16 - Before lifting the spider from inside the box, I marked the mounting holes. Then I pulled the spider out and gently drilled them out. Here I’ve temporarily mounted the spider on the outside to check the fit.
17 - I don’t like blind nuts because if they strip they’re a pain to replace. Instead I prefer to use self-threading plastic inserts. Here I’ve glued 4 of them over the mounting holes.
18 - I cut 4 little pieces of plywood that bridge the corners and help support the plastic tubes.
19 - I used baking soda to make a super-strong solid mount for the plastic tubes and the corners of the engine mount. (THIS PART WILL BE A SEPARATE ARTICLE SOON - IT’S VERY EASY TO DO, BUT NOT QUITE AS EASY AS JUST DUMPING BAKING SODA IN PLACE.)
20 - Finished box with the motor mounted in place. Hmmm... looks a little long.....
21 - Here I’m using a piece of maple to cut 3/8” from each side of the box.
22 - Still too long, take another 3/8” slice off.
23 - And then another 1/8” slice off. The red portion will be cut off to provide downthrust.
24 - Red bit is cut off, and I’m sanding the sides to match the angle.
25 - Box is finished.
26 - Box with motor mounted in place.
27 - The box mounted in place on the firewall. Getting it aligned was a bit of a pain, so take your time and don’t rush things. If you rush your plane will fly funny and everybody will laugh at you. And it will rain and be windy all the time. Anyway, you get the idea. Take your time.
28 - Here you can see the slight downthrust that matches the original angle.
29 - Motor mounted in place.
30 - Cowl and prop mounted in place. Ta Da! You’re finished. (Don’t forget to get the CG in the same location as before and go fly.)
