BELL HOUSING DRAIN PLUG BAG

1952 - 1968, M38A1, M170, questions, discussions, regarding anything related to the M38a1 series.
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BELL HOUSING DRAIN PLUG BAG

Post by Joe Gopan » Wed Mar 29, 2017 3:30 pm

When your M-38A1 was new, the Bell Housing Drain Plug was stored in the Glove Box in an approximately 2" X 3" Manilla envelope with some printing identifying the drain plug. Some M-38A1 Drain Plugs were in a white with red drawstring bag with a cardboard tag sewn to the bottom.
It was a rare find but some stayed with the Jeeps until the Jeep was disposed of at DRMO.
The plugs I found were Square headed steel with 1/8" Pipe Thread.
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Re: BELL HOUSING DRAIN PLUG BAG

Post by wilfreeman » Sat Apr 29, 2017 4:12 pm

My '64 USMC has a little cap screwed to the middle of the glove box door that the fording plug screws into. I didn't even notice it until another USMC owner asked me if mine had the cap in place. Was this a "factory" Kaiser installation or a universal USMC mod?

Also, the shifter has a piece of pipe with a door hasp welded to it and a matching piece on the dash. I have seen the same mod on many USMC "contract" 'a1s. It looks like a "bubba" mod, but surely there weren't that many bubbas out there with the exact same idea!
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Re: BELL HOUSING DRAIN PLUG BAG

Post by Joe Gopan » Sat Apr 29, 2017 5:40 pm

I just peeked at my bible, W-1143, non illustrated Parts List for the M-38A1. Looked in stowage section and flywheel housing section. Nothing.
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Re: BELL HOUSING DRAIN PLUG BAG

Post by wilfreeman » Sat Apr 29, 2017 6:03 pm

Hmm - makes you wonder

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Re: BELL HOUSING DRAIN PLUG BAG

Post by Joe Gopan » Sun Apr 30, 2017 4:31 am

My guess is that that a resourceful US Marine's idea caught on. The USMC got a lot of fording practice that the Army did not and this was a more secure way to store the bell housing drain plug.
Factory catalog W-1143 is dated 1962. It has no illustrations but lists parts not found in ORD 8 or 9 and the 34P. It is my M-38A1 catalog of choice.
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Re: BELL HOUSING DRAIN PLUG BAG

Post by Vanguard6 » Sun Apr 30, 2017 10:30 am

The cap did make the drain plug more accessible during fording operations.
The "Bubba Fix," is an anti theft device so that the gear shift cannot be taken out of gear when parked. This was a unit echelon fix some had chains welded to the dash secured with a padlock. Not pretty but worked. Hope this helped.
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Re: BELL HOUSING DRAIN PLUG BAG

Post by wilfreeman » Sun Apr 30, 2017 11:06 am

Thanks guys. Yeah, my US Army 'A1 has the chain under the dash as did the vehicles in my unit in the Army for padlocks - I figured the hasp was for the same purpose. Since it is not factory looking quality work I guessed it was done at the unit level. I have seen a few of them with the same mod (in the same year range), so that's why I had the question.

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Re: BELL HOUSING DRAIN PLUG BAG

Post by w30bob » Thu May 11, 2017 3:13 pm

Ben,

Is this the bag you're referring to? If you want some let me know..........I'll send them to you. I work on a Navy base and we got tons of 'em.

regards,
bob

Image

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Re: BELL HOUSING DRAIN PLUG BAG

Post by Joe Gopan » Thu May 11, 2017 4:48 pm

Close enough. I might even buy some from you.
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Re: BELL HOUSING DRAIN PLUG BAG

Post by Zane Gross » Mon Sep 04, 2017 11:47 am

Joel, you sure it's 1/8th?? I've tried about 3 bellhousings and 2 glovebox doors with pipe cap holders and all mine are 1/4" npt the fitting plugs for the top where the brass 90's go for the fording lines are 1/8th npt but not the bottom drain it's bigger.
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Re: BELL HOUSING DRAIN PLUG BAG

