The Road Not Taken (2x07)
To delay soldiers pursuing him, MacGyver burns a string dipped in kerosene attached to a tin can. The resulting flame is bright enough to look like a fuse for a bomb, and the can is filled with animal fat which resembles an explosive.
When he needs to throw off some pursuers in the jungle, MacGyver builds a tree-based catapult to throw stones, and puts a light-based fuse on it. First he pulls four flimsy trees together and bends them down to the ground. He routes them under a solid tree branch and ties them together with a thin vine. Then he sets down his friend's rosary to refract sunlight onto the thin vine, creating a fuse. He stakes the thin vine into the ground with a good knot on a pointed stick, and attaches the pockets from his jacket (filled with rocks) to the tree trunks.
MacGyver creates a rocket-propelled flare out of bamboo, fertilizer, matches, a strip of cloth, a small tin can, a thin metal rod, a funnel, and a wooden spoon. The fertilizer has nitrates, which is the explosive. He packs the fertilizer in the bottom of the bamboo, then the matches, then the tin can which is itself packed with the cloth with a strip hanging out. He ties the spoon onto the side of the rocket with the metal rod used as a guide within the bamboo tube. The funnel is attached to the top of the rocket, to contain the explosion. The strip of cloth serves as the fuse, and then matches as the igniter. MacGyver sets the entire apparatus in a fireplace, where he lights the fuse and lets the rocket take off.
Eagles (2x08)
MacGyver destroys a building with a propane tank, a grindstone, and some ball bearings. He lets the gas from the tank loose and switches on the grindstone. From outside, he shoots the ball bearings into the building at the grindstone. Although he doesn't hit the grindstone, the bad guy he is after shoots a crossbow into the building, and does hit the grind stone. A spark ignites the gas, and the building is destroyed.
MacGyver builds an incubator for eagle eggs with padding from a chair and vegetable oil. He says that "the oil combines with the fibers in the padding to create a low level spontaneous combustion," generating heat.
Silent World (2x09)
MacGyver builds a time-delayed device to pull a switch out of water using plastic bags, sticks, and fishing line. He fills the two bags with equal amounts of water, and ties them to a straight stick. He balances the stick on a fulcrum made of two other sticks, and then attaches a fishing line from one water bag to the switch. He pokes a hole in that bag, letting the water slowly drain out, eventually making the whole apparatus tilt and pull the switch.
Three For the Road (2x10)
MacGyver fixes a broken fuel line with a ball point pen. The fuel line has a hole in it, so he cuts out the section with the hole completely. He then joins the two loose ends by sliding them over a portion of a disassembled ball point pen so they form a seal. The fuel flows through the hollow pen housing.
MacGyver builds a mortar out of a muffler, a small amount of gas, stuffing from a seat cushion, and a steering wheel knob to stop pursuers. He bends the end of the muffler, to contain the explosion, and stuffs seat cushion material into the bent end. He then pours gas on top of that, and finally packs in the steering wheel knob, which serves as the projectile. He pokes a hole in the bent end of the muffler and stuffs in a short length of cushion material, to provide a fuse. He lights it, aims, and shoots the knob at a chasing car.
To stun intruders, MacGyver rigs a circuit to blast a car horn when a door is opened. He connects a car battery to a car horn, with a metallic door handle acting as the switch. When the door is opened, the circuit is closed, the horn sounds, and the intruders are stunned.
Phoenix Under Siege (2x11)
MacGyver moves a New York lock from the opposite side of a door with an electromagnet. To build the magnet, he uses two 12-volt batteries as his power source, a sink faucet as the metal rod, and some copper cabling to wind around the faucet. He connects everything, and slides the lock out of place.
Family Matter (2x12)
MacGyver busts open a steel window covering with some rope and a donkey engine. A donkey engine is a device used in the logging industry to move fallen trees. Part of the engine includes a belt that goes around a cylinder, which MacGyver replaces with a rope. He ties the opposite end of the rope to a steel bar that he slits between the crossbars on the window covering. Through the rope, at the end next to the engine, he splices a thin metal cable which he attaches to the ignition switch. That lets him wait next to the window, and when he's ready, turn on the engine by tugging the rope.
To throw his opponents off balance, MacGyver builds bombs out of swamp gas, bamboo shoots, and mud. MacGyver cuts several bamboo shoots, each just past the natural solid disc that is in bamboo every few feet. The disc, patched with mud, makes one solid end, and the other open end he puts just under the surface of the swamp water. He lets the gas build up inside the shoot for a little while, then caps it off with a wad of mud and a leaf. When he's ready to detonate the bombs, he lights the leaf, and eventually the gas explodes.
