RE: engine causing grief!!
Did you forget the washer under the prop drive?
If you lost or forgot it, the crankshaft will slide too far back as you tighten the prop nut and cause the rear of the shaft to hit the backplate ( why doesn't O.S. fix this? )...
As for the backplate...
Remove the four screws and lightly wedge a screwdriver in to gently pry it off.