Battery Box Cover Screw Nuts

[w30bob]

HI Guys,

I've got the battery box lid that has the 8 thumbscrews you tighten down. After installing and removing it a few times, as I restored the trays and cleaned the box, there are now 2 thumbscrews that don't catch their nuts. Looking in the holes I don't see the nuts! They didn't fall onto the floorboard and I don't know where they went. Aren't the nuts captive? Do I need to pull out the whole battery box to access them?

Thanks,
Bob

[Birdy]

Hi Bob. Im guessing it was the two nuts toward the front of the jeep and furthest to the left side (ie: the two immediately behind the engine). The firewall and battery box create a V shaped pocket behind the engine, so if the nuts cam off they would get trapped in the V. Take a look at how the firewall is curved back to allow room for the length of the engine. That is the area where the firewall basically touched the battery box. You could likely get the nuts out with a flexible magnet tool by going up under the dashboard, but there is no access to replace them.

Im thinking you will need to remove the dashboard and the battery box to get enough access to weld the nuts back on (the battery box needs to come out through the bottom).

[Joe Gopan]

They are 8 out of the WO-674350 Weld Nuts used through out the M-38A1, the early Cowl Panels had 8 welded to them for the Battery Box Lid Thumb screws. I used to buy them in bags of 100 from Jeep thru the 60's There may still be one or two in the bottom of a box containing left over NOS parts from back then.
It appears that Jeep stopped servicing the 674350 Nut it some point. Look for them in the bottom of your battery compartment or convert to the late clamp down lid.

[w30bob]

Hmmmm.........sounds like a major PITA, these nuts. I need to take a better look so I can understand what's going on.......meaning where exactly these nuts are supposed to be welded and to what. All the other 6 nuts appear "loose" in that I have to wiggle the thumbscrews back and forth to get the nuts to catch the screws.......so I'm picturing nuts that can move around a bit in a cage of some sort. The two that don't catch now are the two closest to the middle of the hood, one on each corner of the cover.

Does the later clamp on cover require any mods to the cowl to use........or does it just clamp in place of the cover I now have?

Seems every time I touch something on this ol' girl I end up having to fix something. I checked out the wiring a bit closer last night........what a freakin' mess that is!! I'll save that for another post.

Thanks again Guys!

regards,
bob

[JBizal]

Hi,
I have the correct tab nuts in stock. Give me a ring at the shop and I can explain how you can replace them.
John
MWM, Inc

[w30bob]

Thanks John........I'll call you tomorrow.

Regards,
Bob