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While I have not yet had the need to remove, disassemble and major my Healey's engine since its last rebuild about 50K miles ago I have stood at the elbow of a local trusted mechanic while we disassembled and rebuilt the engines of both Elvas, the Courier being powered by an OHV MGA 1600 and the MK IV sportsracer powered by a SOHC Coventry Climax FWB 1490.
In both cases I assisted the mechanic by passing parts and tools to him as he proceeded to disassemble the engines, inspecting, measuring, assessing and sometimes photographing the various components preparatory to ordering necessary replacement parts and having whatever work done to the head, block, etc. (including outside machine shop work) before we proceeded to reassembly.
Having witnessed the teardown/reassembly of the MGA engine thrice and the Climax engine once I am happy to say that at this point I am NOT presently qualified to perform the mechanic's work. In all cases we proceeded according to factory manuals but it quickly became clear to me that he had knowledge of potential pitfalls, shortcuts, "tricks of the trade", etc. he had gained by having rebuilt many and diverse engines of all types over 40 years and I quickly understood that I would likely have early on come up against a problem I was not equipped to solve and/or made a mistake because all of the nuanced skills necessary are not spelled out in the manuals but rather are assumed to be within the mechanic's knowledge base.
Bottomline I am a result-oriented person and am fortunate that I can afford the services of someone who knows his way through the process of achieving the results I desire. I try to know my limitations and realize that while I am learning I am not yet there.
In both cases I assisted the mechanic by passing parts and tools to him as he proceeded to disassemble the engines, inspecting, measuring, assessing and sometimes photographing the various components preparatory to ordering necessary replacement parts and having whatever work done to the head, block, etc. (including outside machine shop work) before we proceeded to reassembly.
Having witnessed the teardown/reassembly of the MGA engine thrice and the Climax engine once I am happy to say that at this point I am NOT presently qualified to perform the mechanic's work. In all cases we proceeded according to factory manuals but it quickly became clear to me that he had knowledge of potential pitfalls, shortcuts, "tricks of the trade", etc. he had gained by having rebuilt many and diverse engines of all types over 40 years and I quickly understood that I would likely have early on come up against a problem I was not equipped to solve and/or made a mistake because all of the nuanced skills necessary are not spelled out in the manuals but rather are assumed to be within the mechanic's knowledge base.
Bottomline I am a result-oriented person and am fortunate that I can afford the services of someone who knows his way through the process of achieving the results I desire. I try to know my limitations and realize that while I am learning I am not yet there.