I needed to assemble the cooling shroud to test the fit of the individual pieces. Whem I ordered my kit, I received the shroud parts laser cut and partially assembled. I am very satisfied with the fit. The only part that I had to modify for a perfect fit was a small closure panel under the prop flange, which only required a little filing.
The next step is to mount the engine to determine where the control rods will enter the shroud. I will have to cut the shroud at these two locations and fab up some panels to fill the opening around the control rods. It's my understanding that new ships now have these cutouts already made.
I may end up making the closures from a composite material. Some builders use rubber sheeting to close off these openings.
