As above, I don't see this as "your" problem. This is "their" problem. They pay for repairs, AND buy you a rental truck while yours is tied-up. Colorado is a liberal hell-hole. They've almost certainly got an aggressive Attorney General "consumer hotline" that's more than willing to help--for free. Could easily be that the local media also has a consumer help department that reports on business malfeasance, and that would be "free", too. Do not forget that the shop has insurance to cover their liability.
What EXACTLY are you replacing? You said the "block", but I bet this is going to end up as a complete engine, long-block, or short-block. What you're putting in makes a difference in how you're going to attack this, and the tools needed.
1. Take pictures as you work.
2. Label all harnesses and vacuum connections. Label brackets. Buy a Sharpie and some masking tape to make labels with.
3. Buy half-gallon and quart sized zip-lock bags to keep hardware separate; and LABEL THE BAGS with a Sharpie
4. "Good luck" finding decent motor mount cushions. I re-used my 300,000 mile rubber mounts because the aftermarket mounts are horse-**** thin steel housings, and the Polyurethane inserts are the wrong shape--too large, the steel inserts are positioned at the wrong angle.
5. Drain the coolant using the radiator draincock AND BOTH BLOCK DRAINS. One side will be the knock sensor, the other side should be an iron plug. I replace the iron plug with a brass plug, or with a brass draincock.
6. Bolt a chain from the front of one cylinder head to the rear of the other head. Leave enough slack so you can put a long bolt, washers, and nut through the chain at the hook for your hoist. That way the hook can't slide down the chain if the engine becomes unbalanced. MARK THE LINKS so that the chain can be reattached the same way to the replacement engine. You want the engine to go "in" at the same angle it came "out".
7. Everything "rubber" is suspect. Fan belt(s), engine mounts, radiator and coolant hoses, etc. Inspect carefully.
8. Good time to assure that the radiator is in good condition, along with all the accessories--alternator, PS, AC, water pump, starter motor, air pump, etc.
9. Examine the flywheel/flexplate. Replace as needed. Beware the balance of aftermarket flexplates. Sometimes the offset weight is visibly too small or too large.
10. If you want headers, now's the time.
11. Route the spark plug wires EXACTLY according to service-manual routing procedure. Use whatever clips 'n' holders are required to keep the plug wires EXACTLY as specified.
12. Don't forget about the O-rings on whatever fuel system components you disassemble. Good time to replace the fuel filter, too.
13. When the engine is out, you'll have a clear shot at power-washing the chassis and firewall. Don't screw up any of your markings on the wire harness or fuel connections.
14. Use Loctite/Permatex "PST" (Loctite #592 is the easiest to find) on all pipe-thread connections. DO NOT use "Teflon tape" on fuel or oil system threads. Tape on cooling system threads is bad enough.
15. DO NOT use RTV Silicone on a gasket, except where a gasket and a seal join at a seam. RTV Siicone is for replacing gaskets, not coating gaskets. For the record, Permatex "The Right Stuff" is five times the product that RTV Silicone is. But you still do not coat a gasket with it, except for a "dot" at the seam between a gasket and a rubber seal.
16. There's a dozen different kinds of "gasket sealer". ANY of them is better than RTV Silicone. Gasgacinch, High Tack, Copper Coat, Permatex #1, #2, or #3, Indian Head Shellac...the list goes on and on.
