Gap behind nose gear leg

[RVG8tor]

I need help trying to understand what is going one here. It is an 8A so if you can help thanks.

I understand that you make the filler out of 2.5" and 1.25" wide aluminum; my plane is a down draft IO-360 which is the same as the O-360 from a cowl point of view so I should make the aluminum filler 9.5 inches long according to the plans. This is way longer than the distance from the gear leg to aft part of the cowl. What I can't figure out is how far from the gear leg does this thing get installed. I would think there needs to be some room for the leg to flex. The instructions also have you trim the aft end of the aluminum strip to match the cowl end. I get that once this aluminum section is installed you slide the bracket that attaches to the gear mount gusset. I know I must be missing something. I am hoping some other -8A driver can send me some pictures, my email in my profile works.

It looks like from the drawing they expect you to cut away some of this channel filler so that the leg fairing can go up under the cowl, Why have the leg fairing go that high, would it not work to just stop the leg fairing at the bottom of the cowl and make an intersection fairing? I am hoping to fly in a month so I am not going to get into making leg fairings just yet but I want to have this gap filled to keep the cowl from flapping around in the breeze.

Sorry I don't have a picture of what I am talking about, my guess is if you have gone through this you will know what I speak of.

Cheers.