Modifying and Servicing the C8 Corvette: Easier or Harder?

C8 Corvette LT2 V8 will take nicely to upgrades, although most work will require lifting the car.

Two aspects of the Chevrolet Corvette which have contributed to its legendary popularity is the general ease of modification and maintenance. Compared to many other sports cars, it is easier and less expensive to upgrade the performance abilities of a Corvette. The past Chevy sports cars have been easier to work on than many other sports cars. That was with the engine mounted in front of the driver. Now that the engine of the Corvette has been moved behind the driver, many people wonder if that will change.

Will the C8 Corvette’s LT2 engine take to upgrades as well as the LT1 and other past high performance Chevrolet engines? Will the relocated engine be harder or more expensive to work on? Today, we look at those two questions based on what we have seen from the initial C8 owners.

Modifying the C8 Corvette

The LT2 engine in the C8 Corvette is based on the LT1. The key differences between the LT1 and LT2 are that the new engine has a larger intake manifold, a unique camshaft, exhaust manifolds that are routed up rather than down, a new front-drive belt system and a new oiling system. We know that the LT1 makes big power with forced induction or nitrous oxide, and we bet the LT2 will take to those upgrades even better.

The LT2 intake manifold’s higher volume will allow owners who are looking to add power to pack in more air more quickly, even without forced induction. The increased airflow coupled with more fuel will help the LT2 make more power, but with forced induction, we can expect to see the C8 engine making monster power.

It is likely to take a little while for the aftermarket to create some of the unique components to work with the mid-engine architecture. Once the top manufacturers get to making C8 performance parts, we are sure to see a huge aftermarket with lots of power-adding options. Aftermarket camshafts, exhaust systems, intake manifolds, and cylinder heads will all help add power without forced induction. However, it all begins with unlocking the LT2 engine computer.

Unlocking the LT2

The engine computer of the C8 Corvette uses a new encryption system that is said to be the toughest the General Motors has ever used. When the computer is locked, tuners cannot adjust the engine parameters such as fuel flow or spark timing to make big power. For example, to get the most from an aftermarket supercharger system, you need to tune the engine computer, but right now, that is not possible with the LT2.

We are sure aftermarket tuning companies are working to unlock the C8 Corvette computer system. Once the LT2 computer is unlocked, the real fun with the C8 will begin.

We have seen from the first examples of the C8 Corvette Stingray to be delivered that the LT2 engine computer will self-adjust for some considerable power additions. For example, Carlyle Racing was the first shop to put a C8 in the 10-second range with a nitrous oxide system. That run was made without a tune and without any trouble. Hennessey Performance has even added a twin-turbo setup with low boost levels on the stock, untuned engine computer. We don’t know how hard the injectors are working to feed the boosted LT2 without a tune. It appears as though the C8 will take a little nitrous or boost without a tune.

That is good news for those owners who want a little extra power. For the big numbers, we need the aftermarket tuning companies to unlock the LT2 security system.

Working on the C8

Most of the work performed on the C8 engine will be done from underneath. It seems that there is no access panel in the passenger compartment. That won’t really matter for people buying the cars new and leaving them stock. If something goes wrong, they can take their new, stock cars to the dealership to be fixed under warranty.

However, there will be no warranty for secondary buyers. They will have to pay for service or fix things themselves. That could be costly or problematic if you don’t have a lift.

The C8 Corvette’s mid-engine design creates some problems for accessing the engine relative to a C7. Some things such as changing spark plugs, a serpentine belt or portions of the air intake system can easily be changed while standing around the front end of the C7. With the C8, it seems that accessing the top-front of the engine will be difficult-to-impossible from above. Much of the work will be done from below. The work won’t actually be more difficult, provided that you have a lift. Owners without lifts will be working on their backs much of the time.

And, for the serious upgrades, the engine will need to be dropped.

The top end of the LT2 may be accessible from the top. It seems like it would be easier to work on the engine if it were removed from the Corvette. Upgrades like a camshaft swap will definitely require the engine to be dropped. A cylinder head swap might also be hard to do with the engine in the car.

The good news is that adding a twin-turbo setup can be done from below. A simple bolt-up turbo kit can be installed with the engine in the car. You will still need the lift, but you won’t need to drop the engine to add impactful forced induction.

Photos: General Motors

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