Ok, this is Gould/ITE panel installed in '79. The silver tab behind is a plastic mount/isolater with the plastic threads stripped out. That is why it could not be bolted back with the existing hardware. Now that the semester is over the panel will be de-energized and everything bolted and nutted back in place.
The neutral bar is indeed floating and functioning. It was also in direct contact with the dead front so if the paint was to wear off there would a parallel bond in violation of NEC (250.30 I think).
[This message has been edited by VAElec (edited 12-21-2006).]
