I think you can remove and replace the components in any order you want. Just make sure you do the pivot with the blade closed, or the lock bar will push the blade forward and the pivot holes won't line up. For blade centering, check out this vid. The only thing I'd add is that I use a tightly folded wad of paper instead of an L key (don't wanna scratch up the scales and whatnot). Other than that, this method works like a charm for centering any disassemblable folder. :thumbup:
[video=youtube;tYHYYgSVZAY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYHYYgSVZAY[/video]