M38 Windshield bolts

radtech · Post by **radtech** » Fri Oct 06, 2017 6:49 pm

Are the GI windshield pivot bolts the same as the available repro's.Does anyone have a spare original GI bolt.The manual says 3/8x24 but a 3/8x24 bolt will not fit.The NOS bracket part number7375360 (WO-673555) 11/52

4x4M38 · Post by **4x4M38** » Fri Oct 06, 2017 8:42 pm

I know a couple of folks have had the same problem as you.

There seem to be a couple of different threads.
The plates bolt onto the cowl and it's conceivable someone
may have mixed them up.

I bought mine from Midwest Military. They fit.
If you get yours from John and they don't fit,
your plates have to be wrong.

Take care,

radtech · Post by **radtech** » Fri Oct 06, 2017 9:07 pm

The NOS GI brackets were threaded for 3/8x16 and I was able to rethread them to 3/8x 24 for the repro bolts I found.Both brackets were in the original sealed package.Both marked G740 with the correct part number.Both came from diferent sources.Both were threaded for 3/8x16 not 3/8x24.

Post by **wesk** » Fri Oct 06, 2017 10:44 pm

The two bolt holes in the brackets for mounting them to the cowl are just holes. The bolts are placed from the inside of the cowl out and the nus go on the outside. These two bolts are 5/16-18NC-2x1 and have lock washers attached under their heads.

The two pivot bolts go into the weld nut (these superseded the tapping blocks originally used) in the middle of each bracket. The weld nuts are 3/8-24NF-2.
The special shoulder bolt is 3/8-24NF-2x with a 5/8" OD x 21/64" shoulder. It uses a special flat washer & a lock washer.

RonD2 · Post by **RonD2** » Thu Aug 01, 2019 11:39 am

Hi Wes,
Can you point me to a photo of the special washer and the lock washer used on the windshield pivot bolts?

I have the dimensions from the M38 Reference Guide and the ORD9, but no photo that I can find.

Thanks for the help.

Post by **wesk** » Thu Aug 01, 2019 12:49 pm

4x4M38 · Post by **4x4M38** » Thu Aug 01, 2019 1:51 pm

Hi Wes,
Isn’t that supposed to be a “wavy” washer under the pivot bolt?

RonD2 · Post by **RonD2** » Thu Aug 01, 2019 11:06 pm

Thanks Wes! I think your last photo is of a product commonly available from India on flea-bay? While they look good and might be a good product, I don't know whether the bolts, washers. or brackets fit the M38 or not.

I believe I have correct M38 original brackets and tapping plates. I'm pretty sure I have them correctly mounted with the 5/16-inch nuts on the outside of the body through the tapping plates and pivot brackets.

What I don't think was correct were the pivot bolts that I had (see photo below). They're a regular 3/8-24 bolt through a specially machined pivot bushing (in place of and doing the exact same thing dimensionally as the correct M38 pivot bolts). I haven't been able to positively identify where these odd bushings come from as I haven't seen a photo anywhere of anything like them. If they're some rare nuggets I'd appreciate somebody telling me so I can sell them to off-set the cost of the NOS pivot bolts I bought to replace them.

The last piece of the puzzle for me is these 2 "special" washers called out on page 298 of the ORD9. I think I can say with confidence that these washer dimensions aren't common anywhere on this planet, and NOS or take-offs are even more rare. So, what to do? Improvise, overcome, adapt. And because I'm not a machinist, getting something "close" and trying to fabricate it closer is usually Plan B for me. Plan A is to try and find something so close that only Wes would know the difference

.

The ORD9 descriptions of these washers are:
G740-7375362, WO-668922, WASHER, sp, flat, S, cd-pltd, 41/64 ID, 1 OD, 0.0598 thick........and.........G503-7324848, WO-A2220, WASHER, S, 21/32 ID, 1 OD, 0.015 thick, 3/32 crown

What do I find in the local Hillman bins at my local Ace Hardware and Tractor Supply? A pretty doggone close substitute for G740-7375362:

Machine bushing, 5/8 ID (= 40/64), 1 OD, 18 gauge (= 0.048) thick.
Hillman 882801, $1.50 for a pack of 5. https://www.hillmangroup.com/us/en/Fast ... s/p/882801

I think Brian might be right about the G503 washer, 0.015 thick and a 3/32 crown (does crown mean "wavy"?). Is that a lock-washer? I can't even come close to finding that one.........(would still like to see a photo)

So, I think I'm going to use two of the Hillman 882801 on each of my new and correct NOS M38 pivot bolts for bearing surfaces, one on each side of the windshield arm. I figure with a regular pre-flight inspection program I'll discover if they're working themselves loose. Nothing a little lock-tite won't fix? And the dimensions are so close to the ORD9 that after some paint even the jeep police might not notice.

Given where this post started I had to look. I have a matched set of the slotted pivot brackets, slots slanted opposite each other, obviously one left and one right (even if I have them bolted to the wrong sides of the cowl). They're currently mounted with the high side of the slots pointing forward and the low sides pointed aft. Right or wrong, it seems to be the most logical for adjusting the clamping force and alignment of the windshield frame? Mine clamps snug and sits nice anyway. Naturally, I could be off-base....

My apology on that last. Wrong post. http://willysmjeeps.com/v2/modules.php? ... ield+pivot

Post by **wesk** » Thu Aug 01, 2019 11:24 pm

I added a third photo concentrating on the pivot bolt. Should be clear as a bell now.

RonD2 · Post by **RonD2** » Thu Aug 01, 2019 11:32 pm

Ding!

I couldn't remember that name for those spring washers --- "Belleville" !

Finding some might be another matter......

Thanks Wes!

4x4M38 · Post by **4x4M38** » Fri Aug 02, 2019 7:29 am

Ron,
I found some of the washers locally. I can’t remember where. The list available is Fastenal, Tractor Supply, Lowe’s, Home Depot and Ace Hardware.
I’ll be out today. If I run across some I’ll post. With these you don’t need Lok-tite.

Bretto had a post a couple of years ago of the proper alignment of the plates and brackets.

Take care,
Brian

RonD2 · Post by **RonD2** » Fri Aug 02, 2019 11:15 am

Thanks Brian. I'd appreciate hearing what you used and where to find some.

So far the closest I found is McMaster-Carr 9714K3, but I'm still looking.

Post by **wesk** » Fri Aug 02, 2019 11:38 am

Ron, Have you used the NSN # yet???

RonD2 · Post by **RonD2** » Fri Aug 02, 2019 11:47 am

Wes,
Yes, I did. But no joy crossing it to anything useful (other than the spec dimensions). Couldn't locate a vendor using the part numbers listed under that NSN.

4x4M38 · Post by **4x4M38** » Fri Aug 02, 2019 7:19 pm

Ron,
Lowe’s has them. Website shows 4, 6 and 8 mm
wavy washers by Hillman.

I took the bolt with me and test fitted the right one.

https://www.lowes.com/search?searchTerm ... ave+washer