2008 Corvette Mods - Engine Bay
Magnum Wires & AC Delco Plugs
Changing plugs & wires was the very first thing I did after purchasing my Corvette. Even though there were only 42,00 miles on the car I still changed them. I opted for AC Delco 41-110 Iridium plugs, Mangnum plug wires & AC Delco heat shields. Why Magnum wires? Well they have a SOLID Stainless Steel core. 10 mm silicone wrapping, Mercury Marine style plug boots & a RF choke.
Cold air Intake
This was one of the first mods I made, a CAI (Cold Air Intake). Now there are a lot of Pro's & Con's on whether or not a CAI has any benefit. IF & I say IF you plan any other performance mods then it is probably worth it otherwise stay with what you have and save yourself probably $300 or more.
Now comes the fun part, which one do you install? There are probably a half dozen or more different CAI's available and they all say you will get an increase in HP/Torque. But, the only way you will ever know is to do a before & after dynamometer run. So which one did I install?
At first it was the one off a Z06 but realized it was just like the stock one minus the air silencer.
Stock LS3 Base Air filter.
Z06 Air Filter.
Corsa Cold Air Intake
So, I picked one from Corsa as it has a scoop that draws the from the front grill & pretty much eliminates most engine heat. It also has 2 side air intakes so in theory, you will get max cool air to the engine. There is only 1 issue with this kit... you have to CUT a hole in the radiator shroud cover to slide the scoop in. Not a biggy as you can get a replacement shroud via GM, Amazon, eBay etc
After running this setup for about 6 months I realized that I was about to go a rabbit hole as I was looking at new cam, heads, throttle body, injectors, header, etc. Not going to happen! So, back to stock & leave it alone. To that end, I went back to a Z06 Air cleaner for looks. I found a carbon fiber one on the Corvette forum for song. I was able to sell the stock Z06 air cleaner for what I paid for it to another forum member.
Air Filter Baffle
I saw this item in the For Sale section on the Corvette forum. I believe the purpose is to keep the hot engine air from working its way into the air filter & keep the IAT's lower. The cost wasn't outrageous & it looked like a fun project.
I had to do a bit of Dremel work to get it to fit my CF-covered Z06 air box.
DIY Catch Can
A catch can is almost a must on some cars depending on how the PCV system is set up. On my Hemi Scat Pack it collects a fair amount. I looked at 2 or 3 different vendors & decided to make my own. I used an Elite Engineering LS3 bracket with a spacer & a Mishimoto compact catch can.
Install
Install is not too bad. A few connectors to remove, a couple of hoses, a bracket & the PCV hose. The braket is PITA as there is no room for a std socket. I used a gear wrench & adapter (Harbor Freight).
Hoses & Connectors
Remove Bracket
Remove PCV Hose
CC & Bracket Install
I removed the barbed CC connectors & used -6AN fittings.
Finished
Note - I made my own hoses.
Alternator Cover
This is 100 % bling & takes maybe 15 mins to install.
Install
- Line up the cover on the alternator & mark the pilot drill holes.
- Drill the pilot holes.
- Install the screws with the button cover base.
- Install the Caps & your done
Before
After
R & R The Cabin Air Filter
The cabin air filter is probably the one most overlooked maintenance items on a car. Why? We forget about it. Cabin air filters cost about $20 at any parts store or even Wal-Mart. Got a musty smell at startup... That's mold or mildew on the evaporator core an changing the cabin air filter will not fix it. The only fix for that is to clean the evaporator core.
Changing the cabin air filter is a 5-minute job.Remove the cabin air filter door by lifting up on the 3 clips & remove the air filter.
Don't be surprised if you find bugs, leaves and a few other weird items stuck in the filter.
Install the new filter with the air flow pointing in the correct direction & replace the cabin aif filter door."
