New Model?

Bad design? Did I hear right? Many years ago, Chuck stood beside me looking at an Oldsmobile Toronado that was perched on a lift. The tranny had fried and I had it out of the car for repair. But there was one bolt, hidden way back in a corner of the transmission case, that was tough. I knew I could get it out. But I also know now that I’d never get it back in place. The accepted fix said, “Leave it out.”
And Chuck said, “It’ll still work.., but weaker. It’s a bad design.”
The bolt, almost inaccessible once the engine and tranny were attached, could not be reinserted into the tranny case. Oh, I tried… I really, really tried.
I said, “But an engineer put it there for a reason.”
He responded caustically, “The think without it the case won’t hold for the heavy long haul. They’re gambling with the fix.”
I rebuilt the transmission, and installed the tranny without the bolt. But I often wondered about the missing part and whether I did justice to the car owner. The car never came back again, so I’ll never know.
I feel the same way lately... about decisions my church denomination has made. Gay pastors? They’ve approved doing it that way. Will it work? Maybe.., but I remember Chuck’s words about the bolt… “It’s a bad design.”
Yep, now I think the Engineer of Engineers meant well when he first created man and woman, but because we sin… things go wrong. Gay pastors? Have we taken a bolt out that we can’t put back? We try to fix the grand designs in our finite way, and maybe... just maybe, it won’t work for long. Maybe it’s time for those of us in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America to trade our wheels… for a new, better model?

Decisions, Decisions....

My daughter's car just went berserk. Like an ungrateful child sequestered in a high chair for one hundred thousand miles, almost exactly, the little blue Sunfire began to spew forth fluid from its guts. The temperature gauge rose as she drove home at three o'clock AM, from seeing the most recent segment of "Harry Potter". As I personally checked the car at a more sane time, the engine did raise its temperature within a quarter mile, and I shut it down before the needle pegged. A check of the cooling system during the subsequent afternoon revealed two cylinders puffed inadequate compression.... a blown head gasket! Aargh!
Now, since my advanced years prevent my entertaining the job myself (bending over little cars and low fenders wasn't meant for old people, let alone tall, fat old people), therefore I farmed the job to a local shop. The price.... over six hundred for a gasket replacement, and over a grand if the cylinder head is cracked. Ouch! But the alternative is trading up to a newer car and taking a hit on trade-in value. A quick perusal of the car said it is still in good condition for its age and mileage. Some basic math then took into view the proposed new car payments, greater insurance costs, and market losses due to trading a defunct vehicle... and the decision was a done deal in my mind... fix the gasket!
My daughter, however, got immediate visions of a new set of wheels.., possible a 4WD vehicle to get her through the winter snows. When quick checks of the models that were available, their prices, and their prospective fuel mileage ranges was made.., again.... the answer came out to fix the gasket! Very few, if any, 4WD vehicles are going to give her the fuel mileage the little four-banger gathers, and so far Pontiac hasn't done a swan dive as a car maker. So my sage advice to my girl has been... "Keep it and drive it 'til the wheels fall off. If ya gets stuck in the snow, call AAA" I know this won't help Detroit get through the economic recession, so I almost feel guilty. Whaddya think?

Help US automakers?

We citizens who have been champions of the free market system, and now participants in the world market, now watch as our government is asked to economically dabble in bailing out the domestic automakers. As taxpayers, we are thus viewing our Presidential taskforce being assigned to study those manufacturers whose poor economic policies and management have caused a dwindling workd market share. We might ask whether the faltering is due to shoddy economics, or shoddy manufacturing and management. We should question whether our protectionism to banks, should even enter the manufacturing realm? It seems to me that those auto manufacturing fat cats who have ridden the gravy train toward establishing overseas personal accounts and furthered development of foreign manufacturing facilities, should be held economically accountable for their self-centered ineptitude. Should free market accountiblility occur before any corporate bailout program begins. Should investigation of corporate executive pay structures and personal worth assessments be made, rather than the onus for financial failure be laid upon the back of a financially depressed citizenry. I think so! Of course. . , I could be wrong. Whaddya think?

Muddying the Waters...

