Posted on 01/08/2014 1:52:01 PM PST by ZirconEncrustedTweezers
Yesterday I could start the minivan, but couldn’t shift it out of Park.
Oddly enough, charcoal fires, lighting fluid, boiling water, and blow torches, all of which were available, did not occur to me. It took 45 minutes of running the engine before it would shift.
Now blow dryers and heating pads are entering my mind as possiblities, but I am not sure where I would put them, or that it would be a good idea with the engine running.
I paid a guy 6 incandescent 100 watt bulbs to plow my driveway this afternoon.
I’m setting up an ad hoc black market at my house, too.
In Obamatopia, light bulbs are currency.
I once watched a guy on a ladder attempt to remove, with an acetylene torch, the icicles hanging down from his gutters. Set the whole roof on fire.
Not that hard to install yourself. I did it my cars, and I’m not exactly a whiz with car mechanics. Works great though. But let’s say I was extremely happy when I moved into a residence with a garage. Even unheated garages, like mine, will keep your engine block warm enough to start on subzero mornings.
My dad too. He had a torch that could attach to a small LPGas tank. You could aim the flame right on the oil pan.
At first glance, I thought it said “warn instead of warm”. Good thing I looked again. : )
Herb Brooks did that once. Set his house on fire.
Great. Now we’re going to have ‘warning labels’ on bags of charcoal for the stupid...
Frankly, I’m surprised lighters don’t have warning labels that say “Caution: May start fire when operated”
Great statement by the Chief.
“Well, it worked for Germans outside of Moscow in winter of 1941”...
Even with the warnings (in English and Spanish) on the bag.
There’s a roach-coach BBQ rib guy here that rides around with live charcoal in a similar rig. The smell when mixed with exhaust from the 1982 van is quite intoxicating.
Hopefully it wasn't a Freeper. There was thread the other day suggesting taking the battery inside and also doing the charcoal thing to start diesel powered cars in extremely cold weather.
Another Obama voter.
I have done this before with no troubles, the emphasis is on the small.
I had an older Dodge van, which would not start in the cold. I put three charcoal briquettes in a small stainless steel dog food bowl, covered with lighter fluid and started. When the flames got down I would push the bowl under the engine and go inside for coffee. In 20 minutes, the engine would always start.
No more than 3 briquettes, and all is well. Too many and the car is toast.
What is "Accid Anal Prev. 1995 Feb;27(1):73-87."
And how does one accidentally get acid in their.... never mind
I don't know, but those look like metatags for search engines, such as for "accident, analysis and prevention". Just a guess.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.