Changing out a 912 80 HP in a model IV

[Wheels]

I heated the water pump cover with a torch. It didn't matter much. The damage was done. I ordered new parts and Im having them clocked to my specs by guys who do it every day. Yup, it was pricey.

[Dave S]

Looks to me like it was cross threaded some time before you got it - rough deal on the $ , but it probably would not have worked out any different no matter who took it apart.

[Wheels]

Thanks for the boost. It's just one more opportunity for me to tell my friends, "Never feel sorry for a guy who has an airplane." No whining, just winning.

[Wheels]

Ok, it's game time. My replacement parts arrived and the 4 elbows in it are loose so I can clock them to my specs. Problem is, look.
Is my only option to remove the #4 elbow and adjust it so that it doesn't align PERFECTLY with the rear of the engine mount?
Guy Buchanon has great pics of his mod and I will duplicate as much as I can if I can get some pipes bent, but was hoping to avoid the dreaded heat, remove, clean, reinstall scenario of the other elbows. The one that I hashed up in my first round cost me a lot of money and a lot of time. My objective is no contact with the hoses and airframe or exhaust, no stress from misaligned elbows. Those two things appear to be ... quite challenging.

[Guy Buchanan]

When I did mine I bought a handful of 90's, 45's, and whatever else they had and mixed and rotated until I got the alignment I wanted. I even used one of the water pump elbows welded to the upper reservoir to get its alignment correct. Once I had the water pump alignment I wanted I marked everything really well, disassembled counting turns, then used the Loktite and re-assembled, taking care to spin in the same number of turns and aligning correctly before the tube seized. (For me it happened quite rapidly. Too rapidly.) Do it one tube at a time.

[Wheels]

I need to get the engine vertical to work under the heads on the bench. Have any of you locally manufactured a stand for your engine? Pics?

[Av8r3400]

I put mine on a regular engine stand from Harbor Freight and turned it...

[kmach]

I had an old school desk, put a 3/4" piece of plywood on it and drilled holes for prop flange center and holes, bolted through. it was very stable.

[Wheels]

I like the desk! I did make some progress today and I needed that. I used silglyde to lube the hoses while I fit them to the various elbows under the heads. I changed out various water pump angle elbows and came up with the likely route for cylinders 2 and 4. the hoses are touching and they need anti chafe tape or firesleeve but there are no kinks and I will be able to observe their heath pretty readily. I'll do 1 and 3 tomorrow and post some pics. this has been the toughest part of the install for me because I have been so concerned about the hoses not having any stress other than their normal job. I had leaks from the coolant system on my old engine and just can't imagine having to do extra maintenance due to a poorly fit engine. I"ll clean the silglyde off with soap and water from the hoses when I have everything situated the way its going to be assembled.
Thanks for the heads up on harbor freight and the desk, I will probably go with the desk idea and modify it to my bench. I just need to get at some stuff and working under the engine while blocked up on my table is a pain. Yes, its on a hoist for security as well.

[Wheels]

Ok, I got at the bottom half of the water system tonight and did the only thing I could do. Any comments on better ideas are welcome but I just don't see any alternatives other than to try and mitigate chafing and crimping as best I can.
So, I"m figuring on watching very closely for chafing, crimping, leaking. time will tell. But its just dang tight, and I haven't fire sleeved it yet.