Terminal Box Wing Nut - Dropped It Story

Bob Bidonde

Bob Bidonde

Well-known member
This story is just in case this happens to you. I accidentally dropped one of the wing nuts while putting the cover back onto the terminal box. No matter how hard I contorted myself, the dropped nut was not to be seen from the engine compartment. So where did it wind up? It landed between the cylinder block and the throttle assembly. I had to take the floor out to get it. Bummer! It's made of brass, so forget about using a magnet! I used a 90 degree needle nose pliers to retrieve the nut.
 
I had that happen, I just use a low pressure compressed air to dislodge it and a shop fender cover to catch it. saved a lot of work.
 
Those "one eared" wing nuts are not so easy to manipulate. Easy to drop one. Any ideas why Ford had those made?? I haven't seen them anywhere else but a Model A.
 
Kind of obscure, but this mid-thirties motorcycle had one to hold the toolbox lid shut. (see yellow circle)

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Bob Bidonde said:
This story is just in case this happens to you. I accidentally dropped one of the wing nuts while putting the cover back onto the terminal box. No matter how hard I contorted myself, the dropped nut was not to be seen from the engine compartment. So where did it wind up? It landed between the cylinder block and the throttle assembly. I had to take the floor out to get it. Bummer! It's made of brass, so forget about using a magnet! I used a 90 degree needle nose pliers to retrieve the nut.
Click to expand...

No mirror?
 
According to a couple factory photos of firewalls in the "Judging Standards", the brass terminal box wing nuts point UP, meaning the little ball on the arm is at the top. Ya' gotta' look closely, but their orientation can be seen. Odd that the "JS" text doesn't mention which way the nuts should be installed, at least not in my printed version. Those wing nuts will do their job no matter which way they point, but why not mount them the way Ford did from the factory? Besides, to me those little wing nuts look better pointing up! :)
Marshall
 
I wonder what the designer of the A-14561-A Terminal Box was thinking when those A-21569 Special Nuts (AKA Wing Nuts) came to light on his drawing board? I also wonder why the Terminal Box A 14561-A needed an "A" Revision? Interestingly, the Special Nut A-21569-A also has a "A" Revision?

it would be fantastic if Ford's engineer's notebooks were discovered, so we could find out what they were thinking as they designed the parts of the Model A. I doubt such notebooks exist. Just wishful thinking.
 
It wouldn't surprise me at all if it came to light that those wing nuts had been made improperly by the manufacturer and Henry was able to buy tons of them CHEAP when the Model A was still on the drawing board. Heck! Two simple hex head nuts could have done the job just as well. Why invest in the extra design time, brass material, actual production and time spent on the assembly line hand screwing those two wing nuts in place when it would have been faster with ratchet and socket and cheaper using hex nuts??? Well, Henry didn't become a billionaire throwing money away. 'Must have been a good reason ($$$$$$$) for him deciding upon using those awkward, easy-to-drop and never-find-again brass wing nuts.
Marshall
 
So let me get this straight. Those of you that are down under have your nuts pointing straight up. OUCH!:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:
 
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