Battery Box Drain Line Routing And Size/Type Hose

[madmike]

I just pulled the battery trays out of my 1961 M38A1 and found a copper connector loose in the bottom. It's obviously the drain hose connector but it's not obvious what the routing was. My trays, as found, were installed so that the drains were in a diagonal from each other and to the outside of each tray. I do not find a picture of the routing or type of hose in the ordinace manuals. The remnant of hose I have appears to be a very thin rubber hose. If it exits below the battery box and into the engine compartment via the firewall, it would seem to need a preshaped bend in it to direct it to ground. Am I looking at this correctly and is there data on the routing of these hoses and their size/type?

[Cacti_Ken]

There is a battery drain hole in the box and firewall on my M38. I don't know how the battery box is on the M38A1, but the drain hose is senseless on the M38 because the bottom box cover is open on two corners. The box isn't totally sealed. any water is gonna run out the corners onto the floor.

[wesk]

Mike,
You figured it out correctly all by your self. Midwest Military was toying with the idea of making the overboard drain hose. Check with John. It is a thin wall rubber hose.


The hoses use the two large holes in this view of the front side of the box.



Corrected from M170 firewall photo to M38A1 firewall photo

[OKCM38CDN]

The purpose of the battery drains was to route acid overflow out of the box onto the ground to prevent damage to the battery box... not to drain water...

If the drains were in place then there would be minimal damage to your battery boxes an floors due to that acid that always seems to leak out of the battery...

Hope this helps...

[wesk]

I assumed all here were aware the large outer battery box was never meant to contain anything. If you look closer at the trays inside you will see the leakage from the battery is directed from the battery to the tray to the drain hose and not into the box.

[madmike]

Thanks everyone. This mostly clears it up and I will be calling Midwest and update this post on what I find out. But...and there is always a but....the picture Wes sent shows drain hoses, plural, coming out of the firewall where two holes like heater hose holes would be. The tee I found would connect the two trays and then exit out one hole, if what I have is stock.

Wes......do you think the hoses are separated? I thought the one larger hole in the firewall above the ones you pointed out might be the exit point.

[wesk]

My BAD on the above photo which I corrected was a M170 firewall. See A1 firewall below. I am still looking for a photo I had of the hoses under the battery box. Tqo hoses from tray drains to short metal tubes, then two short steel tubes and a steel "T" and then one rubber hose overboard through the small hole as shown.

[madmike]

I spoke with John at Midwest Military re: the possible reproduction of the battery tray hoses. Sadley, it ain't gonna happen. Each hose is a different molded shape and length and the original material was acid resistant and thin walled. Too expensive to set up.

I seem to recall some thin wall rubber tubing coming off air conditioning systems at the firewall to drain water. It was molded into a right angle also. It would not be acid resistant but maybe would look okay cosmetically. Of course I cannot recall WHERE and WHAT vehicle I saw this on and the stuff would likely not be available anyway. For now, I guess we are out of luck on this one.

[wesk]

This posting has aged a bit and lost connections with photos. Here's a link to Chris' album where he details the m38A1 boxes and hoses very well:
http://www.willysmjeeps.com/v2/modules. ... _album.php

[w30bob]

Thanks Wes......you're timing is excellent, as I'm working on my battery box now and couldn't figure out the draining scheme.

regards,
bob