What Goes Here?

Last spring I pulled the tub off my '73 CJ5. I pulled everything off the firewall to strip the undercoating off and now I can't remember what this bolt above the battery box is for:



I would assume a battery box brace except I left them all on the battery box when I removed it.

Any help or photos is appreciated.

 

Do you have a Heater Core / Blower Fan Housing ? Some of us refer to it as the ' Banjo ' ? . I do believe that the holes are for the studs.
The one on the left is under the blue connector. The right one is the rubber hose clamp post on my '75 ?

 

There was no heater in this jeep when I got it. I took one out of my '74, I figured the holes were for the housing, I didn't see how a bolt on the engine side of the firewall would secure the heater.

I will look at the heater tomorrow and see if there is anything related to this bolt.

 

I have another ground hooked up there to the battery, but I have no idea if that's proper.

 

On my '68 (titled as a '69), there is a brace to the top of the battery hold-down bolt (the aluminum spacers on the hold-down bolts are because my new AGM battery is shorter than the original):



I don't know if that was the same in '73.

 

If I remember correctly my 74 has a little short brace from the battery hold down bolt on top of the battery over to the firewall. it is on the outside (R) bolt just under the battery hold down nut.

 

Great, thanks.
That may be the piece in the lower edge of the photo hanging on my battery hold down stud, I'll check it tomorrow.

There was no battery in this jeep when I bought it. Come to think of it, my '74 was missing the battery when I bought it too. I've never seen the correct hold down setup on one of these.

Thanks for the pic Fireball, it gives me something to work off of.

 

they are definitely for the heater box, there are 1/4-20 studs that come out of the back of the box and pass through the fire wall bulkhead in four places. there is a rubber grommet that is installed between the firewall and the heater box.

 

I appreciate the help but that's the wrong hole.

Two to three inches above that, just below the lip of the cowl, there is a bolt in my picture.
In your picture there is an empty hole.

That's the bolt I was trying to ID, that Fireball's picture showed a battery brace going to.

 

It makes my skin crawl to see un-insulated solid metal hold-down bars passing so close to both battery terminals.

 

That is why the original factory hold down plates were plastic or hard rubber coated!

 

cringed

 

One option is to replace the battery holder with the repop available for the '76-on CJ. It's mostly the same, but clamps the battery at the bottom and has a couple extra brackets you can include so it looks factory. What I did for my '75. Drill one additional hole IIRC. Picture in a few minutes when I get my shoes on and go outside.

Available lots of places https://www.morris4x4center.com/rugged-ridge-battery-tray-kit-11214-01.html

 

Eliminates the frame across the top of the battery, battery bolts, and associated hardware.

Fireball shows the correct use of the hole in question on a '73, being a place for that L-shaped bracket. The plastic spacers are something he added.

 

Thanks Tim, I was looking at the newer style of tray and wondering if all the holes would line up with the older firewall holes.

 

NP - glad I could help. Yeah, it's really close. My battery holder was falling apart. Been several years since I've done this, but I recall it was an excellent replacement.