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How to remove the M38a1 battery box?

Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2011 3:43 pm
by Balvar24
I've pulled everything out of my battery box (bottom, trays, etc.) How do you get the box itself out. I'm tearing the body down and I need to get at the area behind the battery box where the hood hindge bolts to peck a dent out. Thanks guys.

Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2011 4:19 pm
by idiocrates
I had the same problem.......there is a U shaped bracket between the firewall and the front of the battery box....mine was held in by four bolts into the firewall and four bolts into the battery box....so for starters you at least have to take four out from either the front or the rear of the bracket. Then there are four additional bolts towards the inboard end of the battery box that bolt directly into the firewall....these will have to be removed as well. Next there are two L shaped brackets between the rear face of the battery box and the dash.....I removed these brackets entirely but you could get the battery box out by only removing four from each bracket...either vertical ones or horizontal ones. Then comes the fun part....the box is spot welded into the cowl all around the lip where the lid clamps down. As instructed by Mr. Knettle I drilled all these welds out with an 1/8" drill bit.....and, if you find them all the first time.....congratulations....the box will fall right out. If you're more like me.....you'll wind up with some holes where there were no spot welds...and miss some where there are. Eventually, I can confirm....the box will fall right out. Good luck.....hope that helps.

Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2011 4:51 pm
by Balvar24
Thanks. Sounds like I'm down to the spot welds.

Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2011 8:14 pm
by wesk
Image
You can see the light spots inside the box caused by the light shining thru the very small holes left when I chiseled thru each of the spot welds. Note the pattern is not exactly uniform.