First year automotive students have learned about how to buy a vehicle and different types of car insurance, and how to find a quality repair shop. Students are practicing drilling, tapping, measuring, and soldering skills. They have disassembled a small engine, studied how it works, and measured the crankshaft, valves, and connecting rod for clearance. Students must reassemble their engine and we start them. Students have learned how to fix a paint chip and the proper procedures for washing and waxing their cars. During the second semester, students will learn about cooling, fuel, brakes, ignition systems and how they all work together to make a vehicle work.

Second year automotive students have also been busy. Students started the school year by learning about electricity and Ohm’s law, how to wire a circuit, and find a short in electrical systems. Students wired an engine-cooling fan using a relay to control on and off functions and they also learned how fuses and circuit breakers protect our electrical systems. They have disassembled a manual transmission and studied how it works. Then they applied this knowledge to overhaul a three-speed transmission in a CJ7 Jeep and replace the clutch.

Students also replaced a clutch in a Honda car and replaced the exhaust system.

Automotive students also finished working on a 1950 GMC pickup. They installed the clutch and transmission and finished wiring to the engine. The truck was a challenge because students from last year started the project, but due to Covid they were not able to finish. Even though we used a different engine and everything had to be changed or modified to fit the new engine, this year’s second year students worked hard to finish the truck by doing research to learn how to finish the project.