Yeah, everything that's gone wrong was stuff my brother and I didn't do ourselves. Machine shop has been around for decades, good reputation. Owner probably just dumped the job on some newbie that porked it. If I ever need work done again I'll be going somewhere else. Engine's running mint apart from the oil consumption. Zero noise, beautifully smooth throughout the tach. Did a leakdown test a few days ago and got 5% leak in every cylinder, which from what I understand is what you'd expect from a new engine. You never know, but I'm reasonably confident the valve seals are the last major issue. Knock on wood lol
Edit: Service manual is super helpful with the fuel filter. Says remove x, y, z, lol. The fuel level unit clips to the filter housing it's just nothing like any clip I've ever seen.