Iced up

[ArgyBargy]

Left the old Walrus outside last night, so greeted by nice frosty saddle this morning. Left home with the fuel light on, so when I got to the garage, It was nearly empty and I had to fill up. However....
Any tips for de-icing a frozen fuel cap lock??? The barrell was solid, and the key would only go in 1/2 way. It took half an hour of fiddling about with a combination of a lighter and a tub of windscreen de-icer fluid and much key wiggling before it let go.

So, what to do to stop it happening again? I thought of packing the lock with vaseline (ooer matron) or something. What do you reckon?

A little note about modern filling stations - they sell more stuff for drivers than their cars! I suppose it is a sign of the reliability of modern cars that they sell virtually nothing of any use to those of us who need something in an emergency. No lock de-icers for example, but plenty of pies. I suppose I could have super heated a pasty and sat it on the lock for 5 minutes to thaw it out.

 

[Greg Masters]

Any tips for de-icing a frozen fuel cap lock???

It took half an hour of fiddling about with a .... lighter ..... before it let go.

Personally, I wouldn't make a habit of that!!!!



Greg

 

[andrew taylor]

Have you tried lock de-icer?

 

[Steve Chip]

Warm the key on the cylinders?

 

[mpriestley]

piss on the lock...

 

[Deak]

Spray WD40 into the lock mechanism with the red pipe attachment supplied with the can. It disperses moisture so there wont be any water left in there to freeze. Repeat every week or so.

 

[(RIP) maverick]

Get some lighter fluid pour it over the petrol cap then try the lighter

OR SAFER ALTERNATIVE

go to www.bike-covers.com and get one these lovely bike covers that should prevent the serious icing that have occured on your bike

Cheers


ps. Don't sit on your bike while checking/filling up your tank by candle light dude!

 

[turbine_2]

Used to get that with my old FJ. Slowly pouring a hot cup of coffee in the lock would often allow me to at least unlock the tank and fill up again but I could never really stop it from frosting up with anything. Closest I got was using an air hose to blow out as much moisture as I could and then vaseline.

 

[Keith Chapman]

A similar idea to Dirks, move the bike away from the pumps and using a lighter heat up your key, then use that to defrost the lock.

That is how I got into my garage this morning.

Keep the lighter fluid in the lighter it is safer than pouring it onto your tank

 

[Burfcontrol]

Personal experience tells me pissing on the lock works. At least on old Cortinas anyway! probably wouldn't go down too well on the local garage forecourt though.
Also agree with the WD40 route, I do it religously every weekend and never had a problem on car or bike since the urea cortina.

 

[Hedgehog]

NOT LIKE THIS.....

OK, confession time.

Winter of '79 (probably) was desperately cold in my native North-East area. Temperature never got above -5 for over a fortnight at one point, night-time temps. of -27 caused problems all over the place, including my garage - or to be more accurate, my car's locking petrol-cap. I had been running back and forwards to work all week with a diminishing supply of petrol in the tank, being unable to remove the (deeply-frozen) cap.

The situation came to a head one night when returning from work with the needle firmly on 'Empty' for over 20 miles. This was it. Unless I managed to remove the cap from the tank tonight, I wouldn't get to work in the morning. The situation was so desperate that I parked the car in the garage, shut the door and promptly forgot about it until after coming home from the pub in the early hours. Funny how things come back to you when you're pissed?

Realising that something had to be done NOW, I opened the garage door and started trying to insert the key in the petrol cap, in the forlorn hope that the damn thing might have defrosted in the warm (-2) garage. No chance!

Seeking inspiration, I found some lock de-icer and gave the keyhole a squirt. Nothing. Another squirt. Zilch. In fact, it seemed to making matters worse, with the key refusing to enter the lock-barrel at all. Hmmmm.....what next?

A can of WD40 (almost in its entirety) was despatched into the lock to no avail. Cup of coffee and fag needed. Retire to the house and sit in kitchen to consider the situation. Warm the fingers on the coffee cup.

Warmth!!! Aha...that's what it needs.

Back to the garage. Warm the key with me lighter until finger burns and insert into lock. Nowt. Do it again until finger blisters. Nowt. B()ll()cks!! Hair dryer???? Naaah, if I go upstairs now and wake herself up, rutting about for her hair dryer at 1:30am there'll be hell to pay. What else can provide heat?

Look around garage........Ronson butane blowtorch.......of course, why didn't I think of this half an hour ago?

You think I'm joking.......light the blowtorch (garage door shut, bedroom above!) and warm the petrol cap gently, ignoring the small flames coming off the remains of the WD40.

Realisation dawned like a thunderbolt from above. WHAT THE H3LL ARE YOU DOING WAVING A BLOWTORCH AROUND THE PETROL CAP??????

Turn the thing off pronto, hands shaking like a leaf at the utter stupidity of what I had just done. Retire (again) to the kitchen for another fag and a large shot of whisky to calm the nerves.

Panic over, return to the garage and try the lock. Success!!

Conclusion 1.
I'll never be as lucky again.

Conclusion 2.
Stupidity rules, OK?

Sorry Littlered but it was so good it had to be retold

 

[Jimb]

Don't leave it outside without a cover on.

 

[Panzer Patrol]

Little Red Rooster and I go back a long way. Trust me when I say this.... its all true! and.... he has probably done worse things than that!! Never a dull moment, especially if ale is in the equation.

 

[MikeO]

Had almost the same problem a couple of years ago on my Pan (sorry Tim). Got to the pumps and couldn't turn the ignition key off as it was frozen on. Got a cup of hot water from the guy behind the till - problem solved.....

Mike

 

[GEOFFREY DEACON]

You have heard the song about a hole in my bucket??>

Try a few drops of petrol in the lock, it can work.

But Don`t put water based drinks near it, =worse next time.

silicon grease does It for me when freed off, (the lock that Is )

 

[Madmountainman]

Open the flap...















Bend over the hole and get real close...




















Get a good seal with your lips...




















and blow!...




















It's amazing what a bit of warm air'll do!

 

[Fanum]

'HelMMMmmmmmHmeemHmmmstuckmm'

'I'm sorry sir, can i help you?'

'HelpMMMmmmmmHmeemHmmmstuckmm'

'I'm sorry sir, with your lips stuck to your petrol tank i can't understand you!'

'Hmmmhmmmfukkhmmmmgethmmmmmeehmoffmm'

ter

Sorry MMMan.....that image just tickles me hehehe

 

[ArgyBargy]

sound advice chaps.
Put a blanket over the poor old dear last night. It looked like a forlorn horse stuck in its lonely field by its heartless owner. Still, no frosty seat this morning.

Bike camping outside due to builders not vacating newly built de-lux garage. I think they are going to have to put up with it going back in coz I'm getting fed up with a frozen arrse!

The hot key got the key in the lock, and the de-icer (eventually) freed up the barrel. Copius WD40 in situ.

Bejazus it's been cold this week.