I recently purchased the clear engine bay cover for my 2022 C8. I received the rubber seal from Rapid Rev. Applied the rubber seal around the inner edge of the engine bay and then placed the clear cover over the engine bay securing the cover with factory screws and heat resistant washers. The engine cover fit the engine bay contour very well, laid flat and no openings could be noted. I had taken the C8 out for a one hour highway drive, (outside temperature 87degrees) and upon returning home opened up the engine bay. It appears that the rubber seal held up well from the engine heat but edges of the clear cover had started to warp, lifting up on both sides of the clear engine cover. Was wondering if anyone else noted this problem?
I did contact Mr. Shelley from Rapid Rev and he advised with his material there is bound to be a little movement with the cover. This new material we are using doesn’t crack with stress. Over time it should lay back down. We have not seen any warping with the new configuration.

 

I dont want to be a downer but that thing is 100% going to warp later on.

 

Seems hard to believe it's going to flatten back out, but I certainly don't know for sure. As long as the seal is good, it's only a cosmetic issues, but still....

I wonder what this new plastic material is. The website just says "thermoplastic," which doesn't really tell us anything.

 

Loosen the screws, it's probably over tightened.

 

"...it's only a cosmetic issue..." The cover is the same, though, isn't it?

 

I can't get over how sooo many want to show off the plastic cover over the engine!!! If you want to show off an engine.... a real engine, not a plastic cover, get a Ferrari.....

 

I call bs on it flattening itself out… it’s only going to get worse.

 

I like the idea of the engine clear cover but what I wish someone had done is having a hinged cover so you could just open her up for showing or cleaning or just getting to things...Make a cover with the same material and just cut out an area.. Use twist locks to hold in place with hinges..Then just open her up when needed..Would have the same insulation and so forth as we have now...Just have a hinged opening.....Just a thought..
Hope you cover works out for you...

 

this is the correct answer. The screws should just be snug not tight

 

I don't think the risk is worth the reward here. Heat is both a short term and long term enemy of engines. You will shorten the life of rubber and plastic parts in the motor, you can overstress the cooling system, you can shorten the lifespan of the motor. The inner clear plastic warping is just the beginning, What happens when the external engine cover "trunk" lid starts to melt or warp? The paint can fade or fail more quickly from the extra heat coming up. The top electronics and mechanical bits (which are very complex and need to be perfect for the system to work) are probably not helped by extra heat. The insulation that is on the stock engine cover is probably there for a good reason.

And at the end of the day, at any given show there are many Corvettes, and all coupes have the engine exposed all of the time, I'm not even sure people look at those, because as someone already pointed out, what you are looking at is a plastic cover. When a convertible displays with a trunk lid open, it detracts from the best part of the C8 HTC - the beautiful lines of the car!!

 

^ well said. But as far as the cover and the warping that occurred, I do not think that the material will return to its original shape.

 

I took a different route. I replaced the screws holding down the stock engine cover with magnets (got the idea on this forum). Now, whenever I want to show off the engine, I just pop off the engine cover. Also, much easier to keep the engine clean this way, as it does get quite dusty in a relatively short amount of time...

 

I have seen a variation of this at shows already. The owner replaced the fasteners with magnets - as some have described on the forum. But when removed, he had some way where the removed cover just tilted up and was held to the underside of his tonneau. It wasn't hinged, he just removes the cover and tilts it up, and something held it there. Looked ok to me, and allowed a full view of the engine bay. Some remark about the value of seeing the decorative cover over the intake plenum. I won't go there, but I do like to see the entire engine bay, so for me its not just about the decorative cover. At the same show, there was also a clear cover. Its a personal preference - but I think I liked the direct view at least as well as the view through the cover.

 

Web based Geek session:

Plastics today are used in almost unlimited number of applications, many of which were previously handled by metal components, especially when the application required the part to be exposed to harsh conditions such as temperature extremes. Today’s modern plastic formulations are superior in many ways to previous generations of plastic materials; however, they come in a wide range of compounds and not all plastics are suitable for all applications. Every plastic formulation has its own unique characteristics, such as durability, tensile and impact strength, temperature range, and more.

If you’re selecting a plastic material for a specific application, it’s important to choose it based on the critical properties associated with it, such as thermal expansion – the plastic’s ability to change in shape, area, and volume in response to temperature changes. The coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) is the degree of expansion divided by the change in temperature. The higher the coefficient number, the more change in size.

There are several major thermoplastic compounds manufactured under various brand names that exhibit good thermal expansion characteristics. Seven of the most common plastic materials for thermal expansion are:

Acetal (POM) offers excellent strength, stiffness, and dimensional stability as well as wear resistance and easy machining. Acetal has a 80-120 coefficient of thermal expansion, and as a polyoxymethylene (POM) homopolymer, a high-end temperature of 248o F while the POM copolymer has a temperature range of -40 to 248o F.

Nylon (PA) is available in a number of formulations with Nylon 101 providing the highest melting point along with great strength and rigidity. It’s well-suited for use in food contact applications such as food processing and packaging conveyor systems. As a polyamide, nylon has a 90-95 coefficient of thermal expansion and a temperature range of -40 to 320 o F.

Polymethylmethacrylate (acrylic) is a highly durable and rigid plastic that also provides good electric insulation and is well-suited for environmental temperature swings. It has a 70-77 coefficient of thermal expansion and a temperature range of -40 to 194 o F.

Polypropylene is of the most popular and common plastic formulations used in a variety of industries and applications; it’s lightweight, tough, and resistant to chemicals. It has a 100-180 coefficient of thermal expansion and a temperature range of -4 to 239o F.

Polyimide is a tough, durable thermoplastic ideal for plastic molding. It’s highly popular for high wear-and-tear components such as hinges, screws, and bearings. It has a 30-60 coefficient of thermal expansion of a temperature range of -454 to 608 o F.

Teflon (PTFE) offers a low coefficient of friction in addition to a high melting point, making it suitable for use in products and systems in which friction and temperature are factors. It has a 100-160 coefficient of thermal expansion and a temperature range of -436 to 500 o F.

UHMW Polyethylene is a thermoplastic polyethylene featuring extremely high molecular density. It’s highly durable, with the highest impact resistance of all thermoplastics and great abrasion and heat resistance. It’s another plastic well-suited for food industry applications. It has a 130-200 coefficient of thermal expansion and a high-end temperature of 203 o F.

 

Are any of the attachment holes in the clear plastic top elongated? Like a race track? This would allow expansion and contraction and prevent warpage between holes. Again you would have to just snug the bolts, to allow movement. ??????

 

I also suspect the order you tighten ( snug up) the bolts will have an effect on warping. The holes in the angle part between the two flat surfaces should be snugged up first????? I assume the instructions have all of this detailed out so you have the correct way to install????

 

Are the edges of the holes chamfered to help prevent cracking? If not do the instruction tell you to chamfer the holes? All these chamfers' and edges of the clear top need to be sanded with 600 grit paper too to help prevent cracking.

 

Hmm, were you at the Battlefield show in Fredericksburg, VA?

The car there with the cover held up against the tonneau was mine. Industrial strength Velcro on the top of the engine cover and the bottom of the tonneau. I've been keeping an eye on it to make sure heat won't loosen it, and no issues so far. Industrial strength Velcro claims to stick to outdoor brick and withstand the weather. I believe it. And unlike regular Velcro, stuff doesn't stick to either side of it.



I found the reflections off the clear cover to be off putting. They made it hard to see the engine compartment.

 

This is actually a really great idea. You maintain the shield when you are driving, and you get full exposure when you want it. Well done!

 

I think I saw it at Vettes for Vets which is near Haymarket, Va.