Marv, if I were you I would re-consider my decision to put
that engine in there plugs up. The troubles Ed has had
should be a warning. The engine is not happy plugs up.
The water jacket is not designed for it and the oil
drain back is not designed for it.

The picture is a cutaway of the center housing. The dark
places are the oil vent and drain back system. As you
can see the drain back is designed to work well
when the engine is upright.  cutaway2.jpg

At this point in time Ed has little choice but to go with
what he has. In your case you still have time to change.

I would re-measure the engine if I were you. You will find
the distance from plug tips to e-shaft center line is more
than the distance to the top of the rotor housing from e-shaft
center line.

You will need to move the alternator and you will need to
cut down the water pump neck but your engine will thank you
for it.

Assuming for the moment you are successful in cantilevering
the engine off the front cover you will still need to PROPERLY
feed those loads into the Lancair fuselage. That will
take a massive structure to spread the loads and feed them
into the Lancair firewall hardpoints or the stock
Lancair Lycoming motor mount. 

Lycoming engines are designed for cantilevering. Go to the airport
and have another look. Check out the massive thick brackets 
on the engine and the beefed up crankcase in the area of those
brackets.

Mazda engines are not designed to be cantilevered off
the front cover!

Paul Lamar
 
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