Dirt didn't just hide the engine. It also hid its condition.
When I started taking it apart, I found an oil leak that, mixed with the mud, had formed a fairly unpleasant paste. Underneath there were still traces of the original paint —or some previous treatment— but in some places it was hard to even tell what material it was.
The rocker cover was also leaking oil. I had to clean the whole assembly thoroughly because the aluminium colour of the cylinder head was practically invisible.
I could have just fixed the leak and put it back together, but I wanted to do a complete job. I cleaned and painted the engine block and rocker cover, checking every element before putting it back in place.
I also took the opportunity to establish a known maintenance baseline: new oil and filter, spark plugs, spark plug leads and distributor.
Oil and filter are essential when you don't know the previous maintenance. Spark plugs should be replaced periodically, before waiting for them to fail. And in an ignition system with rubber and plastic parts that could be nearly forty years old, I preferred to prevent problems before putting the engine into service.
They're not the most expensive components of the project, but they can make the difference between quickly bolting the engine together and doing a decent job.
This phase also reminded me of the importance of keeping every part organized. When you have the engine stripped, losing track of a bolt, a gasket or the position of a component can turn a simple job into a problem.
And when I was missing a tool, I also learned to make one myself.
Rebuilding an engine isn't just about tackling the most complex parts. It's also about cleaning until you understand what's in front of you, replacing what has already reached the end of its life, and working with enough order to trust the assembly.
Doing the job right, even when it's tedious, is also part of the result.