Date:    9-27-2006
Number of Hours:    1.75
Brief Description:    Sec 46-2 steps 1-2
My BPE IO 540X engine is due to get built and delivered in a couple of weeks, so I want to get ready so I can mount it soon after it arrives. Some recent chatter on Matronics about misaligned holes between the mount and the firewall. sure enough I had the same problem. The plans say to drill one of the two top holes and then use one of the bolts to hold/pin it while match drilling the other top mount. HOWEVER, when one side was drilled, the other hole on the firewall was too far outboard of the engine mount bushing, I tried severall lthings to 'spread 'the holes so that they could be match drilled. Finally, I crafted a 1"x2" piece of wood that was notched on one end to fit the engine mount weldment to keep it from slipping and the other end I cut on an angle, and then used a plastic mallet to wedge the wood 'spreader bar' between the to upper bushings. By using the tapered end I was able to get the other hole perfectly centered and thn proceeded to match drill it. The other 4 mounts were relatively close after the above, however the lower corner mount was NOT flush with the firewall land protruded aprox 3/8". Others on Matronics mentioned similar experience and said that it snugged up easily when tightened. This was my experience as well.