Raise the Ears Don't Lower the Nose

That worm gear too high had a simpler solution.  Make the pillow blocks taller so the spur gear is higher.  Of course, I was out of the 3/8" sheet, but as I looked at changing dimensions to use 1/2" sheet, it struck me that it was simpler to machine 1/8" off the 1/2" scraps that I was going to reuse.