Went out today to start getting the plane ready to weigh. My cowlings have all been fit to the aircraft before. Went to put the lower cowling on and it doesn't want to go on. Three bladed prop and the cowling hits the prop blades before it slides up and in. Have tried rocking the prop from side to side to get one side in first and then the other. Have tried the prop oriented single blade up and single blade down. With the single blade up, the one side will slide up but the other side gets cocked back some and won't go past the blade. At least it wouldn't go but I didn't try brute force. Single blade down it just hits but again - haven't tried bending/brute force. I have fit the cowling on before but the prop wasn't attached without issue. So my question are you removing the prop to put the cowling on? There's another secret squirrel trick that gets the cowling on?

Appreciate any inputs/suggestions. Really don't want to remove the prop after finally getting it balanced but I do have it marked so that if I do remove it, I can put it back together the same way.

Thanks

Gary