M38A1 Battery box removal

SFCKUNERT · Post by **SFCKUNERT** » Wed Apr 30, 2014 11:05 am

Does anybody have a good picture of the battery box spot welds that need to be drilled out in order to remove the unit for repair? I don't want to make more holes than necessary.

Post by **wesk** » Wed Apr 30, 2014 11:26 am

http://www.willysmjeeps.com/v2/modules. ... _album.php

SFCKUNERT · Post by **SFCKUNERT** » Wed Apr 30, 2014 11:43 am

Thanks Wes, as always. Is there a preferred method for removal? Your pics don't show any drilled holes from removal.

Thunderbird712 · Post by **Thunderbird712** » Wed Apr 30, 2014 1:34 pm

Since it is only spot welds and not a continous weld you take a small screw driver or chisel and seperate the battery box from the raised lip of the body. I started in one corner and as you spread the two (not very much) apart you will find each spot weld to break. Keep in mind the support brackets attached to the dash and firewall are still holding the box in.

TJ

Post by **wesk** » Wed Apr 30, 2014 7:27 pm

It is always neater to drill out spot welds and this makes it easy to fill weld the new box in. Of course if you have a spot welder and like straightening what you pulled apart with a hammer and dolly then by all means just tear them apart. I believe there are also two spot welds down on the firewall.

Thunderbird712 · Post by **Thunderbird712** » Wed Apr 30, 2014 10:29 pm

If you take your time there is not really any straightening needed. Maybe I was lucky with mine. At the time I didn't have a good drill that I could get a straight shot at the welds to drill them out. That is the genesis of my suggestion. As Wes said there are neater ways.

buzzk · Post by **buzzk** » Thu May 01, 2014 9:25 am

If you go to the store and get what they call a flap disk 180 grit and put it on a drill or a angle grinder run it around the top of the outside battery box and you will see the dimmples of the spotwields spotwielder cutter can be bought at car quest you must center punch each spot wield or it will walk on you I did the one on my m38 I have a professtional miller spot wielder 220 volts with 18" tongs and it weighs 50 lbs. buzz