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It surprises me that people think there are inconsistencies here.

As far as I can tell, there is a unique answer grid available which perfectly satisfies the intended rule: where the phonetisation of the answer contains the sound of a letter-name, replace the relevant part of the answer with that letter, such that the whole reads phonetically the same as it originally did.

I've got one letter left. You know how annoying that is.
41d. I have C?A.
Engineers getting out shipping route (6)

CWA?

2d
The great Swan of Avon's word for released
Which is a headless bird EN
with loudly F
and a vibrating tongue REED.

ENFREED.

I have the w from 45a, yes and assumed seaway was good. Se and away was the break down.

Thanks tatters! Seaway! It is a good one.

And thank you Rrrobbo!

Demeter, I am sort of with you and I think it's probably all a matter of pronunciation. I don't have a good enough dictionary to be sure but i am starting to wonder if I have some wrong. For example, 7d - I went from s to z and think I should change it back. Z is zed not ze so it stays an s.

The most glaring inconsistency is 17a, which breaks down for pronunciation purposes as ESSE - N, so should appear as S-N (the second e being silent).

The actual grid entry SEN implies the pronunciation is ESS - EN !!

A grid entry of SN would imply the pronunciation is ESS EN.

Only the ESS part of the word is pronounced as the letter S is, so it is changed, but the EN part does not match any single letter so is left unchanged. (A bit like the G/J in 47)

No inconsistency.