I need some advice on cutting my cowl. I am wondering if anyone has any tricks to get the cowl over the engine without a huge hole. You can see in the photo the line where I will have to cut the cowl to get the cowl over the engine. The engine mount is keeping me from having enough room. The engine is not bolted in.
Thanks
Jamie

I think the phrase "cut and try" was coined by a modeler.

I'm a big fan of using the two different sized sanding drums that are available for the dremel.. Go slow and be sure the the cowl and motor are lined up before making big changes...

What tool is best for cutting a fiberglass cowl? I have a dremel, but which attachment do I need?

I am going to have a huge hole! The valve cover and head stick so far out that I am going to have to keep cutting the hole bigger. The firewall is big and not allowing the clearance I need. I just wanted to make sure I did not cut it out and find later that I could have done something else and made it a nicer fit. This is my rough cut and I will smooth it up later. I have not yet cut out for the muffler. I think I could have gone inverted and had a really clean fit. It is a Saito 80 GK on a Seagull Ultimate.

Maybe noone will notice the huge hole because they will be blinded by how cool it looks?????

That's actually not too bad. the more you cut, the better you will get. Unfortunately, the only way to get a cowl over a big engine is with a big hole. Some airplane/cowl designs and engines are easier than others.

Its the old 10lbs of stuff in a 5lb bag.

I've never had to cut a cowl but would removing rocker covers and rockers have given you a bit more room?.

Lokks good to me though, i would be happy with that.

Phew! Glad that is over! I hate taking a grinder to shiney cowl. This is what I ened up with. I had to cut alot more so I could manipulate the cowl to get the pipe threaded on. I finally got smart and put some tape over the painted head but not after I managed to scrape some off. I used a whiz wheel to cut a hole and then I shaped it with a grinding stone, I used one for sharpening chainsaw blades, it is small in diameter.

Yeah 10lb. into a 5lb. paper bag, I was expecting to hear a crack any minute! At one point I had to unbolt the engine through the cowl (Luckily I had one nut on) and remove the engine to get the cowl off. Tight fit!

I thought about that but was afraid to get the fiberglass dust on them and did not want to have to replace the gaskets (I was lazy). That is the same reason I did not go inverted, I was to lazy to drill new holes and move the mount. I barely got the the pipe to go on. The thrust washer is tapered and would not come off, that would have helped alot.

Heres another way to cut for saitos.

After much trial and error I have found that in order to get the cleanest lines, use the dremel tool to cur everything square and plumb then grab some emery cloth and smooth it out.

Pete

Pete that looks good! Nice and crisp. I wish I could have gotten away with that small of a hole.

Hey thanks Jamie,

It'll only get better and better. Yours looks very good BTW.

aesthetically, it might not be the prettiest, but that engine will benefit with more airflow over the heads for keeping it cool.

btw...it looks great to me

That is my excuse... air flow! I still need to cut a hole underneath for added airflow and fuel/oil to drip out of. I got nervous because I have seen so many cut out to fit ao close to the engine, like Pete's, and mine kept getting bigger.