I started this post over a week ago and then never got around to finishing it. Just realized it wasn't finished when I went to start on the one for this week.
This week I was working on the center cabin cover, the fuel pump cover, and the fuel pump valve cover and plate.
For once, this whole thing is pretty basic and doesn't have much in the way of surprises. The center cover will cover the fuel and brake lines. The fuel selector is on top of a short pedestal mounted to the front spar. The fuel lines run from the left and right tanks through the selector and forward under the center cover. Brake lines are from the mains, which are on the outboard forward side of the spar.
Before I got started I deburred the parts and clecoed everything in place to make sure I understood how it was all supposed to go together and that it seemed to make sense.
This is the plate where the fuel selector will go. The angled forward part is where the elevator trim will go (mine will be manual).
Installed the nutplates in the fuel selector cover.
More nutplates in the center cover. The cover is laying on its side - it is L shaped, and part extends vertically up the firewall. The part to the right is where cabin heat will enter the cabin. Below will be the fuel pump, which gets mounted on the firewall. There is an access plate that covers the fuel pump, which is what all the nutplates around the open square area are for.
Once all the nutplates are on, I fit everything back on and screwed it down to make sure the alignment was correct. Once it's right, the center cover gets shimmed to the correct height, then match drilled. Nutplates are installed to make it secure yet removable.
I made up some shims from some scrap wood.
Center cover shimmed and installed to the correct height. I made up a drilling template to put the drill bit at the correct height and make sure it didn't move on me.
Installing nut plates on the center cover.
Center cover is done except for priming. Next week I'll start on the flap stuff.
