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Haven't even got a "bench" ... dont really know where I would put it. Got NOWHERE suitable for taking an engine apart unless it's still in the car.

(Could use the garage, but that's where mums pride and joy - stupid rover 25 - lives. It is not allowed to spend more than one night a month out in the elements. Dont ask me why. Both the polo and astra are deemed worthy of being locked outside in all weathers

Hmph. I'm wondering whether it might be worth me having a bash though - the astra's engine looks to be filling up with pus (at 30k!) ... caveat emptor and all that ... so having a second runner i can quickly slap some insurance on would be a boon. I don't mind re-MOTing it, its the people (particularly the one) who are making noise.

Bench is easy enough.. three breeze blocks each end, three planks of wood on top. Pretty much what I was working on when I did mine, although I had some kind of metal support things to stick the planks of wood on. You would want to beg/borrow/steal/rent an engine crane though, as it does require a bit of manauvering to get in and out and it's a lot easier to manauver something if you're not trying to hold all 100kg or so of it up at the same time

Personally what I would be inclined to do is lay my hands on a replacement engine (and 5 speed box like you've always wanted ), change the head gasket, cam belt, clutch etc while it's out of the car and you can actually reach everything, if you're feeling adventurous hone the bores and replace the piston rings while you're at it, then just do a straight swap. That way the car's completely mobile while you're doing it, there's no hurry to get it done so you're less likely to bugger anything up, and you can spend some time on getting everything just right. Plus, it gives you a bit of a project, and it is interesting dismantling an engine and actually getting an idea of how it all slots together and how it works. Gives you a bit more of a feel for what's up with it if anything goes wrong in the future..

its looking like i might just have to settle for doing the oil out and T-cutting it (the engine still runs nice and the consumption isnt even TWICE what my astra manual reccos as typical consumption... so i think i can get away with that), cleaning the airbox, replacing the filter and touching up the most obvious bodywork boo boos

too much home stress to be bothered with creating more by doing something like that

home layout really doesnt cater for that kind of thing. i'd basically either have to take over the garage ( = not popular) or do it all on the driveway ( = homeless within 12 hours)

if i was living in my own gaff it'd be no trouble - make it this time 2 years ago and i'd probably be attempting it between revision for finals.

thanks for the info though