AS TIME rolls along the automotive highway, we now see a veritable tromping through muddy waters as we search for new fuel sources. Yes indeed, there are new hydrocarbon based fuel sources already being tapped. But existing oil sands and most other such resources still remain in the early stages of access and development, and all still leave us with dubious carbon footprint pollution problems. This path leaves us still needing to explore pure hydrogen as a future fuel.
Along these lines, Fritz Prinz, chairman of Stanford University's mechanical engineering department, had recent conversation with MSN Autos concerning the progress of hydrogen as a viable automobile fuel. His conversation beheld. . .
"While some experts believe that battery technology could eventually provide enough efficiency to store and release solar power, Prinz sees hydrogen as a more practical solution. "Solar can only become effective and feasible once you have a parallel of energy storage." The energy produced by photovoltaic panels could be used to extract hydrogen from another renewable resource: water. Strategic placement of solar farms could limit the length and number of hydrogen pipelines. This is a relationship that Honda is already exploring, with a demonstration home in Torrance, Calif., that uses rooftop solar panels to generate hydrogen, with a refueling station located in the garage."
Thus this energy gnome states that hydrogen is still a viable power source for automobiles that is being explored by major auto makers. I argue, however, that auto industry impetus toward hydrogen-powered fuel cells in vehicles may be misplaced. Though much more efficient than a hydrogen powered piston engine, fuel cell automobiles do provide some nasty pollutants, and would seem also to foster a fairly substantial automotive upkeep industry.
Whereas, the hydrogen-powered piston engine, such as that developed by BMW in the Model 7 prototypes, uses technologies already available. And, though stated as less thermally efficient in its hydrogen fuel use, it would seem that a piston engine-equipped vehicle that is not running a carbon based fuel would provide far greater longevity provides less cost for the consumer. Hydrogen does not contain the carbon of oil-based fuels, and therefore the piston engine wear is reduced and its life span is increased. To ignore the application of hydrogen in piston engines, therefore, seems a choice mentored primarily by those who have already made monetary investments in fuel cell vehicle technology. I believe they are taking us down the wrong road to advantage their own financial ends. What do ya think?

Blessings... TeeJay

Farming Gasoline and Diesel Fuel?

A recent e-mail I recieved called an experiment to my attention that is relevant to our topic. It pointed out the work being done by a power and light company in New Mexico that has been doing some algae farming. The company had decided, because of the high cost of fuel, that it would expose algae to sunlight to attempt to produce hydrocarbons. Working with the scientific community, the work resulted in production of hydrocarbon fuels which can be tailored by algae genetics, and produced in high quantity. The hydrocarbon chains made by the genetically controlled algae can be tailored so the life form can make gasoline, diesel fuel, and other liquid hydrocarbons. The process does take its toll on the little critters, and the cultivation of them is a constant process, but favorable regeneration and container maintenance is possible at a profitable monetary rate. To produce this fuel for the entire nation, it was said, the sunlight algae farms would only need be about the one-tenth the acreage of New Mexico. Given this work then, we can foresee that these farms could be made to produce in the dry expanses of many southern U.S. states, especially in some whose economic farming infrastructure and geographical terrain make them favorable to this development. We might even replace cotton and tobacco as solitary cash crop choices! Let's see now, where, can I find some pond scum? And can they be especially bred to produce Yukon Jack whiskey?

Wind and Gas

As hurricanes have recently had their way with the southern coast of the U.S., gas prices are beginning to soar in some states. Price gouging is underway. And another page in the saga of our dependence upon foreign oil is written. What shall we do?
A recent commercial presented by T. Boone Pickens raised the flag of natural gas as a temporary cure for our liquid fuel addictions. I think he's got a solid idea with this gassy fuel. But as a society I believe we have to be careful not to consider this cure as a long term fix. As he clearly states, the change will cause us to be energy independent until a fuel such as hydrogen power is brought to bear. So, the next time you see T. Boone Pickens on the tube, listen up... and let me know what ya think! I wonder what I'll need to convert that ol' Grand Cherokee gas fuel injection to natural gas?

Slogging and Bogging Along?

A recent Newsweek article probed the depths of the oil bogs of Alberta, Canada. It seems that the recent upswing in market prices paid for a barrel of oil has made slogging through the depths of the province's oil sand bogs a very profitable venture. And, study has shown that once the oil bogs are removed in those far northern reaches, the land can be actually restored and improved in its forest producing abilities. But, whether this latter program will be scrupulously followed is tenuous, much like our own mountaintop mining of coal in the Appalachians.
According to sources, bog miners can remove the top slurry from the bog and heat squeeze a very high quality crude from the natural concoction. According to estimates, there is enough bog oil to supply the domestic oil industry of Canada and this country for many decades. As well, it has also been in the news that shale oil in Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, and North Dakota has given us our own oil reservoir that lies beneath a vast territory. This shale oil is fast becoming accessible via new drilling and retrieval methods.
The catch for us.. as I see it? First, the oil industry has not cleaned up the spew of harmful airborne emissions that come from bog refining processes. Thus high air pollution is spewing forth from the oil found in the pristine reaches of our northern neighbor. Second, although the use of this new found fuel may somewhat relieve the immediate problems of high prices at the gas pump, it will not alleviate our air pollution troubles as vehicle continue to burn hydrocarbon fuels. But know this.... pure HYDROGEN will. My fear as I sit typing is that the welcome retrieval of oil sands and shale will slow scientific and industrial research into the production of a truly adundant and clean hydrogen fuel. Whaddya think?