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Timothy's Ministry
A grizzled and stooped old man once asked me, "Timothy, my boy... how does
one go about scrapping out an automobile ?" He even had the foresight to
suggest that I write up a piece on that topic and post it here.
It is a simple enough task for me, by this time, to piece out a car, but it
has taken me some time to consider how best to describe the process for the
benefit of others. I suppose the method employed would depend almost
entirely on the intended use of the pieces upon disassembly.
Now, I know for a fact that the old man referenced above intended nothing
more than to have a larger junk pile from which to draw an occasional piece
to tinker around with in some out-of-this -world contraption he might be
assembling. I understand that his family already considers his "resource
pile" to be a thing entirely out of hand and bounds.
So, I will approach this matter of auto disassembly from the perspective of
the serious scrapper/resource assimilator, rather than from the perspective
of an old man with too much time on his hands.
If the sole purpose of dismantling the car is for scrap preparation, for
sale to a scrap yard, then it is a relatively simple matter.
So far as the industry standard for prepping an auto for scrap, the above is
all that is required.
However, there are still many pieces that have considerable value to you,
whether your intent is used parts or base metals.
I remove the starter and alternator from most autos. Both have a core value
to businesses that rebuild them for sale. An older set may bring you 5-10
bucks, a later model set as much as 40.
Both are also a source of copper. You will net about 4 pounds copper between
the two. Use this option when they are obviously too far gone for reuse. The
alternator will provide about a pound of aluminum.
Another option on the alternator is to spin it with a power source, your
choice, and charge your battery bank. This is how we are currently making
our own power. We have a 165 ampere alternator that came from a scrapped
ambulance. We power it with an old 12.5 horse Wisconsin dinosaur that seems
to want to run forever... It charges quick.
I remove the catalytic converter. There are two basic types. One is filled
with beads about the size of B-Bs. The other contains a molded medium in the
shape of honeycomb. Both contain platinum. There are men who are seeking
both on a regular basis. The honeycomb type is the more valuable. I get from
5-25 bucks each. I need to look into the refining process for extracting the
platinum.
I remove the radiator(s). There are from one to many in each auto. The main
engine coolant radiator is usually made of a copper/brass combination,
though many are now being made of aluminum, a lighter, cheaper metal. The
transmission cooling radiator is almost always aluminum, as is the air
conditioning condenser. All of these contain materials which need to be
handled carefully and disposed of properly. Used transmission oil makes
great diesel fuel, with a few precautions. Antifreeze can be stored and,
upon settling, reused. We have a local mechanic who recycles air
conditioning coolant. He has the equipment to remove it as well as install
it. The heater core radiator is small, but worth a buck or two. It is mostly
yellow brass. The heater blower makes a fine blower to power the fan for
your coal burning forge. You can hook up the battery you just removed, run
for an hour or two, then recharge your battery with a couple heavy copper
lines run from the charging system in your car the next time you go for
groceries.
I generally remove the engine and transmission. Both contain oil which is of
use to us. Automatic transmissions are made of a high grade aluminum.
Standard transmissions often have a market of their own. The engine has
aluminum pistons. The carburator will be aluminum or zinc. I've even found
brass carbs. Many engines now have heavy aluminum intake manifolds and
heads.
A word on aluminum. Scrap yards want it clean, meaning free of all iron or
plastic. Most items can be stripped with some effort and hand tools. We
prefer to melt our more difficult pieces and pour the liquid aluminum into
40 pound bricks. This can also be done, and easier to boot, with lead and
zinc.
Aluminum melts at about 1300 degrees F. Lead at 600, zinc at 800, roughly.
They all make a pretty ingot. Your local scrap man will be impressed.
Cast iron engine parts and brake drums have value over and above that of
straight steel, but don't expect to get that unless you have a quantity
(several tons) and a real good repertoire with your scrap man.
Power steering pumps make great transfer pumps for viscous liquids and can
even build the required pressure for light hydraulic applications, such as a
dump bed for your pickup truck.
