Finally back on the road

[zac]

Doing it on the cheap is certainly time consuming. All the cleaning and inspecting and measuring on the "seasoned" parts and such. Plus you're maybe stressing about "am I pushing this too far?" But it would be stressful also if I had $5000 in parts and machine work into it. I came in around $600 on this one.

As far as getting grief goes, hey, it's the internet, and there are all types out there. Almost every web board eventually becomes dominated by bullys. They actually have a term for the phenomenon now. Mercifully, the Burb board has been a shining exception.

Some people have no idea what they are talking about but still freely dispense advice and criticism. Some people have more "theoretical" experience than the real hands-on type. And there are some people with serious knowledge and experience who dispense very valuable advice. But everybody tends to be extremely opinionated-- though they are often well-meaning. Sorting it out can be impossible. But this is nothing new. Like I said, it's the stinking internet.

I think if I was a newbie who had never done an engine before but was thinking about it, my advice (Ha!) would be to get a book or two and a $100 Craigslist engine and go to it. And stay off your computer.