Project Eclipse: Feb 25 Update

Car Club students are continuing on with Project Eclipse by focussing on the exterior shell as well as the powertrain rebuild.

With the engine and transaxle in different areas of the shop, each piece was cleaned, washed and dismantled to a point where they could be prepped and painted. Semester two's senior engine rebuilding class will work on inspection and reassembly of the engine's many delicate parts.The engine block now sits close by with a fresh coat of black while the transaxle takes on a new shade of aluminum.

During the drying process, other students take turns roughing up the Eclipse's exterior finish in preparation for its paint job.

Our senior students detailed some smaller engine accessories, from the alternator and pulley to the harmonic balancer.

Other students continued to resurface the engine's top end and the oil pan, while the fuel injectors and fuel rail were given some attention during the rebuild.

And while an engine plate takes a resurfacing, the engine block gets its pistons installed and connecting rods torqued to spec.

As the powertrain comes together, we will search for a community partner to contribute a paint job for our Bishop Reding Spirit Car. With every step we get closer in progress, the final goal becomes more and more exciting!
Check in next week to see how much closer we get!!

Project Eclipse: Feb 18 Update

Today Car Club members were getting used to their new semester course load, and a few less members attended to continue on the BR Spirit Car. With the present members working to some classic rock music in the background, we focussed on engine disassembly and the bodywork.

Junior and senior students worked together, separating the cylinder head from the 2.0 litre four cylinder Mitsubishi engine so that each piece could be reconditioned, painted and reassembled.

To try to curb the annoying issue of crushed adjuster bolts on the lambo doors, we decided to purchase grade 10 bolts to help minimize crushing of the adjustment parts. We don't want the cool vertical doors to fall out of alignment every time the door is operated too quickly.

While the front fenders were off again, another Car Club member lightly sanded some rusty spots inside the fender, then applied a cost of rust paint to help extend their lives.

At the other end of the car, one of the grade nines continue to rework some dents to even out the body contours.

We also had an opportunity to shampoo and degrease the transaxle, making it cleaner for it's later reassembly into the car.

The Eclipse now sits with a more familiar facade, given more panels are being installed. We hope by next week, the majority of Car Club will be focussed on sanding and smoothing the Eclipse's body. Soon enough, the BR Spirit Car will be looking for a fresh coat of paint before its powertrain is dropped back under it's hood!

Slow and steady wins the race.. We will catch you next week with more hard work on Project Eclipse!

Project Eclipse: Feb 11 Update

Car Club is back at it, and we are continuing Project Eclipse with a little more focus on the chassis as well as starting the dismantle of its power plant!

Our senior level Engine Rebuilding course has commenced, and the SHSM students have looked over the little four cylinder engine and are eager to crack it open. Along with some grade 9 and 10 Car Club members, we began to disassemble the 2.0 litre engine's external components to ready it for lifting onto a stand.

The external brackets and pipes are removed and reconditioned. The valve cover is removed and the camshaft components are disassembled and set aside in order.

The engine is now on the hoist and we examine how to remove the racing clutch in order to set the block and head on a stand.

Now off, one of our SHSM engine rebuilding students removes all gaskets from the valve cover in order to clean and sandblast it for a new paint job. Detail and presentation is key!














Another new entrant to our SHSM program uses his skills to clean and recondition cooling system parts...The new finish will add to the great detail of the engine under the hood:

 




















The engine covers are off and soon the timing belt and cams are removed. Smile, engine!






















Meanwhile, back at the Eclipse, some students continue to clean small bolts and other hardware to continue reassembling parts onto the outer body. This is a slow process, but worth the time.

We are trying to move further along the tedious job of reconditioning the car's outer skin, smoothing out dents and cracks so that the final paint job will gleam with minimal defects. This is currently the longest process of the rebuild, but with art and sculpture, patience yields results! So we'll keep at it.

Before the end of car club, some students get the wiper motor, painted wiper cover and hood all set into place. 

By continuing to test fit more pieces, we can see how the Eclipse is piecing together on its rebuild. It is absolutely crucial that all external pieces fit together as seamlessly as possible. 

One recurring issue we are having is the vertical doors. They are VERY sensitive! If they are bounced, or not lowered SLOWLY, they instantly pull out of alignment, and warrant a one hour removal of the fenders for readjustment. We decided to pull the adjusting bolts and find a higher grade steel replacement to minimize crushing of the adjuster when the door is closed too quickly.

The most important part of working as a team towards a goal, is sharing ideas and problem solving when necessary in order to reach that goal. The BR Spirit Car will be one great ride when we are finished! Check back soon for our next update!

Project Eclipse: Feb 4 Update

Semester two has begun, and Car Club is once again in gear with the pedal to the metal!

Now that most of the chassis and undercarriage is rebuilt, the students can turn their attention to the Eclipse's outer shell. It is time to focus on getting the body ready for a paint job.

Many Car Club students took to the front stub frame and began to apply some semi gloss black paint to the engine bay area and radiator support as well as touch up some other areas to minimize that old rusty look...

While a group of students worked on painting the front end, another student worked diligently to sand down a few dents in the passenger door, mix up some body filler, and apply it to the affected spots for contouring next week.

It will be a BIG job to get the BR Spirit Car's skin in perfect shape for its fresh coat of paint. But with all hands on deck, it will be a success!

We also had two more students start to reassemble a few odds and ends to the front end, like the power train crossmember and the PCM:

One of our SHSM members noted that the interior had a bit of a musty smell, so a group of students unbolted the seat belt anchors and removed the floor pan carpet from the vehicle. Once the weather warms up, we will add detergent to the fibres and pressure wash it to see if we can revive the 16 year old carpet.

As this week's Car Club draws to an end and students clean up, we find our little Eclipse sitting quietly on the hoist with an almost barren interior and new face paint on its front end.
Like a patient in the dental chair, the BR Spirit Car is a trooper, waiting patiently as we work through the months, transforming a once enjoyed sports car into a creative new example of student achievement!

With fenders on and lambo doors fully adjusted, the Eclipse will get more panels installed next week before it gets a full sanding and contouring for its paint job.

We are happy to have received our first donation for the BR Spirit Car. One of our community partners CRAVE Computer Systems in Milton has donated some wireless networking equipment for the car. Next year, car club students, along with the students in Bishop Reding's new Mobile Electronics Course (TTJ4CM) will be outfitting the Eclipse with a wireless high definition display for presentations right from the car. The BR Spirit Car will also serve as a mobile broadcast station for students to capture special events on the school premises, edit them and upload them to the web.

Thanks to generous donations from community partners...BR students will be able to design, construct and maintain a powerful promotional machine that they can take pride in!

See you next week!

Mr. Da Silva