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(JAXAshby) wrote in message ...
I am talking about Minnesota and upper Wisconsin. I, too, saw many times a
can or two of Heet thaw out a frozen gas line.

"My advice, sir, don't forget your De-Icer" was long an advertising slogan for
Standard Oil. Eventually, all petro companies added alcohol to wintertime gas.

Ever hear of Eureka or Durrand or Lykens or Frederic or Wayzata or Plymouth or
Dinkytown?

That stuff we were always using up in Minnesota. It came in a 10 oz or
so can, it was called "Heet". The gasline between the tank and the
engine was where the water would collect and freeze. You'd dump in a
can or two of Heet, go away for awhile, then come back and start the
engine.------You know, when I think about it, that doesn't make
sense.The correct way was to dump it in when you filled your tank, but
that implies having a plan, which usually wasn't the case 40 years
ago. Does anybody know if that stuff works after the fact, that is,
will it thaw a frozen line? I'm thinking yes. I remember 40's,
possibly 50 degrees below actual, not windchill. My first car, a '56
Rambler Super Cross Country, had clear vynil plastic covering the
seats. When I sat down on it, it was so cold it didn't just crack, the
whole front seat cover shattered like glass.

I was pretty sure Heet thawed out frozen lines but it seems it must
all sink to do that and then that's all the engine would burn until it
was gone.Oh well, it worked,that's what counted.Another bit of
excitement was sliding a pan of burning fuel oil under the motor to
warm it up enough to start or thawing the houses water pipes with a
bic lighter and a can of the wifes hair spray.I grew up in
Rochester,but my ex's sister lived in Wayzata so we were there
occasionally.My grandma lived on Lake Calhoun, I spent a lot of time
there when I was young.Lived in Wis. for 13 years,some of it in
Nelson, where the Chippewa runs into the Mississippi,about 20 miles up
the Chippewa there was a town named Durand.Is that it?