'Clunker Bomb'

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Aug 1, 2009 | 02:32 AM

Club Wagon

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'Clunker Bomb'

Still hoping to find just the right Club Wagon to put on the road & am eager to get rid of my '98 F150 w/only13,XXX miles on it. Was watching ABC News report on the Cash For Clunkers Program & saw what looked like a fine looking red Club Wagon Chateau being traded in. Moments later ABC introduced me to the 'Clunker Bomb Engine Grenade'. I hadn't fully appreciated the Fed's desire to take Gas Guzzlers off the road for good & never asked what becomes of Program trade ins.

Now I know. They drain the oil & pour in 'Clunker Bomb' - sodium silicate. Then run the motor until its toast! Still don't know if any parts can be recycled at all. Presume its like the destruction of USPS JEEP vehicles, where they have to be crushed w/o recycling any component parts.

Aug 1, 2009 | 06:20 PM

howeyman09

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Sodium silicate, eh? I was wondering what was in that stuff. That would definitely f up an engine; when sodium silicate is heated (Around 100C), it turns into silica gel, the hard stuff that comes in little white packets that you find in new clothes. I don't think it reacts with metal, so I guess it might be possible to clean it off. If I remember I think you can dissolve the stuff with methanol, but a good strong acid would probably work too. Some tests would have to be done to see what could really be salvaged...

Aug 2, 2009 | 02:26 PM

Club Wagon

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Yup, sodium silicate is interesting stuff. Old timers called it water glass. Definitely would bring motors to a stop if poured in the crankcase.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_silicate

Still find something abhorrent about destroying anything still useful to others that might need it, in the name of Going Green & I'm a Tree Hugging Environmentalist. IMO you can't usually Go Green by intentionally destroying stuff on a massive scale. I advocate Recycling & cringed at the thought of a potentially very nice Club Wagon Chateau being unneccessarily destroyed.

Aug 2, 2009 | 03:21 PM

howeyman09

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I do agree with you that it seems kind of stupid to destroy a perfectly working vehicle, but I think the whole program is for the "greater good" in mind, that is, getting more fuel efficient vehicles on the road and lower America's overall carbon emissions. If the cars didn't get destroyed, there would simply be more cars on the road and cancel out any benefits the fuel efficient cars would provide. It's a purely voluntary program, too. I mean it's not like the gov't is seizing your old vehicles from you and shoving $4500 in you wallet. It's a person's own property; if they want to destroy it that's their own choice (Even if it does seem a bit selfish, I bet you there's plenty of folks out there stuck with some thirsty tanks that can't afford anything better).

They're foolish to think that they're gonna get my I-6 any time soon

Heh I bet you'd need 20 gallons of that stuff to kill a 300.

Aug 2, 2009 | 10:28 PM

rebocardo

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> you can't usually Go Green by intentionally destroying stuff on a massive scale

I agree

> It's a person's own property

But, the government is borrowing that $4500, with interest, from China to give to people "free". At least the junkers could have been sold overseas and some of the money recouped.

Aug 2, 2009 | 11:15 PM

Club Wagon

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Sorry, but it looks like you'd lose that bet. 'Clunker Bomb' instructions claim that 2 quarts, just enough to circulate from the oil pan, is usually enough to kill an engine in less than 15 minutes. Apparently much less than 15 minutes in many cases, depends if the engine is hot or cold when you add the 'Engine Grenade'.

Quote:

Originally Posted by howeyman09

I bet you'd need 20 gallons of that stuff to kill a 300.

Read it & weep:

http://www.castlepackspower.com/Catalog/ClunkerBomb/

Aug 3, 2009 | 07:10 PM

howeyman09

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Poor attempt at humor on my part, I guess.

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Aug 9, 2009 | 08:25 AM

Club Wagon

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Subsequent news reports on the 'Clunker Program' indicate that only a very short list of parts are legal to be sold as used parts. Components like the stereo. radiator, AC condensor, wheels & tires were mentioned. No motor accessories, so all the starters, alternators, etc are scrap metal. I'd have to presume that all kinds of violations are occurring, from intact vehicles not being treated to a "Clunker Bomb" & being resold, to forbidden components being resold.

Its really a shame that during a depression the Fed is running a multibillion dollar Give Away to citizens economically secure enough they can consider buying a new vehicle. The crashing economy is forcing many off the road. Many Americans will never buy a new vehicle. Some of the 'Clunkers' are in much better shape than some vehicles on the road.

Sorry, but I don't agree with the billions for bankers while my hometown evicted homeless squatters from a 'tent city'.

Aug 9, 2009 | 01:08 PM

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Dannym

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Club Wagon

Its really a shame that during a depression the Fed is running a multibillion dollar Give Away to citizens economically secure enough they can consider buying a new vehicle. The crashing economy is forcing many off the road. Many Americans will never buy a new vehicle. Some of the 'Clunkers' are in much better shape than some vehicles on the road.

Sorry, but I don't agree with the billions for bankers while my hometown evicted homeless squatters from a 'tent city'.

Well, it's actually paying off big time. The auto industry and dealerships are experiencing a huge boom in a time of bust. I wish the fuel standards were tougher, there were more reuse than simply crushing, and for a more accurate definition of a "clunker". A problem is that it's not very simple to judge a vehicle's value. For example, a van may only get 15mpg but that's how you transport windshields. A 30 mpg sedan sounds twice as efficient on paper but if it can't do the job it's worthless. If we crush all the vans, small businesses will have trouble getting work done. They used to be able to buy old work vans for $2000-$3000, and there were plenty of cheap junkyard parts for anything busted. Now they could be stuck for $20k or more for new ones which they don't need to be new. And the new ones aren't much more efficient than old ones unless you get a Dodge Sprinter, to the tune of $40k!