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Dsturge Samba Member
Joined: November 03, 2013 Posts: 9 Location: Portland OR
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Posted: Thu Jun 17, 2021 9:47 am Post subject: One Minute (Nutty) Mystery |
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While driving my '65 Notchback on a particularly winding road, I felt a small thud on my shoe. I continued driving without issue and later that day, I found this odd nut on the driver's side floor mat. It's M8 thread, thin at 4mm thick, and is a 13mm hex.
For the life of me, I can't think of what a nut like this would belong to under the dash, particularly under the driver-side of the dash. A brief look up under the dash confirmed my prejudice: the nut doesn't seem to belong to anything up there but it's a rat's nest of wires and shadows and pain and a kinked neck and blurred vision, so it's hard to tell.
Weirdly, ever since that nut appeared in my life, there has been a distinct rattle near/in/above the gauges and/or steering column when going over bumps.
Evidently, that skinny yet large-thread nut belonged to something up under the dash, but I'm stumped.
Can anybody solve this nutty mystery?
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KTPhil Samba Member
Joined: April 06, 2006 Posts: 33875 Location: Conejo Valley, CA
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Posted: Thu Jun 17, 2021 12:26 pm Post subject: Re: One Minute (Nutty) Mystery |
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Radio mounting maybe?
Some early round relays screwed in to a threaded hole or maybe had a backing nut. |
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vwpieces Samba Member
Joined: March 23, 2005 Posts: 345 Location: UpHill BothWays, PA
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W1K1 Samba Member
Joined: March 04, 2004 Posts: 4894 Location: Southern AB
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Bobnotch Samba Member
Joined: July 06, 2003 Posts: 22356 Location: Kimball, Mi
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Posted: Fri Jun 18, 2021 10:29 am Post subject: Re: One Minute (Nutty) Mystery |
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W1K1 wrote: |
fresh air box mounting nut? |
That was what I was thinking, since he mentioned it hitting his shoe. That's about the only thing I can think of that's that far back on the left side and could hit your foot while driving. There should be 2 nuts on each fresh air box. They originally were stamped sheet tin nuts, so someone might have replaced them (to replace the seal). _________________ Bob 65 Notch S with Sunroof
71 Notch ...aka Krunchy; build pics here;
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=249390 -been busy working
64 T-34 Ghia...aka Wolfie, under construction... http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=412120
Tram wrote: |
"Friends are God's way of apologizing for relatives." |
Tram wrote: |
People keep confusing "restored" and "restroyed". |
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Tram Samba Socialist
Joined: May 02, 2003 Posts: 22697 Location: Still Feelin' the Bern- Once you've felt it you can't un- feel it.
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Posted: Fri Jun 18, 2021 1:42 pm Post subject: Re: One Minute (Nutty) Mystery |
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Usually, when your nuts drop on your feet it just means you're really old. _________________ Немає виправдання для війни! Я з Україною.
Bryan67 wrote: |
Just my hands. And a little lube. No tools. |
To best contact me, please use the EMAIL function in my profile |
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Dsturge Samba Member
Joined: November 03, 2013 Posts: 9 Location: Portland OR
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Posted: Sat Jun 19, 2021 6:03 pm Post subject: Re: One Minute (Nutty) Mystery |
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I believe that VWPieces has solved the mystery: locknut for fresh air levers!
I haven't torn into it yet to double-confirm (a bit of work for a single nut!), but the nut from his picture is a dead ringer and the fresh air lever is noticeably low on friction.
The nut must have landed on the radio and then jiggled over to the driver's side, fell, bounced off a few wires and made it to my foot.
Thanks guys for all the great ideas and helping solve this!
[Honorable mention goes to Tram ] |
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Bobnotch Samba Member
Joined: July 06, 2003 Posts: 22356 Location: Kimball, Mi
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Posted: Mon Jun 21, 2021 12:56 pm Post subject: Re: One Minute (Nutty) Mystery |
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Dsturge wrote: |
I believe that VWPieces has solved the mystery: locknut for fresh air levers!
I haven't torn into it yet to double-confirm (a bit of work for a single nut!), but the nut from his picture is a dead ringer and the fresh air lever is noticeably low on friction.
The nut must have landed on the radio and then jiggled over to the driver's side, fell, bounced off a few wires and made it to my foot.
Thanks guys for all the great ideas and helping solve this!
[Honorable mention goes to Tram ] |
It's quite possible that's what happened. However, I'd contort myself into the foot well on my back with a bright flashlight (torch in the UK) and shine it up at the air box corners and verify both nuts are still on. It would just cost you the time to verify they're on there. _________________ Bob 65 Notch S with Sunroof
71 Notch ...aka Krunchy; build pics here;
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=249390 -been busy working
64 T-34 Ghia...aka Wolfie, under construction... http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=412120
Tram wrote: |
"Friends are God's way of apologizing for relatives." |
Tram wrote: |
People keep confusing "restored" and "restroyed". |
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