It is not that I want to do this, nor do I feel I need to do so to prove anything.  I think I know my limits and getting the engine out (and then, even harder, getting it back in) is at the furthest edge of what I think I can manage or wish to manage.  I won't pretend that I don't find this very intimidating.

So, why am I putting myself through this?  To which there is a simple answer, to clean, de-rust and repaint the engine bay of my Caterham 21.

What makes things more difficult?  Firstly this is unknown territory.  Secondly, I am working in a single garage; this is narrow enough that you can not park the 21 in it and open the door fully.  Thirdly, this garage is remote from home and has no mains power.

I tried to be well prepared.  I checked the guides section of this website: https://www.lotus7.club/guides  where I fully expected to find a good guide.  There is this https://www.lotus7.club/guides/how-guides/removing-k-series-engine which has value but can hardly be described as comprehensive or step-by-step.  So I asked on BlatChat, in TechTalk and received some answers and reassurance.  See: https://www.lotus7.club/forum/techtalk/k-series-engine-removal-1

One part of the preparation was thinking on where to store all the bits as they were removed from the car.  One was a cargo net suspended from the roof.

Top of the list for a 21 is to remove the bonnet.  It is huge, unquestionably a two person job.  So I persuded a friend to help; between two this is easy and we lifted it onto the cargo net.

You will see that it is far too heavy! (the yellow is an old bedspread from my parent's old house, the blue is the 21's car cover).

So we stood it up at the end of the garage.

Cardboard underneath, heavy side against the wall, car cover to protect the paint work and the bonnet catches make good securing points.

Here is the car without its bonnet.