Heavy engine cover on A25

[trbeau]

My newly acquired 1977 Albin 25 D has a heavy engine cover with a removable piece that allows reasonably good access for some maintenance functions and not-so-good for others. Changing the raw water pump impeller or changing the oil filter would be quite difficult or impossible with the larger part of the engine cover in place.
I've read about solutions that include cutting the cover, etc. The cover is lined with foam/lead/foam that insulates against noise very well and extra holes or ports can only make it louder.
So...I might be able to hinge the rearmost lower edge of the box and simply tilt it back but there's a two by four mounted into the hull that prevents tilting. Has anyone cut that two by four and fabricated a latch to reconnect it. Then it could be removed, engine box tilted back and work could proceed.
Worst case scenario is failed raw water impeller while on the ICW somewhere far from help.
Any ideas?

[WillieC]

I do a lot of service/maintenance/inspection from back end of the engine looking and leaning forward. I could not abide that hulk of a cover in my way. The longer we own the WillieC, the more I like the fully removable cover, though I did not like it at first. Now if we got turned upside down, I may not like it as much, but there would potentially be other thoughts on my mind. It would not be difficult to add a couple of hatch locks. It might even make it quieter.

[trbeau]

Here's a picture of the rear of engine box. With a couple of detachable hinges I think I could fold back the big cover.

[trbeau]

Here's pic of engine box rear.

[trbeau]

Here's pic of rear of heavy engine box. I can move it by myself but it's too heavy to do regularly.