for that dirt in between the fins, use a toothbrush ( not the one you use... )
and gntly brush that gum off! be careful on those colored engine headers, they can get scratched, and look ugly. feel free to take your car apart, but always clean the engineparts before putting it back together. your hand might have a little dirt of it, which could get on the sleeve or piston, and grind away! also, dont tighten the screws too tight. i stripped a screw on the crankcase while working on my 2.5, which results in me having to tighten the remaining 3 screws once every , about 5 runs.
have fun, merry Christmahonicaquanzica, i think i spelt them wrong, oh well!