Car and truck springs come in two basic configurations, coil and leaf. Both
are made of high quality, high carbon steel. I have used the coil spring
stock to manufacture striking tools such as chisels and punches, as well as
knife blades and other various tools. The leaf springs could be shaped and
tempered to form springs or blades for manufacturing implements for tilling
the soil, among a host of other things.
The front axle on some late model cars might be valuable to a parts house as
many are drive axles and quite expensive. I have no experience in marketing
them, myself.
The rear axles of cars and trucks alike can be most useful in the
construction of a trailer. In the matter of a truck, most have likely seen
the little pickup bed trailers being pulled around the country behind
pickups that still have all four legs. One could also weld up a lower
trailer of the flatbed design.p>
The bed on a pickup, especially if it has a plastic liner, makes a fine
compost bin for smaller operations.
Hubcaps have a ready market, as well as a valuable metal content. Most are
nonmagnetic stainless steel. Some are magnetic stainless. Some have a zinc
casting insert. I've even come across brass hubcaps from older autos.
The hoods from cars and trucks used to serve as sleds for wintertime
downhill speed racing among the youth, but that was before OSHA came on the
scene.
Many cars and trucks have very comfortable tilting seats. Most can be
removed with little effort and make a nice recliner for Dad after hours. The
old man might take notice of this detail...
Older engines, still in serviceable condition, make great power plants.
Leave them in the chassis. Remove all the body sheet metal and you have a
complete and towable genset. With a little more ingenuity, you could have a
self-propelled. Or, remove the engine and mount it on the frame of your
choice. Gasoline engines, with some modification, can run even better on
alcohol, which can be made from anything with a starch or sugar content.
This matter, in itself, deserves a closer look.
Those same engines, with a lot less modification, will run on methane. I
won't go into detail here concerning the matter of methane production and
use. The old man had reservations about that, and I'm afraid that, with just
a little information, he might blow something up. We'll save that for a
later discussion.
A word on metals:
An auto or truck body, complete with the exception of the parts removal
required for scrapping, is currently worth from 60-120 bucks a ton,
depending on what part of the country you are in, as well the level of your
relationship to your scrap man. Go to the bigger yards and develop a good
repertoire with the buyer. Be forthright and always deliver him a quality
product. It takes time, but it pays dividends.
Steel, cut to 4 foot by 18 inch sections, free of plastic, wood, glass,
rubber, etc. is currently worth 100-175 bucks a ton, again, depending on
given factors.
Copper is worth about a dollar a pound right now, to the average seller. Up
to 35 cents more for volume suppliers, less for the unmotivated.
Brass comes in several grades, average current market being roughly 60-80
cents a pound. It needs to be free of steel screws, bolts, fittings, etc, as
well as plastic, rubber, etc.
Aluminum is at an average price of 45-55 cents. There are over twenty grades
of aluminum.
Stainless steel, the value of which is based on the nickel market, is high
right now.
Average price should be at least 50 cents a pound. That is for nonmagnetic
stainless. If a magnet sticks to it, it is considered steel.
Zinc, commonly and errantly referred to as "diecast" (a process, not a
metal) or "potmetal" (an insult if ever there was) is the metal that car
door handles, hood ornaments, most carburators and many small, chromed
gizmos in the auto industry are made of.
It has taken a 15-20 cent jump in recent months, and should be worth about
40 cents a pound. You'll be doing well to get 30 cents. Zinc is heavy, so it
adds up quick.
Lead is worth from 15 to 30 cents, depending on the honesty and marketing
skills your metals man possesses.
Copper/brass radiators follow the copper market. Currently they should be
worth 65-75 cents a pound.
If you're really interested in metals markets, here's the links.....
This pretty much concludes an abbreviated and general overview of scrapping
a car. If anyone is interested in further details or wants an overview on
scrapping other items, or just wonders what's wrong with me....please feel
free to ask.
Composting Bones |
