Cowling attachment to firewall

[Nev]

Today I tried removing the top cowling as if the U channel did extend under the firewall flange, and I can’t actually see how to remove it. What’s the trick ? Obviously I’m missing something.

If I slide the top cowl and top nose bowl forward it hits the spinner before the rear cowl clears the firewall. If I lift the front nose bowl first (with the top cowl attached, it still doesn’t clear the spinner. If I detach the top cowl from the top nose bowl, it doesn’t clear the nose bowl flange OR the firewall flange.

What am I doing wrong here. In 20 years someone must have removed their top cowl at least once. How’d ya’ll do this ??

[jaredyates]

Temporarily spring a little arch in the cowl. Usually I set the front behind the spinner, then apply a forward motion from the back.

[robcaldwell]

I have to completely deconstruct my top cowling to remove it. Then remove the top nose bowl. Then finally the channels.

I built my bottom cowling with the bottom nose bowl and channels built in. So it goes on and off super easy.

[Gary Wallace]

I can lift my top nose bowl up enough to have nose bowl go forward past spinner backplate to remove at firewall channel

[svyolo]

How about attaching the angle to the other side (firewall flange), and unbolt it from the actual cowling to remove the cowl.

[Nev]

This is the way I’m thinking of doing it John. It does require an extra fastener but it will allow the whole top cowl to lift vertically up while attached to the upper nose bowl.

[svyolo]

Hey Nev, how did you end up reinforcing the corner of the upper cowl? I am thinking about trying something similar with the corners of the lower cowl. Still trying to figure it out. It seems to me sandwiching the boot cowl/firewall between the channel and cowl skin would scratch up the paint.

[Nev]

Here's a couple of pics of the steel tabs I made up and attached nut-plates to. The upper cowl is riveted to the nose bowl permanently. It has aluminium extrusion riveted along each side of the upper cowling that supports the piano hinge. The extrusion fits over the steel tabs. So far it all seems to work very well.
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[svyolo]

I like it I think I will do the same. Thanks for taking the time.