More progress on the baffles… CB-706B spacer, check:
Riveted the CB-1007B bracket to the aft right case baffle. These rivets were kind of a pain to set.
Deburred this bracket and attached it to the front of the engine, using one of the existing case bolts and a new lockwasher:
There's another bracket that's supposed to mount to the back of the engine, using the two aftmost bolts. Uh, sounds great, but my engine has a bunch of stuff there already.
I knew I was going to have to move the ignition coils anyway, since the location where Mattituck installs them won't fit when the rear baffle is installed. But even after removing the coils, the fuel line is in the way.
Much better… I gently reshaped the stainless steel fuel line with my fingers until I had about 3/16" clearance from the bracket, then reoriented the adel clamp and its supporting bracket to secure the fuel line in its new orientation. I still need to find a new home for the ignition coils, but that will come later.
Time to start fitting the baffles to the engine. If you think this will be another long, drawn out exercise involving a lot of repeated installing, removing, and trimming, you are correct! I spent half the day just getting these three pieces to fit somewhat well:
As delivered from the factory, the orange silicone gaskets under the rocker covers interfere with the fit of the baffles:
I thought I'd have to trim the gaskets all around, but the only cutting I had to do was in removing the little half-circle tab of rubber at the top. The rest of the fit adjustment was done by loosening the rocker cover screws and shifting the gasket around to make it fit the shape of the baffles.
This area had some interference with the manifold pressure hose:
After grinding a relief notch, the baffle can lay down against the #3 cylinder.
I didn't like the un-reinforced screw hole in the previous photo, so I made a little doubler out of scrap and riveted it on.
An entire day of work and all I have to show for it is baffling for one side of the engine. And I still don't know where I'm going to mount the ignition coils, oil cooler, or any number of other things. Oh well, I guess I must like solving problems or I wouldn't be doing this…
