Automotive classes have been busy this semester. First year students are just finishing up small engines. They began by tearing down the small engines and studying how they operate. They learned how a four-stroke engine works, utilized precision measuring with micrometers, used plastigauge to measure rod bearing clearance, and applied the use of feeler gauges. Students reassembled the small engines and started them. They also learned how to fix a small dent and a chip in paint, by removing dents with a hot glue puller. Students learned the correct way to polish and wax automotive paint finishes. They have also learned skills such as double and bubble flares, Heli coils, tap and die threads, and how to use calipers to measure inside and outside measurements.

Second year students have also been working diligently in the automotive shop. This semester they have learned how to use a multimeter to take measurements of amps, volts, resistance and voltage drops. They have studied manual transmissions by tearing them down and learning how synchronizers work to change gears, and how to calculate gear ratios, and the procedures to reassemble their transmissions. The students also studied clutch systems with mechanical and hydraulic engagement.

Students took on a lot of projects also this year, such as replacing heads on a Ford 390 engine, replacing tires, ball joints, c/v axels, and replaced brakes. Students are practicing skills they have learned in automotive with all of the projects they are doing preparing some for a career in the automotive fields.