fuel tank protector

[tuvee]

Hello,

I have just found the fuel tank protector or "driver seat shield" that was missing on my 1944's MB restoration project and I have a few questions that I hope someone could answer :
- is this part must be soldered to the seat himself ?
- if it is just screwed on the driver seat, does it go above or under it ?
- what is the size (thickness ?) of the wood part that may go under ?
- what is the difference between the "early" and the "late" one (I think I bought the late one...) and when the change appeared ?
- what are the type of bolts and washer that I need ?

Thanks a lot

Ben

[Rod Rushton]

Hello Ben
The dimentions are given in the book "All American Wonder - The Military Jeep" by Ray Cowdery with Merril M Madsen.

Have you looked on the JeepDraw website?
The back edge is bolted to the floor and the front edge is spot welded to the seat on top of the seat base where there is a recess
( although you can fix it with small nuts and bolts as the seat base cushion fastens here also) Originally it would have had self tapping screws holding the cushion down.
The piece of wood is not listed in my spare parts book,(winter 1943/4) and I have an idea it may have been deleted at some point. The protector panel is bolted to the floor with 3 - 5/16 X 18tpi Hex head set screws, and their length is not listed.The washers listed 2 special ones(?) and 1 plain, with 1 lock washer 5/16"
I imagine the wood to have been about 1/4" or 6mm hardwood or whatever the gap was - but I have no reference for that.

Here is a photo of the one I made from a spare piece of Dexion Shelving!( it was the right guage!)

Regards
RR

FUEL TANK GUARD 001.JPG (121.39 KiB) Viewed 454 times

[nick peters]

Hello
I agree with Rodneys post regarding the fuel tank shield, However I disagree with the mounting he suggests I beleive the three hex hed bolts should be 1/4"-20nc-2x1/2" as well as three 1/4" plain and three 1/4" lock washers. If its original, your body will also have the three captivated nut ready to receive those bolts. some one no doubt will confirm either way on this.
regards Nick

[Rod Rushton]

Hello
You are quite right Nick - my MD Juan body has 3 x 1/4" UNF captive nuts in the floor.
The plans call for the holes in the plate to be 1/2" - plenty of leeway there then!

I was reading from the parts book and in the seats section - 1804 - the only 3 bolts listed are as I quoted, and nowhere are there any 1/4" bolts listed.
However there are listings in the passenger seat for 4 x 1/4" x 20 unf bolts, washers and lock washers - what would these be for?

The question about the wooden fillet is still open and I have seen them fitted, but can find no details of it.

RR

[Rod Rushton]

I have just checked the JEEPDRAW site and there is a drawing of the protector.

I suggest the enquirer invests $2 in the drawing.
Also courtesy of this site is a photo:-

JEEPDRAW FUEL TANK GUARD.jpg (42.83 KiB) Viewed 414 times

Regards
RR

[nick peters]

Hey Rodney
Im surprised to read that the captivated nuts in your body are fine thread,im fairly sure that the shield bolts are course thread. I dont have my parts book to hand ,but you mention youve looked at yours in the 'seat' section. The problem with that ,is im sure the shield isnt in that section. Im sure it comes in the section for the fuel tank . The four bolts you mention ,im sure you,ll find it also lists nuts for those bolts. They,ll be for fixing the two sprung steel rear seat clips on the inner panals I think? Also got to question the mounting screws in the picture you posted. My parts book(45 issue) certainly states hex heads 1/2" means no provision for a wood strip.Is the strip an early v late thing? Certainly no wood on my 45 gpws.
regards Nick

[Rod Rushton]

Hello Nick
You are quite correct - I've just re-checked them again and they are coarse threaded. Also the fixings are listed in the fuel tank section are listed as Hex hd and parkerized 1/4" x 20NC x 1/2" - not the slot head screws shown in the photo - but there is also no mention of the wood fillet.
I guess that with a small re-design of the plate it did away with the fillet, saving Ford a few cents!

Regards
RR

[tuvee]

Hello,
Thank you Rod, Thank you Nick for your informations.
I do have 1/4 captivated nut under the floor. I don't need to make the fuel tank protector because I bought one, very nice, reproduced by Midwest Military.
My MB is a 44 one, so I guess, I don't need the small wood part ? Maybe we could compare the height of our parts to see if there is a difference on early and late MB type ?
For the welding on the seat, do I need to weld only the the right corner of the part on the tube of the seat ?
Thanks again
Regards
Ben

[Paul FitzGerald]

The wood spacer was a willys thing. Ford didn't use them. Their kick/dirt shield was a little taller. I guess almost 1/2" taller due to the angle.
The measurements are as follows. 12 7/8" long 1" wide and 3/8" thick. Three holes are 5/16" dia and the material is Oak.
Hope this helps.
Cheers
Paul

[Nikko]

Hi Nick

The bolts are corse thread 1/4" x 5/8"if i remember right
and hex head is correct

Cheers From <the North
Nikko

[tuvee]

Thank you very much for this very accurate answer, I CAN know make my Wood spacer.
Ben

[Rod Rushton]

Looking at my seat base, it would appear that the shield was spot welded across the whole length, and around the seat frame where it touched as there is a half-circular cut out at that point.
The seat base cushion would have used self - tapping screws to secure the flap through the shield and seat base much the same as the passenger side, I imagine.

Regards
RR

[tuvee]

Hello,
thank you for this information . Could it be possible to have a picture of the upper side and one of the lower side of your seat ? It would help me a lot.
Ben

[tuvee]

Hello,

I am about to built my own fuel tank protector to fit my 1944 MB, and I wish to know the size of the rectangle in the middle of this folded part.
I will be very interested if someone has an original, late one (that don't use the wood spacer).
Thanks a lot
Ben