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The transmission tunnel is a cone-shaped formation in the front of
the floor pan. Its shape duplicates the transmission, but it is a
little bit bigger and provides about two inches of clearance around
the transmission. You won't find the transmission tunnel in front
wheel drive cars, because the transmission is on the side of the
engine completely under the hood. Only rear-wheel drive cars have
transmission tunnels.
A manual transmission tunnel has a hole in it to allow the shift
linkage to be worked from inside the car. The shifter linkage goes
through the transmission tunnel. A rubber boot on the shifter linkage
stops dirt, dust and exhaust fumes from entering the passenger
compartment. The rubber boot is mounted onto the transmission tunnel
and fastened securely around the gearshift linkage. This arrangement
is not necessary with an automatic transmission, because the shift
linkage does not usually go through the transmission tunnel. The
shift linkage in automatic transmission usually goes in front of the
firewall from the base of the steering column.
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