Date: Wed, 9 Dec 2009 17:19:36 -0600
Reply-To: John Rodgers <inua@CHARTER.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: John Rodgers <inua@CHARTER.NET>
Subject: Re: Keeping things from freezing shut
In-Reply-To: <9A2A6955-5067-41C3-9391-13C9E78C5B2A@kippert.com>
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Don't use graphite, silicone and all that stuff they sell you in your
locks and places. It gunks them up and they don't work well or at all.
To remove water to prevent freezing - spray/wash/drown the area with
alcohol. Alcohol itself is an anti-freeze, and it will absorb the water,
and prevent it from freezing as well. Thento remove the water saturated
alcohol - just let it evaporate - or speed evaporation by a few minutes
hit with hot air from a heat gun - not to hot - it will evaporate
quickly - taking the water with it. I prefer using regular denatured
alcohol. Be judicious about the application however - some types of
surfaces do not like alcohol.- might soften in contact, but for most
applications it's safe enough. It's a trick I learned living 30 years in
Alaska. The period of freeze-up in the fall, and the beginning of spring
thaw was when freezing doors, locks, wiper blades freezing down, etc,
were most aggravating.
One more thing - Alaskans for the most part leave their vehicles outside
in winter. The constant going in and out of garages makes for a daily
freeze-thaw cycle and by the time you get out of the garage in the
morning when the locks and doors work in the warm garage air - and park
outside for the day - the vehicle is totally frozen by time to go home.
Windows won't work, door locks won't work - heck, you can't even get
your door to catch, much less lock - so chechakos (Alaskan sourdough
term for newbies, greenhorns, and tinhorns) will ride home holding the
door closed with one hand, and a blast of frigid air blowing in around
the unclosed door. Such unpleasantness is un-necessary.
Airlines de-ice with hot glycol, you can get ANTI icing just using
denatured alcohol from the hardware store - or in a pinch - the alcohol
from your medicine cabinet at home.
John Rodgers
Clayartist and Moldmaker
88'GL VW Bus Driver
Chelsea, AL
Http://www.moldhaus.com
Mark A Kippert wrote:
> It was 46 degrees F when I woke up in Indy this morning and it had
> rained all night. The weatherman indicated that it would drop down to
> low 20s by evening. This is sure to freeze my doors shut like the old
> man's Oldsmobile ("That son of a b**** would freeze up in the middle
> of summer on the equator!").
>
> Last year the van froze up under similar conditions. Couldn't unlock
> the doors and when I finally got a key to turn they were frozen shut.
> So this morning I applied a liberal coat of Armor All to all the door
> seals and shot some lube into all the keyholes. We'll see how
> effective this is when I leave work this evening.
>
> Mark K
> 1986 GL/2WD/4SPD
>
>
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