end of semester blog review

What I’ve done

I’ve successfully learned all about how an engine functions.  I learned every piece from the piston to the engine block.  All of these pieces work together to form a smooth operating machine.  I also had some fun with comparing some cars and who which would win in a race.  I saw how the engine worked and how it would make these cars perform better.

My best post and why it’s good

I think my best post was Special: How To Drift.  I was excited how to learn how to do this.  We have all seen the Fast and Furious moving with crazy driving skills.  So i wanted to see how it was done for myself.  I also posted a cool drifting video on the post.

What I’d like to improve on

Taking more time to write my posts.  This way I can give my reader a more quality experience.

What I’ve learned about myself as a learner

I need set aside more places in my schedule that I can search my topic and learn.  I feel like as a learner I need to slow down and apply things that I learned over a period of days, instead of just a few hours.

Where I’d like to go

I would like to change the topic of my blog.  I think I can do a better job on a blog that i find more interesting.  That way I can be more enthusiastic and that will show up in my writing. 

Dodge viper vs. corvette zr1

The two American bad boys fighting a two mile turf war. The corvette is a classic racing machine with its insane speed few can match it. The viper, however has speed of its own and it's track abilities are legend.  Who will claim it's place as the American dream machine? 

Dodge viper

- 3.1 sec. 0-60

- 200 mph

- excellent handling

- carbon fiber body

Corvette zr1

- 3.3 sec. 0-60

-200mph

- good handling but tends to drag

- carbon fiber body

The corvette track legacy has been shattered. The dodge viper's poisonous bite has slayed the icon. The viper not only beat out the corvette in raw speed but in it's ability on the track as well. The viper is going to be a real front runner in this tournament.

Subaru wrx sti impreza vs. Mitsubishi lancer evo

The battle between two racing dynamos that has been argued for years. Subaru wrx sti impreza vs. the Mitsubishi lancer evo in a titanous struggle for honor as the undisputed track god. Both cars are absolute handling machines made to grip the road and never let go on any corner. In the racing world they are referred to as the best. This race may all come down to speed because well the handling is virtually identical. 

Lancer evo

- 4.9 sec. 0-60

-170mph

-300 horse power

-6 speed twin clutch transmission

-turbo charged 4 liter engine 

Wrx sti impreza

-4.8 sec 0-60

-165 mph top speed

-305 horse power

- 6 speed manual

-2.5L H-4

This race is down to the wire they are practically identical. There are only two factors that define the winner. The lancers top speed will have it pull away slightly on straight aways every time. Also the dual clutch transmission creates the fastest shifting in any car ever created. The fact that the lancer can pull away and get through it's gears faster and more efficiently barely gets it the win. This will probably the closest race that I could ever think of between any two cars.

The Lamborghini Veneno Vs. The Big Bad Bugatti Veyron

In a clash of asphalt titans,  only one can be named king of the road.  The first race pits the newly developed Lamborghini Veneno Vs. The Big Bad Bugatti Veyron on a turn filled two-mile track.  The Bugatti has serious speed that leaves any car in the dust.  However, on a track with turns can it rely on its speed to keep up with Lamborghini's elite racing mechanics. 

The Bugatti Veyron
-2.4 sec. 0-60
-250 mph top speed
-W-16 engine
-Carbon Finer body for enhanced aerodynamics.
-slower handling response due to manufacturers focus on speed

The Lamborghini Veneno
-2.8 sec. 0-60
-220 mph top speed
-turbo charged v-12
-carbon fiber body and angles for optimum aerodynamics
-insane handling typical of a Lamborghini supercar

From the stats of the two vehicles, the Bugatti in straightaway speed remains undisputed.  However, this race is on a two mile twisting track and that yields some issues for the king of speed.  Not only does the Lamborghini boast impressive speed of its own it also has top of the line handling .  The Bugatti can use its top speed on straightaways .  Aroud the corner however is a differnt story.  The lamborghini moves on as the winner of this match up and will take on the winner of the next bout.

Super car month!

Through Christmas break, I will be looking at different super cars and pitting them against each other, to find out which car comes on top as king of the road. I want to do this topic because I am interested in seeing what makes different cars faster. We always wanted to see who the fastest kid on the block was, I want to see the fastest car in the world.  In my next post, my first match up will be the Lamborghini Veneno vs. The Bugatti Veyron. In the comment section of the next post give me any two super cars you want to see in my future matches. 

Special: how to drift

We've all seen the fast and the furious movies with fast cars and wicked driving. I thought it would be fun to do a blog post on drifting like in the movies. However,  drifting is not nearly as easy as they make it out to be. First of all it's important to know what gear the car needs to be in. Second gear seems to be the best option because it provides a wide variety of speed.  You also want to push in your vehicles clutch (I'm not sure why you would drift with an automatic.) next turn the steering wheel while simultaneously pulling the handbrake. Let out the clutch and put pressure on the gas pedal while turning in the direction of the slide. This whole process is called the handbrake drift and I found it the least complex out of the other methods I researched. Be careful and only do this in a wide open field with no cars, drifting can be very dangerous to your car, yourself, and others. The websites I used for research include wikianswers and howtodrift.net.

What if you broke down in the middle of nowhere? And no you don't have ur phone with you.  You notice that white smoke was emitting from the exhaust, your engine was feeling week, and you ran out of oil relatively quickly. You need to replace a piston ring. Replacing a piston ring like all things associated with cars sounds complicated. I will break it down into a few steps that will make it easier.  Before I tell you what you need to do, you will need a few things. Piston ring, piston ring tool, wrenches, sockets, torque wrench,and kerosene.  You first need to remove the cylinder  head to get acces to the pistons. To actually get the cylinder head off, the bolts around it need to be unscrewed.  Clean all of the grease and muck off of the cylinders. For the next step cleaning the pistons, make sure the cylinder holes are covered to keep debris out. When enough dirt has been cleaned off the piston then it can be extracted. Next consult your manual and remove the cylinders. After they have been removed wash them in kerosene and allow them to dry.  Use your piston ring tool to remove the piston rings. Be careful if the grooves on the rings are too worn the whole piston has to be replaced! Use your ring tool and stretch the ring over the piston, but be careful not to break it. Make sure the piston rings are secure in the piston grooves and check it one more time. Put back the piston and check the head gasket before you replace the cylinder head. Then reattach the cylinder head.  I got my information from www.doityourself.com. Next time we are going to learn how to fix more engine parts, probably the drive train. I hope by the end of this project I will have learned a lot about fixing things on my own.