[ahh911]

Personal experience,

I found that taking it apart was equally important and time consuming as putting it back together. Patience, using the map/oxy mini torch to remove exhaust nuts, several times over, having never used one it took many tries till even the setting was right, all nuts came out clean, but it was squeeky event. Planning out how to remove the engine, that took weeks to plan, it was so easy in the end that all the study seemed foolish, but it was required. Seeing the car tilted at such an angle online makes you doubt it. Rocker arm shafts, taking them out nice and clean. Cleaning the engine as much as possible before the drop, then getting the engine onto an engine stand then cleaning it all over again, even buying the right engine stand took study and planning, another few days before a plan was reached. Measuring the bore of the valve guides using a split ball gauge (never used one before), removing the valves and looking for burrs up top the stem where someone had pinched the valve, that would rip the guides up and did, but the guides needed replacing. Buying the right/strong valve spring compressor that was sturdy enough but not too expensive, that took time.... Cleaning out the rocker arm shaft bores without scratching or enlarging, them, in the end it was simple but again planning, simple 2000 grit or even paper with paint scratch polish wrapped over a piece of rigid aquarium tubing and rotating only to the depth outside of the functional area, it goes on and on. But the dissaembly is what teaches you the re-assembly, you study/read about the re-assembly before dissaembly, that way when you remove everything, the questions you've asked yourself get partially answered. Measuring the timing chain sprocket alignemnt before removal just to see what Bentley/Wayne are talking about and checking learning a technique. Checking and measuring tensioner height and how much room there is for the tensioner to expand before it maxed out, gives a feel for the chain wear, all this I did along the way, and much more, so dissasembly and cleaning was equally or more important because this is our first view of how the engine is assembled and works. I've been playing with cars, even at age 20, my dad and I did a head gasket and I helped, etc... so, without that basic foundation of doing all the work on every car over 20 years, I'd be reluctant to take it on myself, I'd say, send it out.

Phil