Looking back on my senior project as a whole, it was not as bad as I thought it would be. I thought everything would be a lot harder than it actually was. Once I started writing my research paper, it was actually pretty easy. Doing my final product was a little stressful since there was so much to do. Once I did finish my product, I felt very proud of myself for accomplishing it. I was nervous to give my presentation because I don't like talking in front of people, but now that I have practiced in front of my class, I feel a lot more comfortable doing it. Overall, I had a very good experience with my senior project.
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The last step of my senior project is creating and giving my presentation. In my presentation I talked about my whole project, starting with the research paper, and ending with my final product. I spent time at home practicing, then I gave my presentation in front of my classmates. One thing I need to work on is not shifting weight back and forth on my feet. I also need to slow down and not talk so fast. In one week I will give my presentation to the community, then again to the judges. I hope it goes well!
The final step to finishing my senior project is the presentation. I will have to create an eight to ten minute presentation on my senior project. I will then have to present this presentation three times: to my class, the community, and the judges. I am nervous to do the presentation because I don't like to talk in front of people. I think if I practice enough and get comfortable with what I am saying, the presentations will be easier for me. I also think presenting in front of my class first will help me get used to presenting so that I can do very well when I present to the community and the judges.
Since I have now finished my final product, now I can start filling out the rest of the papers for my binder. I filled out the senior project self-evaluation form. In this I rated myself at 5, which is excellent, for my senior project because I spent a lot of time on it and I worked really hard to finish it. I also did more work on the car than I had originally planned on doing for my project. I also filled out the letter to the school board. In this I thanked them for allowing me to do my project, and I also told them a little bit about my project. Another form I filled out was the letter to the judges. In this I thanked the judges for taking the time to look at my project, and I also gave them a little background information on my project.
As my time to finish my final product was winding down, there were just a few final touches I needed to finish in order to start the car up. I put new header gaskets and the other header on. I connected the transmission to the engine and installed the starter. I also put on the oil filter, then I primed the oil. Then I installed the distributor and carburetor and replaced the spark plugs. Once those were installed, I connected the spark plug wires to the distributor. I also installed the fuel pump and new fuel lines. I also installed the torque strap, new gas tank, the radiator, alternator, fans, and pulleys. I hooked up the new hose lines and the battery, and connected the water pump to the manifold. To finish it up, I installed the front seat and the new tires, and replaced the hood onto the car. I turned the key, and the car started right up. I was so proud of myself!
I met with my mentor to continue working on my car. To make sure everything matched, I painted a few more parts. I cleaned and painted the valve coverings, water pump, and some of the bolts. I attached the water pump and valve coverings to the engine inside the car. Next I put on the new passenger side header gasket, along with the new header. After I finish connecting a few more parts to the engine, it should be ready to run.
I wanted to paint the engine the original color before I put it back in the car, so I painted it the factory color, Chrysler Corporate Blue. Before I could hoist the engine up and put it back into the car, I had to polish and paint some of the areas underneath the hood. After I polished the K-member, I primed it and painted it black. I attached the valve coverings and the motor mounts to the engine. Once everything was dry, I hoisted the engine up and set it in the car.
I finished laying the rest of the larger pieces of Dynamat. Then I went back through and cut smaller pieces to fill the places where there were gaps. When I was finished doing that I installed the new carpet in the car. I had to trim the sides of the carpet so that it would fit inside the car. Before I could put the side panels and seats back in the car, they needed to be polished. To do this, I used upholstery cleaner to polish them. When I was finished, I installed the side panels and the seats in the car.
Since almost all of the parts for the new engine that I ordered have come in, I have now begun to put the new engine back together. I attached the oil pump to the bottom part of the engine. Then I cleaned both cylinder heads and attached them to the engine on top of the head gaskets I also attached. I made sure the bolts were tight by torqueing them to the specified number. I have also put the push rods back in in the exact same order I took them out. Next I put the intake manifolds on and used silicone to put the intake manifold back on the engine. I also torqued those bolts to the specified number. I am getting closer to putting the engine back in the car. The only thing I have to do to the engine before I put it back in is to attach the oil pan gasket and oil pan.
There was no insulation under the old carpet in the car. Underneath the carpet, it was just the metal body of the car. Since I'm putting new carpet in anyways, I decided to install some sound and heat insulation. The type of insulation that I am using is called Dynamat. I have begun to lay this down inside the car. While I do this, I am also learning how to measure and properly cut the material. After I finish laying the main pieces, I have to go back and cut smaller pieces to fill in the small gaps. Although this is a lengthy process, I think it will pay off in the end since I will then have insulation in the car.
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This is a journal for me to write about my Senior Project. Archives
April 2017
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