Capstone Project

Background In Mechanics

For the capstone project, it was requested that I provide a little background of how I ended up where I am, and what experiences I've had working in the real world among other things.

To start off, I had never worked on vehicles before my decision to go to school for it. I originally went to school and trained to be an electrician, and it was only after working in the field did I realize it wasn't for me. A morbid fear of heights, coupled with a lack of any serious passion for the field, left me wanting to change direction while I still had the opportunity.

So I researched several different career paths to suit my needs, and the one that struck me immediately was being a mechanic. I researched the field more, including expected income and job descriptions. I watched YouTube videos of people like EricTheCarGuy. Finally, I made the decision to enroll in the WSCC Automotive/Diesel Truck program. The rest is history, as I have been there for 3 years and am set to graduate with Associate's degrees in Automotive Service Technology and Diesel Truck Systems.


Working In The Field


I have been employed by an independent automotive and truck repair shop now for about two and a half months. We work on everything from cars to class-8 trucks, everything from brake service and oil changes to engine swaps and rebuilds, diagnostics and driveability issues. Below are a few pictures of projects we've been working on recently or currently working on.

International 9200i. Earlier that day we had everything up to the gear housing off to fix a leak.

Transfer case my boss is working on off another truck.

Still waiting on the turbo for the 9200i, which is being replaced.

Cleaning up ground terminals with emery cloth before hooking them back up to the radiator support.

About to replace the park brake valve on a Chevy single-axle dump truck.

 

The new valve installed with compression fittings. The trailer valve was removed as the customer will not be pulling a trailer with this truck.

As you can see, there's a wide variety of work we do. The opportunities to learn something are there on a daily basis.


Tool Selection

Something that has been of particular interest to me since gaining employment in the field is tools. Our shop is visited by S&K and Snap-On tool trucks.

I picked this up from an auto parts store for $5.

The above pictured tool measures bolt and nut sizes on any standard 6-point head in both standard and metric. Until my ability to tell bolt size at a glance gets better, this tool has become a huge time-saver.

My first major tool investment, a set of Grey Pneumatic Duo-Sockets in 3/8" drive. I also bought a 1/4" set. Thinner than regular impacts, they are made and warrantied for use an air impact tools.

My tool purchases have been heavily influenced by what I need on a daily basis. Better lighting, sockets, ratchets, wrenches, are among my first purchases. Tools that come in handy or I tend to borrow from my co-workers a lot are also on the list as I build my toolbox up.

I had these before I started my job, punches and chisels are something I use all the time.

Other good examples of tools I would have or get sooner rather than later are pry bars, flat head screwdrivers, scrapers, hammers, extensions and swivel sockets. The list could go on. All based on what I find myself needing in the shop on a daily basis.