Well after 7 days of flu including 3 bedridden, I managed a bit more today.
Gave the front on the engine a scrubbing with paraffin then some brake cleaner prior to thinking about painting. I'm concerned as there is still a lot of stuff in the way, oil cooler, oil filter, engine mounts. Do I just mask off as much as poss?
Took the exup valve out and greased it all up. I think it wasn't seated right before as it would not rest over the locking hole but now I've had it all out I've made it fit. This does rotate clockwise from closed doesn't it? Looking at the pulley side that is.
Gave the rest of the down pipes a real clean with harpic and emery cloth, exhaust gaskets pried out, can I reuse them? That's it for now.