1. Thanks. I didn't think so either, but I know backpressure can be important to 2 cycle engines & I didn't know how much the deflector would affect this.

2. Doubt it if the clunk did get flipped because I was flying level making gentle turns when it cut out. My buddy said we should have heard a difference in the sound of the engine if it ran out of fuel or got starved. We didn't. Nothing spectacular happend in the landing. My friend made a great dead stick landing.

3. I've already reassembled it w/ the baffle pointing towards the rear of the airplane. I'll ground check the engine before I fly again and change it if need be. I'll be sure to check the tightness of the screw before I run the engine. Good tip to know.

Thanks for the help.