[elky] Fwd: Auto Club Update
- From: John Christensen <johncgg@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: El Camino List <elky@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 9 Nov 2010 05:39:55 -0600
I am going to try to help Tom out at 2:30-3:30 today. I got the chance to
help a couple weeks ago. He has 16 or 17 Kids to supervise, and they are all
under cars all at once.... with everything apart, and has to be back
together and cleaned up by 5 PM. Challenging to say the least.
They have my size for the T-shirt.
Below is what they are working on.
JC
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Hi Members.
In the past week, much progress has been made on the old Cherokee. From
interior, to brakes, to fuel system, to engine maintenance the truck
received a lot of attention. In addition, Mr. Stombres made more progress
on his Tahoe undercoating and rust treatment, Tyler completed more engine
maintenance on his car, Mike did some electrical work on his Jeep, Ryan did
some more work on the Craftsman lawn tractor, and Tyler finished up the
t-shirt design.
During our last meeting, the carpet came out, and we really got a look at
the floor in the Jeep. If you haven't seen it, the news is not good.
Unfortunately, we have a lot of very severe rust to deal with. I have seen
this on other "rust-belt" Jeep Cherokees before, so I believe that it is not
uncommon. Due to the limitations of our vehicle value, we will be exploring
some inexpensive methods of "shoring up" the floor rather than full
replacement. We also know that we need to remove and reseal the windshield
soon to stop the water from entering the passenger areas.
The Leidis are bringing a powerwasher to this weeks meeting for the purpose
of blasting the stink and dirt out of the carpeting. It should be
exciting! Last time I checked, the weather was looking good for this
activity and for the necessary drying time after the fact. We should also
finish shampooing the seats while we are at it. Thank you in advance Leidi
family.
Many of you witnessed the poor condition of the rear brakes and the "lot
rot" evident on the front brake rotors. Since my Auto II classes are
presently studying brake system service, the Jeep became their first full
brake job. The rear brake shoes have been replaced, and the front brakes
have been disassembled cleaned, lubed, and the rotors resurfaced. More
exciting news, is that Jordan has been picking away at the electrical issues
plaguing the fuel pump. By the end of the week, the Jeep engine came to
life using its own battery and electrical system (no help from hot wiring
the fuel pump). The oil was changed in one of the Auto I classes so we could
do some more engine testing.
On Saturday, I came in to clean one of the storage areas, and Jordan came in
to see what he could do on the Jeep. He decided to complete some unfinished
work on the brakes in the hopes of a test drive. After resurfacing the
drums (they will need replacement if we sell the truck), he dropped a seat
back in place, and we made some practice runs in the parking lot. Although
we were tipping out of the seats during the cornering practice (wish I had a
picture), it drove pretty well through all 5 forward gears and reverse. The
engine noises quieted down with the increasing engine temperature and the
reintroduction of oil throughout the valvetrain. The clutch seems a little
"iffy" at this point - more diagnosis is necessary. We were anticipating
that a clutch replacement would be needed based on our interview with Mrs.
Schmidit, the previous owner.
Therefore, this week we need to start scraping away at rust inside the
vehicle and clean everything thoroughly. We may also want to diagnose the
severe power steering system leak. It would be good for the vehicle and the
environment if we can fix that sooner rather than later. I like Jordan's
suggestion that the windshield repair take place on a Saturday so we can do
the whole job at one time. Maybe we can think about a date for that task.
More exciting news - the 2010 - 2011 t-shirt design is complete. Thank you
to Tyler for the design idea and to all who provided suggestions and
feedback! These will be available to members for approximately $12 each -
the final quote is not back yet. If you have not been at a meeting in a few
weeks, then I do not have your t-shirt size. Please let me know if you are
interested in a t-shirt this year and also the size you would like to
order. Also, the price of the shirt should not be a reason that you do not
get one. If you need help with the cost of the shirt, just let me know
confidentially, and we will get the cost covered for you.
This Tuesday, our meeting is in the usual time slot. There is also a
SkillsUSA club meeting from 2:30 - 3:30 in room B124 that some of our
members will be attending. We have several members in both clubs, so this
would be a great day for others to go check out this very fun "education to
careers" club. Jordan, Matt, Cody, and Casey are all part of both clubs, so
talk to them if you have questions.
Thanks to all, and I hope to see you or hear from you soon.
Mr. S
[image: auto_club_oct2010.JPG]
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