and dolley etc...

Anyway, Are there any special considerations before using a stud gun
on a newer ford?

Specifically,

Do I remove the battery negative cable?
Remove the PCM? Where is it btw? how do I disconnect it?
Are there any other sensors etc, that I would need to disconnect?

I am not working on the driver side or near
the gas tank...(the tank is nearly empty if that matters)...
only the passenger rear door and rear body corner...

thanks for any input

 

A nearly empty tank is worse than a full tank. It's the fumes that would explode, not the fuel. In any case, I would not worry about it.

Disconnect your negative battery cable if you are worried about the tiny concentrated electricity that the stud welder gives off....... it's always a good idea when you are welding anywhere on the truck.

 

Your truck is pretty much what the stud welders are primarily designed for. I don't think you'll have any problems doing the small projects that you're concerned with and I doubt you'll need to even worry about the battery.

 

NETJLR,

Have you bought a stud gun yet? If so, which one. I always see the Good, Better, Best in the ads and wonder how much difference there is for the occasional user.

Jeff in northern Wisconsin

 

I have a cheap Harbor Freight one, it works fine for the smaller and med studs. The larger 3mm lets the duty cycle show through. As long as you give ample time to cool, it works great. Now the slide hammer that comes with it is pretty much useless. Buy a good one, it cost as much as the stud welder.

 

I've had my stud welder and used for many years, and never bothered disconnecting the battery. Haven't had a problem. If using a regular welder, I do disconnect. It wouldn't take much to disconnect the negative battery cable to be extra cautious. Not really a big deal, but disconnecting the battery for a period of time, will likely clear any fault codes your computer had stored, and may run on default till its run awhile and relearns memory.