Small Brass Nut Found Where Does It Go

While draining the radiator portion of the cooling system of my 1987 GTS today, I dropped the plug that drains the radiator in the channel that catches the draining coolant and discharges it through two small holes on either side. While fishing for the plug and washer in the channel below where the plug screws in I found a small brass nut. It takes a M5 0.8 screw and measures 5/16 inch diametrically across the flats. Does anyone know where it goes? The nuts on the back of the fans are all present.

 

Horn compressor mount? My car is in the shop at the moment, but I seem to recall the fasteners being pretty small, and right in the area of the radiator bleeder.

 

I'm not sure it goes to that car at all. If it does a 5mm brass nut would be electrical. There are no exhaust fasteners that small. I do not believe the heater fans use anything like that. The fuel pump uses a 5mm nut for the ground wire but Bosch uses steel there.

 

Brass is never used for general purpose fastening.

 

Hood badge nut?

 

I suppose it could be a badge fastener.

 

Hate losing my nuts!

 

I was just so thinking of something to say myself...

 

This thread title is just begging for it!

 

Yes, "On the brass monkey" came to mind

 

My bride says I lost mine too

 

For sure it's a horn compressor electrical connection nut...know how I know...I dropped mine down there next to the radiator. Yours has probably been replaced already when they dropped it...

 

The car has not been serviced by anyone but me since 1996. There have been several coolant changes and I would have noticed it by now.

The horn works and sounds as if it is located in the driver fender somewhere. What else must I remove in order to see if the compressor nut is missing? The car is on my lift and the spare tire and liner near the windshield are removed.

 

Hood badge is tight but there might be two nuts and adhesive that hold it.

 

The horn uses spade connectors. No hardware needed.

 

The 2 nuts that hold the horn compressor together may be as small as 5mm, but I don't recall them being brass. It's been a month or two since I had my compressor apart cleaning/lubricating it.

 

How do I get to it? There is a horizontal plate in front of the front wheel secured by a number of screws. Do I remove the plate to get at the compressor?

 

I'm beginning to think this may have been road trash that somehow got into the channel. There were some small pebbles in there too.

 

Don't know if the location is the same on your QV (mine is an 82 GTSi), but the compressor pump is right behind the radiator on the right side in front of the spare tire compartment. There was nothing to remove to get to my pump. 2 nuts and it comes right off.

 

Where I come from the "loose nut" always belongs behind the steering wheel.
Alden

 

Compressor is located inside the driver side fender on my 1987 GTS. Hope to get a good look at it today but I think it has spade connectors as RD indicated. If it has no nuts, I'm going to assume the brass nut was road trash.

 

It does have spade connectors for the power supply, but also has mounts to secure the thing to the frame. As Rifledriver mentioned, though, brass not used for general purpose fasteners. Which leads me to...

Stupid question: You sure it's brass and not yellow chromate plating, which was standard in these cars?

 

Mounting fasteners are not 5mm.

 

That's what I also think because it would be rather puny. And it is a 5mm .8 pitch because that is what tap fits it perfectly.

A magnet does not attract it. Here's a picture.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Now that I look at the posted picture, the color is a little off. It has more a yellow tone to it. Ruler is an inch ruler.