Heres the 15 minute version from memory.....
Cowl installation steps: assuming new Atlee rails & boot cowl.
1. Mark rails for drilling holes at nose bowl by installing top cowl on nose bowl, then installing rails with rail on TOP of nose bowl temporarily to mark holes through existing nose bowl holes. Keep rails and nose bowl same angle as will be installed on plane. Once happy remove rails and drill top rails. Also mark sides of rails at firewall end so you will be able to see where existing hole is when covered by cowls(you need this in #11 below)
2. Repeat with bottom cowl for bottom rails
3. Screw rails to nose bowl with countersunk screws & nuts.. not quite snug for now.
4. Install top and bottom cowls on nose bowl and rails
5. Before setting the nose bowl and top & bottom cowl assembly on, first take some thick felt pieces 1/2”? thick (I use the piper baffle felt) tape them on flywheel (make sure you have the flywheel bolted down flat and snug) to help align the nose bowl evenly off the flywheel and to center up the nose bowl at fly wheel.
6. Use 4 pairs of small “C” clamp vise grips(plain ends, not swivel ends) to clamp cowl rails at fire wall to mounting tabs on boot cowl. Use a wood blocks on top of top & bottom cowls to protect it from damage from clamps
7. Now just start playing with the 4 clamps and also with adding blocks under the center standoff on top of nose bowl to engine case, trying to keep flywheel centered in open of nose bowl, and keeping top of flywheel from hitting nose bowl.....
8. When it starts looking good, remove felt, install prop sinner backing plate and make sure it will clear nose bowl and that the gap between it and the face of nose bowl is even... check and see how air box and air cleaner center up & clear.
9. Keep doing steps 6 to 8 until it looks good.... or is best you can get...... you may need to walk away for a night....
10. Also.....you may end up shortening rails at firewall ends, and once happy you usually end up shortening the tabs on firewall so they will lay flat without hitting the receptacles for the fasteners in rails(atlee boot cowl)
11. Measure and mark where to drill tabs on fire wall to match existing holes in rails.
12. Make new rods to go from engine mount to bottom rails& install, make sure you miss exhaust.. make sure exhaust was on for all of these steps!!
13. Now make new side cowl doors, install hinge, bottom latch angle, rear former, make them 1 “ long in front
14. Carefully trim front till with 1/2” of where it needs to end up.
15. Open door to get door out of the way and put 3/4" masking tape on nose bowl exactly IN FRONT of where you want front edge of door to end.
16. Close & latch door, now put a piece of tape directly over last one, the back edge of tape will mark where to end your trimming at.... or at least give you a line to sneak up on...
