Has anyone read the book? If so, what was your impression?

I personally thought that, although he didn't mention it, it made a good case for our mechanical (1st and 2nd gen) Cummins.

 

I have not read the book but I am guessing you are referring to an EMP strike ?

 

Yep. Fictional account of how it might play out.

 

Oh yeah I love my 12 valve All you need is air, and fuel and she will run on almost anything

 

May have to push it off though, better start parking on hills.


A bunch of guys at work have read it, all say its a great book, I'm next on the list to read it so I'm looking forward to it.

 

I am in WV....hard to find a place to park that ISN'T on a hill

 

You are probably going to laugh, but this is PRECISELY why I own a 12V.

I still need to figure out an air starter though.........

 

i thought that if it wasnt on the electronics wouldnt be fried.

 

Oh I know... I'm in Southwest Va... same way here.


Rich,

Electronics don't have to be on to be fried.

A little theory behind this. To create electricity you've got a few options. The most common way is to either pass a moving conductor through a stationary magnetic field or pass a moving magnetic field through a stationary conductor. The faster you pass it through and the more intense the magnetic field the more voltage you will induce.

When a nuclear weapon is detonated it creates an electromagnetic pulse, a propagating wave of electromagnetic energy. There is your moving magnetic field.

All your electronics are filled with tiny threads of wire, the conductor. When the moving magnetic field passes through the conductor a high voltage is generated. When this happens the voltage on the conductor is high enough that the insulation around the conductor can't withstand the voltage and the conductor faults (shorts out).

That sort of EMP attack would kill most of your electronics and if intense enough kill things like starters or your home wiring.


Another sort of EMP attack will actually push the Earths magnetic field and excite large ground currents. Since we ground the power system this will end up killing transformers, generators and transmission lines.


You detonate a few nuclear weapons at high altitude and initially kill nobody or very few.


The havoc comes shortly thereafter when everything is shut down. No transportation, no food, no communication. You're instantly transported back to a technology level present in the late 1800's and early 1900's. This is something very few are prepared to deal with.

A slow painful death for many folks!

 

Too difficult. I'm designing a pull-starter- I just can't decide whether the cord should come out through the grill or fender. I'm thinking on running the plans by Hoss. I figure if he can figure out how to make a bedliner and floormats out of concrete, this'll be a cinch.

 

I'd try a pneumatic starter or something similar to a Coffman cartridge starter.

It might kill your electric motor and the power system that would power your air compressor (or the ignition on your gas powered compressor).... but the good ol bicycle pump would still fill the tank.

Use the pump to fill the tank at first then maybe you could rig up a pto driven compressor to fill an in bed tank.

You'll have to get out and push the stop solenoid in too to kill the engine.