Post by Joe Gopan » Thu Sep 07, 2017 5:27 am

Just looked, all my bell housing drains are 1/8" PIPE, Check out the Part No's 103865 and G-1038779. G-103877 supercedes 103865.
Same plug used in crankcase oil galleys. This is from ORD9 SNL G-758. Am looking for the bag or envelope to store in my MD Glove Box.
2011 MVPA PIONEER AWARD - MVPA #1064
HONOR GRAD-WHEELED VEHICLE MECHANIC SCHOOL 1960 - US ARMY ORDNANCE SCHOOL(MACHINIST) ABERDEEN PG 1962 - O-1 BIRD DOG CREWCHIEF - 300,000+TROUBLE FREE M-38A1 MILES
LIFE MEMBER AM LEGION-40/8-DAV
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Re: BELL HOUSING DRAIN PLUG BAG

Post by Zane Gross » Thu Sep 07, 2017 8:36 am

Image

Image

These are 1/4" on an original m170 usmc glove box door, the 1/4" also fit the bell housing.
AKA : " The Jeep Czar"

43' Ford Gpw
45' willys MB (currently under restoration)
51' M38 , m100 trailer
53' M38A1
62' M38A1
61' M151 , m416 trailer
84' m1009 blazer
53' m43
53' Dodge M37
48' Cj2A
51' Cj3A
54' Cj3B, 60' cj3b
62' M170

Joe Gopan
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Re: BELL HOUSING DRAIN PLUG BAG

Post by Joe Gopan » Thu Sep 07, 2017 11:06 am

What if I remind you that the threads for 1/8" Pipe are measured like the following. Measure the diameter of the thread and subtract 1/4". You end up with 1/8" Pipe. :wink:
2011 MVPA PIONEER AWARD - MVPA #1064
HONOR GRAD-WHEELED VEHICLE MECHANIC SCHOOL 1960 - US ARMY ORDNANCE SCHOOL(MACHINIST) ABERDEEN PG 1962 - O-1 BIRD DOG CREWCHIEF - 300,000+TROUBLE FREE M-38A1 MILES
LIFE MEMBER AM LEGION-40/8-DAV
7 MIL SPEC MAINTAINED MV'S
COL. BRUNO BROOKS (ARMY MOTORS) IS MY HERO

Joe Gopan
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Re: BELL HOUSING DRAIN PLUG BAG

Post by Joe Gopan » Thu Sep 20, 2018 10:45 am

Gotta have that bag if if you want to be M-38/M-38A1 correct.
2011 MVPA PIONEER AWARD - MVPA #1064
HONOR GRAD-WHEELED VEHICLE MECHANIC SCHOOL 1960 - US ARMY ORDNANCE SCHOOL(MACHINIST) ABERDEEN PG 1962 - O-1 BIRD DOG CREWCHIEF - 300,000+TROUBLE FREE M-38A1 MILES
LIFE MEMBER AM LEGION-40/8-DAV
7 MIL SPEC MAINTAINED MV'S
COL. BRUNO BROOKS (ARMY MOTORS) IS MY HERO

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Re: BELL HOUSING DRAIN PLUG BAG

Post by Joe Gopan » Tue May 12, 2020 1:09 pm

How many M-Series JEEP owners discovered a Bellhousing Drain Plug in the Glove Box?
2011 MVPA PIONEER AWARD - MVPA #1064
HONOR GRAD-WHEELED VEHICLE MECHANIC SCHOOL 1960 - US ARMY ORDNANCE SCHOOL(MACHINIST) ABERDEEN PG 1962 - O-1 BIRD DOG CREWCHIEF - 300,000+TROUBLE FREE M-38A1 MILES
LIFE MEMBER AM LEGION-40/8-DAV
7 MIL SPEC MAINTAINED MV'S
COL. BRUNO BROOKS (ARMY MOTORS) IS MY HERO


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