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What is the second hole in the cowl of an M38 used for? The outermost hole is the cowl to radiator brace. The one just off center is?

Is it for a hood stay that would go into the hole in the center of the hood flange?

Tom

Bracket to hold the fording valve cables

Hi Ryan,

The bracket for the fording valves mounts under the fourth hood screw from the drivers (left) side.

The hole I have in my cowl is near the second screw from the left and it is intentional since there is a doubler plate behind it just like the radiator support holel.

The hole is not shown on page 108 of TM9-8012 but the fording cable bracket is shown

Tom

Tom,
Look closely at the outboard top of the cowl flange on both sides. You'll see two more of those holes. I believe they were there for positioning and handling of the cowl before the firewall was installed and have no post assembly functions.

Hello,

.I know what hole you are talking about. Not many M38s have this particular hole. Since I started working on my m38, and paying attention, about 4 years ago, I have not seen another with that hole you mention. I have been very curious as well. I hope you get an answer.

The answer for the extra hole near the middle of the cowl I think is in TB 9-2855-2 Gas Heater kit install. It's the resting place for the aft end of the hood support bar. The front end is mounted in the opposite radiator support ear from the grill support rod.

Makes sense! My jeep had the personnel and powerplant heaters installed at some time in its life. I found 3 different rods in the tool box. One might be the rod you reference.
Are you able to scan that picture? I don't understand the description of where it should fasten near the radiator.
Tom

I take the hood support theory back. The answer lies in the TM's. Early firewall had only one hole, the one closest to the passenger side of the cowl and the radiator brace rod went straight aft to it from the radiator as seen below in the manual illustration from the early TM 9-804.



For some reason the brace rod attachment at the firewall was changed with the late cowl as seen in the photo below from the late TM 9-8012.



Perhaps Keith B could give us some factory change data concerning the brace rod part number A1217 which doesn't change part numbers through this change but is obviously bent differently.

I know this is an older post but have there been any updates to the difference in where the rod is bent on this post. In TM-91804B page 34, fig 9, it clearly shows the bend in the rod at the hood end and in TM9-8012, page 127, fig 34 the bend is at the radiator side of the rod, whereas the parts manual, ORD9 SNL G-740 page 95, lists only 1 Rod, brace, (WO-A1217). Either manual does show it mounted not in the center most hole in the cowl but the hole offset to the drivers side, thus the need for the bend in the rod.