Originally Posted by
hsukaria
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Then I realized why. The engine backplate is filled with what looks like melted lead. Maybe a previous owner needed weight on the nose of the plane? How do I get that stuff out?
Hello hsukaria,
I can tell you what I would try.
I would not use any heat.
I would remove the back cover ( 4 screws ).
I would use soft jaws in a vise or some semi-hard wood like pine to hold the back cover in the vise
I would tighten the vise just enough to hold the back cover solidly.
I would use a small 'cold chisel' about 1/4" or 3/8" wide and a small hammer and start chiseling away in a direction 90 degrees to the vise jaws.starting at the outer edge of the lead and hammering toward the center.Some patience would be needed removing a bit at a time.
An alternative to a small chisel could be a screwdriver that has been ground on one face only to make the equivalent of a wood chisel in shape.
I would want to avod hammering the periphery of the back cover which I assume is aluminum.
I do not know your tooling facilities but another way would be to use a small drill press and a 1/4" dia ' end mill '. Adjusting the lowest reach of the drill just to avoid touching the back cover.
Wishing you success in removing that material.
Zor