I like the looks of some of the colored engine covers I see for sale. Doesn’t look too complicated, but is removing the existing cover and replacing it with a colored cover a difficult job?

 

4 bolts and 1 plastic clip. I've done it a few times now and you're really looking at sub-5 minutes. You need a small socket & ratchet, flat blade screwdriver to open the plastic clip, and a plastic trim tool to remove it.

 

 

Yep, looks easy. Several video's. Two show it's not so easy and the foolish folks trying, made errors. One mangled the front fitting that holds a hose by trying to remove old one while still on OEM. After several tried they managed it so bad it didn't fit the new cover! Also, wherever they bought the new colored cover it did not have what they called heat insulation like the OEM. It's there for sound deadening NOT HEAT!

As Usual, "My How To" Many Pics with Captions PDF's Show the Tricks and What NOT To Do! Hard to Screw up BUT Some Do!
Enjoy: http://netwelding.com/Engine_Cover.pdf

 

There are a handful of videos on YouTube, just search for corvette c8 engine cover

 

Very sinple to do, even for us novices. Just be careful when moving bol;ts so you don’t drop them in the engine bay.

 

C21ban - Now you tell me! Did mine a weekend ago and one of my screws went in to the abyss!

 

🤦🏻‍♂️😂

Sorry

 

Yep, one of the CAUTIONS in my "How To Install" PDF states:
"Loosen the four 10 mm bolts holding the engine cover in place. Note they are not very tight, relatively low torque required. That is what should be used when reinstalling! Only use a wrench to loosen each bolt a few threads. Then use you hand to remove it completely and put it in a safe place. YOU DON’T WANT TO DROP A BOLT!” I dropped a screwdriver and it did NOT fall on the ground! But was easy to retrieve. A bolt might not be so easy! "

Yep there are aero panels under the engine. If you're "Lucky" a dropped bolt "May" be close to the oil filter or drain plug access hole! The rear aero plate is also a structural member and made from thick aluminum. Can use a magnet on a long reach flexible retrieval tool!

 

Easy peasy....if I can do it, anyone can.....


As others have said, just be careful with the clip in front. Be patient and it will come loose.

 

My cover is due any day now Can’t wait

 

I bought the optional painted engine cover. It's supposed to be dealer installed during PDI. Does the car arrive at the dealer with just the stock engine cover?

 

Yes, and you are also supposed to get the original cover as well. Don’t let them shortchange you on that

 

From reading the removal instructions above, it does not appear to be very difficult. Good luck with the swap.

 

Great advice! I dropped the same screw twice! First time it ended up in the belly pan. Located it by feeling through an access hole from the under side of the car while it was on the lift. Then dropped it again. Dang! Spent 15 minutes looking for it in the engine bay before I spotted it on the garage floor. The cover replacement was easy. Finding the dropped screws was a real pain.

 

Most "dealer installed options" are probably never in BG! Your engine will look like every other one to the production workers. The cover option will arrive at your dealer, or Courtesy Delivery Dealer's parts department with your VIN number on the package. That is how my 2017 Grand Sport Stage 2 Aero Option came to my Courtesy Delivery a week before my car arrived. It arrived in a "Brown Truck!"

SIDEBAR
I'm sensitive to the illogic of BG receiving a dealer installed option, having to use labor and storage space to stock, then when your car is being built use labor to remove from a shelf and bring to a UPS "Brown Truck" that delivers to a shipping depot and finally arrives at your dealer shipped by a vendor in the same "Brown Truck" and driver that delivers all the parts to the parts department!

When we formed a leveraged buyout of a welding supply business we installed an automated parts retrieval system for the ~100,000 parts we sold. Our distributors would place large orders, we'd pull and put in large pallet boxes. They would spend labor to remove, record and put the items on shelfs. Then have someone pull the product from the shelf and send to their customers in a "Brown Truck." I convinced a number of distributor owner's to just place parts orders and we would ship that same day and the "Same Brown Truck" that delivered to their customer would deliver from us! That was in ~1985 and I knew our leading "low cost competitor" would not "drop ship." In addition they were known to take all large customer orders directly and bypass distributors! We picked up significant market share!

"My guess" is the BG computer sends a message when they start your car's production to the vendor's computer that says ship XYZ to ABC distributor with this VIN on the package!

 

My PDF Cautions to ONLY use a wrench to loosen the screws a few turns! THEN use you fingerers to remove and reinstall! Yep, I dropped a screwdriver that didn't hit the garage floor! But was not that hard to find and remove from an Aero Panel. Those small bolts would be harder to see and retrieve!

It's often the "small things" that make what looks easy hard for DIYer doing something for the 1st time! Like watching the video as I did of a Youtuber with 2 "helpers" trying to remove the plastic front hose clip while the OEM cover was still on he car. After one butchered the clip another only made it worse! When reinstalled in the new cover the fit was very sloppy! I show that with the cover off the car, pushing from the back and twisting from the front keeps it is great shape for reinstall!

 

So has anybody here purchased the eBay/Amazon engine cover?

Engine Cover Edge Red Replacement for 2020-2021 Chevrolet Corvette C8 12697368

 

Inexpensive, but lots of bad reviews. Buyer beware!

 

Race Ready Panels has over 100 different covers that they have done pictured on their website. In addition, they have a very fast turnaround time and will give you $100 core return refund for your OEM cover. They also may offer free shipping especially during holiday sales.