i diy most the stuff i can, for instance iwouldnt pay some1 to change a clutch or a gearbox because that simple but labour intensive...

however i've never touched the bottom end, i dont mind cams, tappets head gasket etc but ive never done a bottom end and i dont think i touch anything until i had rebuilt a shitter just to amke sure how everything goes etc.

for instance if i was gunna rebuild an rst engine i would start with a shit xr2i, its a similar engine and if it goes wrong, oil leeks or whatever it wont bother me cas the car would cost shit all. if it goes right and runs fine afterwards then id consider taking apart something of a little more value