- I checked the horizontal distance of 22-13/16" per the plans, from the lower corner of the fuselage to the front of the engine mount bolt tubes. It looks like I'm about 3/8" too far forward. The problem is, I don't see any way to reduce that. The engine mount is tight against the firewall, and if I start whittling away at the lower mount, I'll be into the fillet welds.
- To get the engine mount against the firewall I had to file away some of the top of the upper right mount plate of the engine mount, and also some of the lower horizontal plates at the lower engine mount (photo #2). I also had to relieve the back of the lower right mount because it was hitting two of the firewall rivets.
- I will prime and paint all the filed areas after I get the mounting holes drilled.
- To get the shims to stay in place as I wrestle the mount onto the fuselage, I used double-sided carpet tape to tape the shim layers together, and to then stick them to the fuselage motor mounts (photo #1).
Tomorrow I will see if I can get everything clamped in place, and actually start drilling holes.
Shims held with double-sided carpet tape.
After gringing down some of the engine mount material.