Soft Touch (2x13)
MacGyver breaks a padlock with magnesium alloy fragments, an iron pipe, some cloth, and a match. First he rolls up the cloth to fit snugly into the pipe, and pushes it down a few inches to make a stop. He gets the magnesium from the spokes of a wheelchair's lower wheel and stuffs it on top of the cloth, and then covers that with another cloth. He wedges the pipe into the end of the padlock and lights the cloth on fire, causing the iron to heat up and expand. As it expands, it weakens and finally breaks the lock.
Birth Day (2x14)
MacGyver creates a distress beacon out of a sail bag, marine signal flags, helium gas, and water. The point is to get help from someone far away, so he needs to send the flags their way. He first soaks the sail bag in water to make its surface less porous, so that it will retain helium gas. He then fills the bag with gas and seals it with a string. Dangling from the string, he attaches the signal flags - four in total, one for each letter of the word help.
Pirates (2x15)
In a rare unsuccessful MacGyverism, MacGyver fails to blow open a hatch with a bilge pump, a hose, and a dock buoy. MacGyver is stuck in the bilge of a ship that is taking on water. He has the idea that he can blow open the locked hatch by overfilling a buoy with water until it explodes. He pokes a hole in the buoy, inserts a tube, connects the end to the bilge pump, and fastens the buoy to the hatch with an angle brace. Unfortunately the buoy tears instead of exploding, causing the water to spill out and defeating the MacGyverism. MacGyver escapes from the predicament by finding a nearby tank of compressed gas and knocking open the valve, sending it shooting up through the hatch, blasting it open.
MacGyver safely detonates a land mine with a piece of string. The land mine is triggered by a rope which, when pulled on, arms it. When the rope is let loose, the mine goes off. MacGyver catches himself as he arms the land mine, and then ties a piece of string to the rope. He holds the rope taut, walks away from it, and finally lets it go off from a safe distance.
Out in the Cold (2x16)
MacGyver is trapped in an avalanche while skiing. He manages to signal a rescue team from beneath the snow with a ski pole and parts of his ski suit. He pulls the grip and point off of his ski pole, giving him a 5-foot long hollow tube. He tears off some cloth from his ski suit in roughly a square shape, and then a long, narrow piece and his zipper pull. He ties the square into a parachute with the narrow piece and attaches the zipper pull to give it a weight. He feeds the whole bundle into his pole and blows it out the other end, which he has poked through the surface of the snow. A member of the nearby rescue team sees the parachute and saves him.
Using parts of a microscope and a drop of water, MacGyver is able to read microfilm. He uses the light from the microscope to backlight the film, and the drop of water is his magnifying glass. The viewing head on this microscope is broken and not used.
Dalton, Jack of Spies (2x17)
While being pursued by dirty CIA operatives at a strip club, MacGyver loads a confetti cannon with make-up powder and fires it at them as they enter a door, thus blinding the enemies with powder.
Partners (2x18)
Trapped in the driver's seat of a car with bazookas pointed at him, MacGyver needs to get out of the car and disable the bad guys all in one move. He removes his shoelaces and ties a lasso, using it to rope the gas pedal. He slips a paper clip onto the lace, secures it in a monkey wrench, and manipulates the wrench so it is braced between the floor and the brake pedal. This situates the lace so that when pulled on, it will pull down the gas pedal. Finally he routes the lace around the steering wheel on ties it to the door handle. The result is that when he gets out of the car, it will lurch forward and crash into the bad guys.
MacGyver needs to blow open a locked truck trailer door. He builds a bomb out of an oil can, a pair of pantyhose, an old exhaust pipe, and an old battery. He soaks the pantyhose in oil, which serves as the fuse. He threads that through the exhaust pipe, at the end of which he has packed shavings from the aluminum can. The idea is that "the ferrous oxide and the aluminum shavings should generate enough heat to explode the battery."
Bushmaster (2x19)
MacGyver creates a diversion with a rifle, a rock, some newspaper, a string, and a match. He hangs the rifle in a tree and ties the string around the rock and the trigger. The way it is tied, when the string is cut, the rifle will fire. He puts the newspaper next to the string and lights it, creating a fuse.
To break open a lock, MacGyver exposes it to Freon gas. The Freon comes from the back of a refrigerator, in a crimped pipe. MacGyver opens the pipe, lets the Freon freeze the lock, and is able to break it with a hard push.
With an old, bullet-ridden Jeep his only means of escape, MacGyver must patch up the Jeep's radiator to get it working again. Remarkably, he does the job with nothing but water and egg whites. First he dumps some water in the radiator and jump-starts the Jeep, causing the water to heat up. A few minutes later, he dumps in the egg whites, which the water cooks. Once cooked, the egg whites naturally plug the holes in the radiator, making the Jeep temporarily usable. (This technique was deemed Plausible in an episode of The Discovery Channel's MythBusters.) The trick was suggested by a fan of the series.[2]
MacGyver is being tailed by goons in a car faster than his rail-bound vehicle. He builds a giant, road busting bomb out of gasoline, several types of ammunition, and tear gas. To light it, he rolls up some paper and strikes a piece of metal on the rail he is riding on, causing a spark.
