Hydrosolator

[Old Seer]

What is it? I'm not attempting to find out who's dumb, but this may be interesting.
You can look this up on line and find out it's particulars are more-so then I can explain. Today, no one knows what it's for, but it did have a purpose. As/when a young man I started life as an novice auto mechanic but by that time it was no longer in use. On one old time auto (still used by older floks of the time) one was installed on the exhaust system. The owner wanted it replaced along with the other exhaust pipe parts, but, they were no longer in the parts departments at that time. There weren't many parts stores then, if any, so parts mostly had to be acquired from auto dealer parts departments. I don't recall what car it was but it had to be a ford.
OK, what is it, and what's it for? If you ever  get asked about this part you'll be able to give them an answer. I'm trying to pass along some lost ancient knowledge and have a bit of fun with it. I think you'll be surprised at how obvious the use was. 

[Icarus]

Sounds like it could be a recirculating water heater used to heat the passenger compartment as needed.  The hot exhaust system could easily be utilized for that purpose.

[Kekerusey]

Looks like it's a spoof:

http://hvrfcentralcommand.bandcamp.com/album/when-cars-attack

Keke

[Old Seer]

Sounds like it could be a recirculating water heater used to heat the passenger compartment as needed.  The hot exhaust system could easily be utilized for that purpose.

The key here is 'hydro". you've detected it has something to do with water. I first seen this on TV back in the late 90's and was surprised no one knew what it was. It's an early part that got lost with time. It was technically quite useless and could be dangerous if not replaced on time. I'll wait and give more time to see if someone can figure it out.

[Recusant]

The consensus, mentioned above, appears to be that this is the equivalent of the "left-handed monkey wrench," the "board stretcher" and the "muffler bearing." It seems that Old Seer has some information to the contrary.

OK, it has to do with water. I suppose we can assume that the word is formed via hybrid etymology, because "hydro" is Greek, while "sol" is, in its various meanings, Latin. The most obvious is the root that gives us "isolation," so perhaps a valve of some sort. "Sol" in French means "the ground," so maybe something there, but I have no idea what. I don't think any clear meaning can be determined by examining the constituent parts of the word.

[Old Seer]

The consensus, mentioned above, appears to be that this is the equivalent of the "left-handed monkey wrench," the "board stretcher" and the "muffler bearing." It seems that Old Seer has some information to the contrary.

OK, it has to do with water. I suppose we can assume that the word is formed via hybrid etymology, because "hydro" is Greek, while "sol" is, in its various meanings, Latin. The most obvious is the root that gives us "isolation," so perhaps a valve of some sort. "Sol" in French means "the ground," so maybe something there, but I have no idea what. I don't think any clear meaning can be determined by examining the constituent parts of the word.

Well hell's Bell, Darn Close. As you say, take the word apart and you got it very close. So What you're saying is, water isolator. I'm surprised some other old Phogies in the world haven't settles this by now, but then again, back in the day even the floks of that time didn't know what it was for.
Here's what the parts guy told me. (It's a small addition to the exhaust pipe coming off the manifold pipe and just in front of the muffler.) It's a water well to trap condensate made from first start up before it gets into the muffler. It prime application was to keep the muffler from rusting out so soon. But there's more unintended bennies too. The mufflers in those days were quite small, about 4 inches dia. by 2 ft long. Get this---it also helped to keep the muffler from freezing up in the winter. Sounds nuts don't it. Back in the day it was known that a muffler could freeze shut and one couldn't keep the car running. Now, Again back in  the day, floks didn't travel as much as today and the trips were much shorter. Most went to the neighborhood store only a few block away as there were no super markets>. The constant starting every day didn't heat up the muffler enough to evaporate the water that collected in the muffler, and in the winter the hydrosolator wasn't effective on the short trips. Even in most cases the trips to work weren't very far---so the muffler would freeze shut after a week or so. The hydrosolator was just a short piece of pipe about 2 inches long and some had cooling fins to cool the unit. There was a small hole in the bottom that let the water drip out.
The unit was normally the first to rust out which is what made it dangerous. The small hole would get larger over time and a car idling would get plenty exhaust fumes inside. Every medium sized city had street cars and most would rather take them, because in the winter the old time cars were hard starters.
I recall as a young boy, About 4 at the time, a small bucket of lite coals from the coal furnace was put under the crank case (which I used later in life myself) and in an hour bazzzzoooom, the car started. I also remember a neighbor doing the same under the muffler.
Being the use of this device got lost in time all sort of nonsensical ideas came about. It was practically useless anyway --all one had to do was make sure the exhaust system heated enough to clear the water. But, believe it or not, gas at 10 cents a gallon was pretty expensive in those days.

[Recusant]

More or less plausible, but my skepticism holds me back from swallowing it. Not without independent corroboration, anyway. 

[xSilverPhinx]

I've never heard of a hydrosolator before, and would have said that it's basically a pompous word for the shower you take on a really hot day. Or what you would call a container for holding water.

Maybe an obscure word you would add to a poem to rhyme with others such as 'isolator'.

If a hydrosolator ever gets frozen, does it become an icesolator?

I'll shut up now.   

[Arturo]

If a hydrosolator ever gets frozen, does it become an icesolator?

Lol cool

EDIT:

[Kekerusey]

More or less plausible, but my skepticism holds me back from swallowing it. Not without independent corroboration, anyway.

I'm with you on this ... I think it's fictional.

Keke

[Dave]

Reassemble the following into a meaningful sentence:

crap, is, load, a, of, it.

[Davin]

Reminds me of the interocitor.

[Magdalena]

^^

That's  super-cali-fragilistic-expiali-interocitoro-docious!

[Old Seer]

Well, as expected everyone is having fun with this.
Be aware now-- I've put on many a muffler and---some would have a small hole in the back to drain the water from the unit, with a stamped notice---"this side down", and with an arrow, and the word--- rear. So, there is an exhaust water problem. The hole was about an eighth inch and is for the express purpose to drain water from the muffler to avoid premature rust out. I think there still are mufflers like that today.

Here's some info on exhaust moisture. If the links will work. This does not prove the hydrosolator existed but it is sound in the realm of physics.

http://honda-tech.com/forums/honda-crx-ef-civic-1988-1991-3/what-causes-excessive-moisture-exhaust-1417214/

http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=5103.0

Here's one of today type.

https://www.butlertechnik.com/installation-accessories-c63/marine-accessories-c115/eberspacher-eberspacher-or-webasto-exhaust-elbow-24mm-with-condensate-connection-251226894500-p1419