It’s not necessarily the stuff that can be temperamental, it’s invariably the hands of the applier that won’t do as instructed. They are too large, in the wrong position & will not work when in the right, you are underneath with water dripping in your eyes, which are already half closed & the screwdriver is an inch out of reach & can only be retrieved by wriggling out & starting again. I have a pit in my garage but insufficient spring left in my legs to get out once in, however the above still apply to me although I can sit on a small stool & that means craning my neck (not good) whilst the jackers up can lay on their backs.
If you start off MG ownership hale & hearty with a determination to look after it yourself, you will soon accrue some small disability, in addition to cuts, abrasions, burns & bruises.
M