Hello!
Oh, you don’t have to worry about the classification - all modellers should learn from each other. Aircraft modellers detail their engines too!
Mr. Hermel is really good source of ideas, definitely worth checking out. I used his articles as help with detiling my diesel. You can see it here:
cs.finescale.com/…/127400.aspx
I also agree, that it’s crucial to get some good reference - without it it’s hard to put all those wires and pipes on the machine to look right. Also, please pay atention to the finish - while in the USA most engines are painted, the Russians and the Germans like to leave them in the colour of the material they were made - so usually cast iron or aluminium. Stamped parts get painted (like the oil pan), cast ones ususally don’t.
Hope it helps, have a nice day
Paweł