January 30

I have been working on my paper and editing it. Yesterday I got Mr. Z to edit my edits and today I made a lot of changes to my paper. I am going to look over the paper myself again and probably have my dad look over it to make sure it's OK.

January 24

I have been updating my paper with quotes and editing the mistakes I have found so far. I worked on the model engine and have to take more pictures so I can update and finish my PowerPoint.

Then I have to do the disassemble of the motorcycle engine.

January 16

This week, I have almost completed my research paper. I have to look over it again and make sure all of my essential questions are answered and incorporated in the paper. It is 7 pages so far and when I'm done I think it will be around 8 or 9, which is a good length.

I still have to finish my model engine and start my actual engine work...I did more research on boring motorcycle engines and getting gaskets for it for when I put it back together.

1/9/08 progress

Today and yesterday I have been working on my PowerPoint presentation. I am up to 18 slides now and I have a lot of explaining for all of the slides, so it will take easily 20-30 minutes. I still have to finish my model engine and take more pictures so I can add them into my PowerPoint and also think and elaborate on more ways to get more power and use less gas.

I also started my research paper which I am going to spend most of the day tomorrow, the 10th, working on.

My project is coming along very well. This weekend I might try to find a place to start rebuilding my motorcycle engine.

Engine search

This weekend I called a number of junkyards and salvage yards with no help. There was a majority of them that either didn't sell just an engine, or they were too expensive. I remembered that I got a spare motorcycle engine with my motorcycle which is only a 2-cylinder, but has many of the same components and ideas behind it. I can also benefit from doing the rebuild on the engine because I can use parts from it, or get it running again with more power.

I have a job interview today at Valvoline, which is a car oil changing place as well as other mechanical work, but by working there I am able to work on vehicles and get a better understanding of vehicles.

Graduation Project Update

My graduation project is going to be to design a V-8 engine that creates more power while using less gas, making it a more "Eco-friendly" vehicle. I am also going to try to design a vehicle around the engine, most likely a truck, that is aerodynamic so it uses less gas.

I am leaning towards the V-8 engine and a truck base, because many drivers are switching to driving bigger vehicles, trucks and SUVs, because they are bigger and hold more stuff. The problem is that they are so big and have such big engines that they aren't very fuel efficient. This is why I think it would be a good idea to design or come up with ideas to make a truck, or larger vehicle more fuel efficient so we lower the emissions and help prevent global warming.

So far I have obtained a model V-8 engine and started constructing it. It is a see through engine, so that it will help the viewer to visualize how the engine actually works. I also have done research and brainstormed ways that you can modify the engine to get more power while saving gas. I am hoping that I can find an actual engine from a junkyard so that I can rebuild it and actually do some of the modifications to make it get more power and use less gas.

For designing the body of the truck I plan on using a computer program called SketchUp and then possibly using Knex' to create a 3D version of the design. This will help show different ways that make a vehicle more aerodynamic.

My first POST! (Initial Plan)

Day 2 of Grad Project- I made an overview of what I did and put a short rough draft of what I plan on doing in this class...

Yesterday I started my search for an engine from a junkyard, but by the time I got home they were all closed. Erin said she knows someone who can help, so I am hoping she will help me find one. Thanks Erin!

08'