Ok I redid some things and finished the 2nd prompt. Please Read and provide Feedback! A Mechanical Advantage The light from the portable shop lamp shines brightly in my eyes as I lean over the engine bay, trying desperately to align the threads of the bolt I hold with those on the block. My fingers slip due to the grease they are covered in, and the bolt clings to the ground. The rain drizzling down no longer affects me by this point; I have been working too long. Frustration and exhaustion are beginning to settle in, but I pick up the bolt and give it another try. After a quick shot of degreaser on the bolt, it threads into the hole with ease this time around. I now retire into the garage and take a glance at the collection of parts that are spread out on my workbench. I’ve got a ways to go, I think to myself, Maybe I’ll be done in just a few more weeks… Not all individuals are as mechanically inclined as others. For me, I got lucky; my mom says I got her looks and my dad’s brains. This has been a huge advantage through my life and was one of the reasons I decided to take on an engine swap on my own. Nothing is ever as easy as it seems, however, and the eight plus weeks I spent working on this project provided me with learning experiences unlike any other would have been able to. As with life, I encountered many problems throughout the swap, most of them unseen until they presented themselves. The thing is, many of them were unavoidable. Life is full of surprises; some of them can be tackled head on, and some of them require a step back and a moment’s thought. Although I had considered myself a decent problem solver before this project, I felt like a professional by the time it was completed. Difficulties ranged from needing to find the right parts down to getting a bolt or bracket to fit correctly. Every step of the way, there was a task that needed to be accomplished, and a setback that had to be overcome. Stepping back and analyzing each situation from all angles was necessary to overcome these setbacks. This experience was more beneficial than I ever would have thought, and it taught me much more than just basic problem solving skills. It is said that patience is a virtue, and I now understand why. The beginning anecdote above essentially sums up my whole experience with the project; it was long and difficult. It was in the end, however, worth every hour spent outside working on the truck. Every frustrating minute spent trying to thread a bolt, design a bracket, or understand the wiring made me a stronger, more patient, and more intelligent individual. There were times when I lost my patience, and more often than not it resulted in me making a mistake and setting myself further back. It taught me to slow down, to endure, to take my time with each step required. Sometimes it is necessary to take a break and relax, knowing that in doing so, it will clear your mind and possibly present a solution to whatever obstacle may be at hand. The project will still be there waiting, and the patience will help you do the best job possible. I reached a point about halfway through the project where it became therapeutic. Working on my truck became a form of meditation. As exasperating as it was at times, I feel as if I found myself, I realized my true potential. If I could perform a custom engine swap at the age of nineteen, than I could do anything. I encountered problems, and I found solutions. I had a goal, and I put the hours in to accomplish that goal. I thought I understood the inner workings of cars before the project, and I left with an even greater understanding of the technicalities involved. Life is not like a box of chocolates, it is like an engine, with many complex processes happening simultaneously. It may not be fully understood by all, but we can do our best to keep it maintained and running as smoothly as possible. There will be breakdowns, but each one of them can be overcome. Mechanical Engineering I’m not exactly sure when the seed of my engineering interest was first planted, but it has since flowered into a feverous passion of design. Even as a child I wanted to know exactly how the world worked; all its inner processes and components, their function in the system, and how the system functioned as a whole. I spent more hours than I can remember playing with Legos and K’nex. I didn’t play with them in the classical sense however, for me it was envision, design, build, improve, and move on. As a teenager I moved on from Legos to scooters and bicycles; taking them apart and putting them back together as originally as I could manage. What followed provided the real fun and inspiration: automotives. Through high school I helped friends with multiple auto repairs, and I even got lucky enough to intern at an automotive shop. For almost two years I shadowed a mechanic at a local repair shop, observing everything he did, soaking in knowledge and experience. The understanding and familiarity I gained working in that shop gave me the confidence to eventually take on my own swap, which was a life lesson of its own. The engineering and physics classes in high school also inspired me to continue my education and pursue a higher level curriculum. I sit here now hoping that I will be able to unleash my potential upon a UC campus, and perhaps one day provide the world with an innovation or design unlike any that has been seen before.
Posted on: Fri, 29 Nov 2013 03:10:20 +0000
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