It looks like some kind of capacitor. It was on the lower louvered panel on the passenger side. There are 2 and one is attached to each wire going to the headlight.
Neil
1945 CCKW 353 Fire Truck to German Kfz72 Radio Van conversion. http://716heer.org
Houston Texas
That's part of the original "suppression system" for radio interference
Keep all those little doo-dads collectors such as myself are always looking for such items often missing on a "period correct restoration "
Hope this helps
John
42 Chevy G7117
44 Ford M20 armored car
44 CCKW 353 A1 660 gal Tanker
45 CCKW 353 B2 Air-portable
Ben Hur 1 ton trailer
MVPA#26900
They are not necessary for the headlights to work.
All the ground straps and filter boxes on the cowl (if you have them) are part of the supression system on the later trucks to prevent electrical noise from giving away the trucks positions or interfering with other equipment like radios etc.
That is what the "S" is in the serial number on the hood. If the truck had the supression system installed, the serial number would be: 4nnnnnnn-S
Dr Deuce Over 50,000 driven miles in a CCKW
1942 CCKW closed cab shopvan
1943 CCKW closed cab cargo w/M32 MG mount
1944 CCKW open cab LeRoi Kompressor
1944 CCKW open cab F1 Aircraft fueler tanker
1945 CCKW open cab cargo w/artic cab
1942 Chev cargo
1942 Chev K51 Panel
1944 Chev M6 Bomb Truck
1942 GPW Jeep http://home.comcast.net/~cckw/wsb/html/ ... 59870.html
Any of those filters, either the round ones or the squarish ones on the cowl and elsewhere will only do harm if they short out to ground internally with is a very rare occurence.
Unless the wire going to them is all frayed or cracked, leave them.
Dr Deuce Over 50,000 driven miles in a CCKW
1942 CCKW closed cab shopvan
1943 CCKW closed cab cargo w/M32 MG mount
1944 CCKW open cab LeRoi Kompressor
1944 CCKW open cab F1 Aircraft fueler tanker
1945 CCKW open cab cargo w/artic cab
1942 Chev cargo
1942 Chev K51 Panel
1944 Chev M6 Bomb Truck
1942 GPW Jeep http://home.comcast.net/~cckw/wsb/html/ ... 59870.html