] First and foremost avoid threads like SRI or CAI!

Just kidding if that's your thread everybody...........

But yeah reading is great. Understanding is the hard part. Most manuals are vague as Fvck so you have to have a working knowledge to make sense of those, but there are plenty of other things to read. HowStuffWorks.com is a great source for learning the basics of all kinds of engines and it has many other things of course, like how tires work if you want to get into that more in depth.

Videos and car shows are also your friend, with the exception of Pimp My Ride which is kind of funny, but not a serious car show.

And for the engine question.... start with a cherry picker.