RCU Forums - quick and easy engine alignment/mounting

One of the things that has for me at least been troublesome is getting proper engine alignment to the thrust lines on the firewall
like everyone else I never end upusing the recomendedmotor that the firewall is drilled for so what I came up with is my own bulletproof way of
ensuring perfect alignment.
I make my templates out of thin clear lexan available at the lhs by cutting it with canopy scissors to match the footprint of my
standoffs or beam mount,
nextlay the lexan against the mount or standoffsand with a 1/16" bit drill a pilot hole in the center of each
hole now pick one of the pilot holes and enlarge it carefully until it exactly matches the the threaded hole in the mount or standoff
with a small pointed dremel grind stone.
next using the hole you enlarged align the the lexanand securely mount the plate to the mount or standoff with an appropriate length bolt and washer and
carefully enlarge the remaining holes to match as you did the first one.
Next remove the plate and mark it in such away that you can orient the template I mark mine with a piece of blue tape onthe cylinder end
next with straight edge scribe avisible line fromcorner tocornerthru the center of theholes forming an X which nowbecomes center of the propshaft
next measure and markthe center between the top and bottom holes as well as the left and right.
now lay your finished template against the firewall andorient your cylinder mark,align the center of the X where the lines on the firewall intersect and align the center marks with
with the vertical and horizontal lines on the firewall, secure your template to the firewall with some tape and drill it
This works first time everytime and the best part isyou can see thru it.
I've got a draw full of lexan templates, now motor alignment andmounting takes less than 5 minutes with zero guesswork