It's the show we've waited 2 months for...the finals! Both teams have had a flawless performance, winning each of their last 2 outings. The Rocketmen powered through the water then blew the competition out of the water with their torpedo. The Miami Gearheads bridged a raging river then soared with the eagles into the finals. However, this final challenge won't be knocked down with a feather. Each team will have to reduce a 12 foot high, 100 foot long brick wall to dust. The wall is made from cinder blocks, filled with concrete and re-inforced with re-bar.
 

The Rocketmen are going to build a "normal" wrecking ball. A V8 engine will be suspended from an A-frame attached to the back of a large truck. They will raise the heavy engine with a powered winch. Everything will be positioned such that the engine will hit the wall at the bottom of it's swing for maximum destructive power (the engine will be moving the fastest at the bottom of the swing). They will have to concerned that missing the wall won't tip the truck over backwards and that their weight hits the wall with maximum power.

The Miami Gearheads are using tried (but not totally true) hydraulic power to build a muncher (sound familiar?). It will be mounted to the back of a truck and connected with pulleys so it can be lowered to bite down to the bottom of the wall. Two problems face the Gearheads. First, they will have to decide on a design and stick with it! Most importantly though, is the absolutely miserable track record of hydraulic machines in the junkyard. Three hydraulic machines have been built (a walking machine, a demolisher and a car crusher) and not a single one has been on a winning team.
 
 
 

Expert for the Miami Gearheads,  Dan Jacobson	Expert for The Rocketmen,  Tim Wilson
The Rocketmen are going with this  wrecking ball-like design	The Miami Gearheads are going to build  a hydraulic muncher
Or are the Gearheads going to build  a hydraulic wall-punching thingy?	Gearhead Frank has a truck...if he  can get it to run
The Rocketmen have their truck...	...minus the bed...
...and minus a door	The Gearheads get their truck towed,  actually pushed, back to the work area
The judge for the finals,  Ron Dokell	The Rocketmen have abandoned a V8  in favor for a series of cement weights
The Gearheads have decided to build  a machine that will push the wall down  and then poke the bottom bricks out	Cathy shows Tyler, with a series of  punches and kicks, how the machines  will work
One of the wall-pusher arms gets  welded to a hydraulic foot	Milton loves that cordless reciprocating  saw
The Rocketmen get some help lifting their  A-frame into place	Yup. A leaf-blower engine will 'lift' the  wrecking block
Uh Milton...I don't think a styrofoam  wrecking ball will work too well

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