Re the wheel pants, I have blind nuts and two manchine bolts with the allen heads. re the cowl, with my first stearman that had over 1100 flights, never had a problem. after about the first 20 flights, checked everything, tightened everythings, and made sure with lock tite on all the bolts re engine to firewall and all the bolts that held the cowl. And my new one also no problme whatsoever with the cowl. can't tell you re the wheel pants as I have been flying only on skis. The pictures a couple of them are of the Brilleli engine that I am instqlling in the GP Yak 54 that belongs to my friend. This is the way I am doing it.
The other pics is of the FPE that is in my Stearman, and the last picture is of the plane taken yesterday.