Prop, pitot tube & muffler last
The cowl can be completed after the engine is mounted (with all 4 bolts torqued) and after the spinner back plate and aft half of the prop hub are installed. The prop and spinner and pitot tube will get in the way. Leave them for last.
The directions have you elongate 3 of the water radiator mounting holes. Instead, drill adjacent holes with the circumferences tangent. The water radiator is fastened with 5 bolts. 3 of them screw into nut-plates on the firewall. It sure would be nice if the other 2 bolts also screwed into nut-plates, especially the lower one. Those little nuts that need a 1/4" wrench are a pain to work with, especially when in a hard to reach location. Think about that when you make the heater frame.
When you take the yellow cap off from the bottom of the engine, have a cup ready to catch the oil. Otherwise it will run onto the nose tire. Do not ask how I know.
The muffler will be in the way for installing oil hoses and for taking the cowling on and off many times. The muffler can be mounted temporarily to position the exhaust pipes and to measure the tail pipe for cutting. Permanently mount the muffler second to last just before the prop and pitot tube.
The VA-213 oil hose is just barely long enough. Give the routing of VA-213 priority over the other hoses. Do not connect oil hoses to the oil tank until all of the other hoses are connected (but not tightened). After the cowling and oil cooler are fastened in place with the hoses attached, then pull any slack in the VA-213 hose towards the oil tank and connect it. The routing for VA-213 is between the motor mount halves next to the top right motor mount, down to the lower left motor mount, then straight forward to the oil cooler. The routing for VA-215 oil hose is above VA-213, down between the motor mount halves, passing behind VA-213 below the firewall shelf. Both hoses go between the heater control cable and the bottom of the engine. Under the engine, VA-213 passes to the left of VA-215. After all hoses are connected finger tight and with everything in place, reach between the bottom cowl and right side of the engine to tighten all of the hose fittings with a wrench. You will be glad that the muffler is not in the way.
A permanent bend can be made in the oil tank nylon overflow tube by heating it, then bending and holding until cool.
Joe
