M38 Battery Box lid on Cowl. Screws are frozen

[ColKilgore2860]

I am disassembling my M38 for stripping and paint. So far, everything has come unbolted or unscrewed, thanks to liberal amounts of wD-40 and some patience. I hit a roadblock with the two big slotted screws that hold the hinged lid for the battery box on the cowl in front of the passenger. The screws look like they should come out easily, but they are not budging. I am thinking I might end up having to grind them off,then see what is left for my vice-grips to hold. What do they screw into? If nuts, under the dash, it looks like it could be hard to reach, but not impossible. If there is a permanent plate or something that is attached to the body, I would have to go down the road where I could make a mess. I thought about heating it up, but with all the surrounding sheet metal, I worry that I might, again, screw something up. I checked Ryan Miller's book, which is a godsend, and maybe I just didn't see that section, but I am at a loss, and want to be as cautious as I can. Anybody have the/an answer?
Thanks[/b]

[wesk]

I am reasonably sure they used two weld nuts. If the screws are just turning then the weld nuts have broken their welds. If the screws simply will not turn at all then you have serious corrosion issue.

I would locate the widest slotted screw driver bit that will still fit the slot in the screw head. Insert the bit only in the screw head and strike it a few times with an 8 oz. ballpean hammer. Then with the bit attached to a handbrace (speed handle) try to break the screw loose. If it still won't budge, try heating it until it glows red and use the bit and handbrace (speed Handle) again.


Slotted screw bit.


Handbrace or speed handle

[MarkR1951M38]

My cowl battery box lid has Dzus fasteners. A slotted screw type fastener that twists to lock down. There is a wire that the dzus fastener screws onto....not nut to say. Same fasteners that hold the instrument panel onto the dash.

[wesk]

Dzus fasteners to keep the lid close. Two 1/4-20 screws to fasten the lid to the cowl. Based on his post he is struggling with the two hinge screws.

[Mike_B]

Try PB Blaster or Kroil as penetrates, I have way better luck with them than WD-40.

Soak them and then tap them with a hammer 6 or 8 times and come back tomorrow and do it again...after about 3-4 day of this then try to tighten and then loosen and see if that works...if not repeat soaking and tapping.

If that fails, weld a nut on top of the screws, the heat from the weld should free it up.

Good luck!

Mike B

[Eades]

A big fan of Kroil as PB Blaster is inferior in loosening up corrosion. WD is so light its for water displacement.