NB 2.6 Head Gasket

[Ratbago]

After taking off the heater pipes that the previous owner had bypassed , i have found a mess of oil and coolant , noticed car was using a fair bit of oil as well , have ordered a head gasket and all associated gaskets kit. I have all the tools and a fair bit of mechanical knowledge , my question is , is there anything i should look out for or be careful of . I have a Mitsubishi manual and a mcgregors manual , but as many of us know cars can change alot once they have aged , especially this one being 34 years old. Any info would be great thanks


Edit: I have also heard of balance shaft delete kits and was wondering if these are worth doing while i have it all apart.