Things to do during a rebuild

Hey guys. I havent given up my dream of the 4 rotor yet, but this summer I want to buy an old FC as a beater. I want to try and do a rebuild on it myself, possibly get it ported etc. I want to learn as much as I can about the engine to see if it is feasable for me to actually build my own 4 rotor in a few years. Is there anything else I can do while the engine is open to learn more about how their performance works? I want to learn as much as I can in one pass. It can take all summer because it wouldnt be my daily driver. Thanks

check this website out. it has a lot of animations.
http://www.rotaryengineillustrated.com/