Ok I'm preping the engine for my rat tractor,A 16hp out of a CC it has the 1" crank I need, and the small base block to fit my oil pan.
I'm putting a S/G on it for looks, and I love how quiet they start, I have the older sheet metal for it from a 1067 thanks to Perry

I -*test*-('") fit the tin blower housing to see if it would clear the ring gear, didn't think it would, and it didn't

Question 1, does the ring gear come off like a car? little heat and tap it off??

before I mess up a flywheel that I don't have a spare for.
Question 2, having to use the oil pan from a 1055 (very shallow) how much of the dipper on the rod do I cut off?? setting the pan up on the block looks like about a inch, how close to the bottom of the pan should I make it??
Question 3, I'm not running a gov. on the engine, can I leave the gears in?? and the rod sticking out of the block?? I'm not tearing the engine all the way down, just rings and gaskets.
And it does not have ballace gears in this one, not sure if the 16hp had them or not??
Any cheap tricks to get a little more power out of this? must be cheap or free

this is low budget.