D.O.A.: MacGyver (2x21)
MacGyver creates a thick fog out of ship hull cleaner and ammonia. Ship hull cleaner contains muriatic acid, which is used to clean algae off ships. It creates a fog when combined with ammonia. MacGyver fills two buckets, one with each chemical, and spreads liberally on the floor.
For Love or Money (2x22)
MacGyver distracts some goons by creating a smoke cloud out of carbon black (commonly known as soot), a helium tank, a latex lab glove, duct tape, and his pocket knife. The powder is stuffed in the glove, the glove has a slit and is inflated with the helium gas. MacGyver duct tapes the glove to the top and bottom of a food serving tray so that when it is opened, the glove will burst and the powder will be released.
MacGyver creates a bomb out of nitroglycerin tablets and alcohol. He crushes the tablets and mixes in the alcohol, creating a paste. He folds the paste up in two flat napkins and duct tapes the ends. To detonate the bomb, MacGyver throws a nondescript blunt object at it.
MacGyver protects his car with electricity using baling wire to zap soldiers that are trying to force him out of the vehicle. He runs the baling wire from the ignition coil to the frame of the car, and when the two soldiers put their hands on the door handles, he pushes the wire tightly against the frame, shocking them.
Season 3
Lost Love, part 1 (3x01)
MacGyver finds some security problems with an exhibition monitor by breaking into it using powdered industrial cleanser to the avoid the laser alarm system and his knife to pick the lock.
Lost Love, part 2 (3x02)
MacGyver and Jack Dalton manage to steal the Ming dragon from the exhibition monitor (see above). The monitor is now fortified with a combination lock, a patrolling guard every 10 minutes and a pressure plate alarm. First they enter above the monitor through the ventilations system. The entry has a pressure alarm silenced by some duct tape. They then use ropes to go down inside the laser perimeter. The monitor is attached to a winch with suction pads in the end of the wire holding it up and clamps were used to hold down the pressure pad. Since they run out of time, they finally use the remote-controlled winch to trap the guard with a snare.
Ghost Ship (3x04)
MacGyver fixes a broken rowing boat using a stick with a fork, a sleeping-bag cover, some ropes and a tarpaulin in order to get to a mysteriously abandoned ship. He puts the sleeping-bag cover over the fork of the stick in order to make a paddle. The stern of the boat is broken but is sealed using the tarpaulin and the rope.
Fire and Ice (3x05)
MacGyver opens a vault and steals back some diamonds first dusting the buttons for fingerprints with graphite from a pencil. The vault has a three-digit combination with unique digits and six buttons. The dusting narrows down the 120 combinations to 6 and the vault is easily opened. He then neatly gets the diamonds in a small bag using a paper as a funnel.
GX-1 (3x06)
MacGyver builds a hot air balloon from scratch to escape from a Soviet search party. The balloon was made of homemade super-glue, old clothes, a parachute, welding equipment, a refrigerator, condoms, and metal box.
Jack in the Box (3x07)
MacGyver creates a distraction in order to escape from a mining shaft using carbide lamps, water, some flint, a rope and a rock hammer. The carbide was put in the water which creates a reaction forming acetylene (welding gas). The gas is then ignited with the flint taped to the hammer. The rope is used to swing the hammer, leaving time to escape.
The Widowmaker (3x08)
MacGyver destroys a flamethrower by building an arc welder using a car battery (12 V), jumper cables and a radio antenna.
MacGyver taps into a phone wire and transfers an SOS-signal. First, he climbs up the pole using a rope and belt around his ankles. Then, he scrapes off the insulation of the phone wire with his knife. Finally, he taps in a message for help with a bracelet using the Morse code alphabet.
Hell Week (3x09)
MacGyver creates a smoke screen using acetic acid and ammonia found in a cleaning locker in order to blind an infra-red motion detector high-voltage trap-door preventing him from getting to the bomb.
MacGyver defuses a bomb set to detonate by tilting a plate of mercury which short-circuits two electrical wires using the heat from short-circuiting two wires from the elevator in order to vaporize the mercury during the last 20 s of the countdown.
Blow Out (3x10)
MacGyver makes tear-gas out of cayenne pepper, vinegar and baking soda. The vinegar contains acetic acid while the baking soda is sodium bicarbonate, mixed together, they form a lot of gas. MacGyver lets the gas expansion take place in a sealed rubber bag and when it starts to swell he puts a hole in the bag with his knife.
In order to stop a bomb from detonating in the middle of a street, MacGyver convinces a truck driver to fill up the terrorists' mail van bomb with concrete, limiting the blast of the dynamite.
