Here is something to avoid when building a cub. I've been making good progress with the engine cowling lately. It's one of about three major things I have left. Also need to finish all the wiring and build baffles to include oil cooler mounting. Anyway, since I was mostly done with the cowling, I was kind of transitioning over to the baffles. Most people seem to use a plug bolted to the flange to hold the nose bowl and then build the cowling to fit. I went this same route. Take the starter gear off, make and install the plug withe nose bowl and start building. The Javron kit comes with four steel channels that are undrilled and extra length. Also comes with sheet metal for the cowl pieces that are extra sized and slightly rolled. Once the bowl was where i wanted it, I drilled the ends of the channels to attach to the frame and to the bowl. Then I drilled holes in the sheet metal and trimmed to fit. Quick to say, but I worked on it about a month. Time to start the baffling and I wanted every thing on the engine that might affect the baffles so I took all the cowling off, added the starter gear back, and put the cowling back on. Oh oh! The nose bowl is riding hard on the starter gear web. Fiddled with it for awhile and finally faced the reality that I was essentially going to have to start over. Ordered four new channels and I'm hoping I can use some of the sheet metal but I have my doubts. A month of work wasted. Evidently when I built my plug, I built it with the bowl to low so don't do that.

Wayne

Man that sucks. When I got to this step on my Bearhawk I was so nervous about everything lining up that I just bolted the propeller and spinner on. I wasn't confident that I would accuratley make a spacer to align the nosebowl. On the birght side, the second time you make a part is usually much faster

Ive done a cowling on my 170 and the lower one on my cub. Both times I bolted prop and spinner on to locate nosebowl. Is there no way to add a strip/doubler to the front of the cowl parts which would take all the fasteners?
As with all these things the next one will be better and easier. It must be great to build your 4th or 5th cub:)

I received my new set of channels today so Monday I'll get started to see what I can use. I already know that 3 of the 4 channels need replaced. I am doing it differently this time. As I mentioned, a lot of people use a flange mounted plug and it works for them but you don't typically have the starter gear on. It did not work for me. This time I've bolted the starter gear on and I am clamping the nose bowl to that. That way, I can see clearly what the radial clearances are to the gear. The fwd surface of the starter gear is where the spinner/prop are mounted, so I can lay a straight edge on it to see clearances cowl to prop. I've seen people recommend a little drop of the nose bowl to accommodate engine mount sag over time and I think that's what bit me last time. I'll still probably still do it but I'm going to be a lot more careful this time about how much sag.

Wayne