--- roger lodge <rogerlodge8@xxxxxxxxx> wrote: > Hi all, > I looked all around > for the nut and I assume it fell into the hole that goes into the floor. Anyway, if I happen NOT to find it again, my > question > is what would happen? WHERE does the hole go? When > driving it I feel warm air coming out from the hole, > and I don't beleive it's exhaust fumes. Do you still have the flexible boot around the shifter? if not, the heat you're feeling is coming from the trans and engine, blowing up thru the opening. The ONLY thing keeping exhaust fumes and outside air out of your car at the shifter is the flexible boot...THAT'S ALL. If you don't have it installed, you've got a big hole in the floor ( legally ) > Will a lost nut in this hole destroy my tranny if I > shift out of park or is the gear box still sealed? Think about it....wouldnt' the oil come out of the transmission if it wasn't sealed, but had an open top? Yes, the trans is sealed, your nut won't fall in it. The nut COULD get jammed into the linkage or break something, though, if it fell into the wrong tight spot, so you might want to look around for it UNDER the car, or down the opening in the floor with a bright light. I assume your Dad said it "got loose" over time, so the nut could still be in the vicinity if the car wasn't driven, just idled in place. YOu'll have to jack up the car, put on jackstands for safety, and look underneath the trans for it. Being a shifter nut, it's probably a big one, and would be fairly easy to find again. > Where does the warm air come from? Please help me > understand my vehicle... The warm air flows under your car due to your radiator fan blowing engine heat back, so it will enter naturally anywhere it can...a floor opening is a natural, because heat rises, and your trans tunnel funnels the heat down the middle of the car when it's running and the fan is blowing. Bet the heat doesn't enter as much when the car is cut off, does it? That's why you have a boot over the hole, to keep heat, road water, and other debris from being thrown up and into the hole. you won't smell exhaust fumes unless you have a leak, though, so you're just getting engine heat coming thru. Hope that helps you out. Another way to understand it is to have someone shine a POWERFUL light under the car at night, while you look down the hole from inside...you'll see the light, and understand the reason for the boot. The trans is just in a tunnel,and you can't see the road as it's in the way, but it IS open to the outside at this point. Good luck finding your nut. - Jerry in Virginia - > > Hoping to be ready for the snow (4x4).... > > -Chris (PITTSBURGH >LANCASTER , PA) > > > > __________________________________ > Do you Yahoo!? > Y! Messenger - Communicate in real time. Download > now. > > http://messenger.yahoo.com > > > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com