RE: Please help me do the unthinkable ...
I have just read this entire saga. Most have given good advice, but nobody mentioned a not so small safety factor.
It is one that we all have forgotten from time to time and some have paid the price. That spinning prop is dangerous, and while flying by yourself may be safe, working with that engine on the ground can be more dangerous, espicially without some means of communication in case of emergency. Please make sure that everybody knows where you are and that you have some means of communication right with you. A first aid kit is also a must. In my thirty years of flying I have seen two people loose fingers, dozens have had to have stiches and hundreds chop up thier hands. Just be careful and be aware at all times.
Keep safe and keep us posted- it should be interesting.