I'm hoping I can lower the top of the pan enough just by removing material off the carb connections--center and front only.

I called Ames today and they measured the plastic and metal aftermarket pan height--they're both 3 5/8" like mine, so buying one that will fit is not an option.

I'll try the carb connection method first and report on results. Does it seem reasonable to operate with about 1" of clearance between the hood and carb pans? Or could I get by with less? The stock foam is 1 3/4" thick, so 1" of clearance would compress it less than 2X.