Fording Plate

Cacti_Ken · Post by **Cacti_Ken** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 9:00 pm

Has anyone had a problem with the hole in a new fording plate stamped wrong? On mine the large hole that the cable goes through is about 1/8" too low comparing it to the original one that I took off.
Ken

maeserik · Post by **maeserik** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 4:16 am

I have one from John at Midwest, and the hole in the plate match perfect with the hole in the dash. I only installed the plate, the rest of the fordingkint is not installed yet, i still need the right fording cable, and this seemes hard to find .

Erik

G740 · Post by **G740** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 6:44 am

I have NOS cables in original packaging for $15.
www.midwestmil.com
John

Cacti_Ken · Post by **Cacti_Ken** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 2:52 pm

Edited:
I better clarify something, I probably came off a little irritated in my post. It does happen when something purchased doesn't fit.
So I deleted it.
The plate have wasn't stamped wrong. lt was stamped from an original plate which I was told represented the majority of the M38 dashes. Seller said I have one of the jeeps that is a little different regarding that hole in the dash. He suggested I ream out the dash or the plate so that the cable could fit thru.
I don't want to modify the hole in the dash. but may have to a little bit.
I may have to cut a little on the plate and a small amout in the dash hole to acommodate the cable.

Ken

Post by **wesk** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 11:54 pm

Ken,
Is the error causing your screw holes to not line up? If so I would solder or weld the screw holes shut and install the plate and cable then redrill the screw holes.

The plate I have here on the table is a repop and is 2.35" square. The distance from the top of the plate to the top edge of the control cable hole is 0.534". The diameter of that hole is 0.626". The mounting hole centers are 2.155" on center apart from each other along the sides.

I haven't seen any M38 dashes that have any changes in the alignment of the panel and I haven't seen but one part number for the plate in all the M38 and M38A1 ORD 7, 8, 9's through 1966.

Cacti_Ken · Post by **Cacti_Ken** » Fri Dec 15, 2006 4:26 pm

Bear with me I'm trying to post a couple photos.
The screw holes will line with out any problem, it's the large hole that is off.

OKCM38CDN · Post by **OKCM38CDN** » Fri Dec 15, 2006 6:37 pm

Ken,

Looks like your plate is a poor reproduction or that it is faulty...

The center hole should be just that centered... Sorry I had a couple of these (US ones with the patent number, the Canadian ones do not have the patent number on them) but sold them...

This is my opinion...

Post by **wesk** » Fri Dec 15, 2006 6:40 pm

The original on both my dashes match your original and the repop I have matches your repop. So my final word is repops are not correctly drilled.

Bob_C · Post by **Bob_C** » Fri Dec 15, 2006 9:16 pm

Never had any problem with mine, but I bought mine 6-8 months ago.

Dang, thats way far off. Dont redrill your dash for that peice of scrap brass.

Who was the vendor that sold this may I ask?

Cacti_Ken · Post by **Cacti_Ken** » Fri Dec 15, 2006 10:21 pm

Plate came from Rapco. He said that he was the only supplier who had the plates made. And all the other suppliers buy plates from him. He also stated that there were other individuals who have called him about the same problem. He states that he had plates made from an original plate which fits 75% of all the M38s and I happen to have one of the 25% that his plate doesn't fit. And if he had the other 25% made they would cost $25.00. He was convincing so I didn't ask for a refund nor did he offer one he only suggested that I ream out the dash to fit. so now I come here to find out what you fellas know about the paltes.

Post by **wesk** » Fri Dec 15, 2006 10:31 pm

Well let's go with a sample of our M38's. It's odd that he says 75% fit and so far we haven't found a single original M38 they fit. I'll post a pair of full actual size photos of each plate. We can all download them and print them then cut them out and cut thru to the center hole from one side so we can fit them around our fording control knobs and see which fits.

Go to my photo page and/or download the photo from here or there and adjust your printed copy so the outside dimension of the plate is 2 3/8" square.

Post by **wesk** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 1:27 pm

Well I just tried to fit the repop fording plate to the dash on my Sep 51 and May 52 dashes and it does not fit. It's large hole is an 1/8" too low.

kenperkins · Post by **kenperkins** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 4:38 pm

bought mine from the same vendor a couple of years ago. forgot about the fit issue until you brought it up. I used my dermel tool to enlarge the hole in the plate to match the dash. you don't notice the off set unless you look. guess my 22936 serial number is in that 25% range.

Post by **wesk** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 6:42 pm

Here's what it looks like on a Sep 51 and May 52 M38 dash.

Ken P's jeep is a Jun 51 and Ken S's jeep is a Oct 51 unit. So so far we have a block of M38's from Jun 1951 to May 1952 that this repop fording plate does not fit.. If I take the middle of May 1952 M38 production and subtract the middle of Jun 1951 M38 production that accounts for 45,129 M38's that most likely will not be able to use this repop fording plate. With a rough total M38 production figure of 62,300 that makes about 72% of the fleet. Ken that means your Rapco fella had it backwards. The repop plate he sells might FIT 25% of the M38's.

Cacti_Ken · Post by **Cacti_Ken** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 10:04 pm

Well I hope he's wrong when he said he was the only one having them made.

willysmjeeps.com

Fording Plate

Fording Plate

Cable