Front bumper cover removal instructions how-to?

[markboris]

I always love when people post pictures of nice garages, especially with carpeted floors. Those would not last in Michigan...

That small bit of carpet is made for garages and just part of the RaceDeck garage floor covering that I usually put under my cars. However I do understand what you mean. I have a friend in Colorado that has a garage that gets messy because of the snow. Thankfully we don’t get much but when we do I let it all melt off the car before bringing it inside.

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[RickMachE]

That small bit of carpet is made for garages and just part of the RaceDeck garage floor covering that I usually put under my cars. However I do understand what you mean. I have a friend in Colorado that has a garage that gets messy because of the snow. Thankfully we don’t get much but when we do I let it all melt off the car before bringing it inside.

Total mess. We knock off the big chunks from the mudflaps, then the rest melts in the garage (wouldn't outside). We have a squeegee that we have to sometimes employ to clean out the garage, but not this winter.

 

[markboris]

Total mess. We knock off the big chunks from the mudflaps, then the rest melts in the garage (wouldn't outside). We have a squeegee that we have to sometimes employ to clean out the garage, but not this winter.

My friend in CO has these mats that have soft raised 3 inch sides all around it that he parks the cars on in the garage and it retains all the melted snow then I guess it evaporates.

 

[Track9979]

I do have this photo that may help understanding how the center grill attaches but I can still send a photo of the back of the grill tomorrow.

If you zoom in on the bumper cover, you can see slots all the way around (some are buried) but there are a lot of them. Probably 25 or so. Then if you zoom in even more, you can see the front grill I removed off of the bumper cover and it is sitting on the tire on the floor. You can see some of those tabs on the grill.

Did you have to do any sensor alignment afterwards?

 

[markboris]

Did you have to do any sensor alignment afterwards?

No. Have had this bumper off twice. My previous Mach-E once and one other car (not mine) and didn’t align anything. The sensor is not attached to the cover.

 

[ack154]

I FINALLY took my bumper off this past weekend to replace the GT grille insert.

HIGHLY not recommended.

Well, honestly, getting the bumper cover off actually wasn't too bad - except for the four bolts that attach the bumper cover to the fenders in step 9 of Mark's PDF instructions (thankfully, I also have the service manual). Those bolts can fuck off.

Though if I had a stubby ratcheting wrench, they might have gone a little easier - but with the various wrenches and sockets I have (not a tiny collection), it was a PITA to get something in there with enough movement to get them out. Maybe there's a secret that I just wasn't seeing, I don't know. SUPER frustrating.

Anyway - once I got those out and got the bumper actually off - the real fun started. I finally saw for myself why you will never get this black insert out from the front. It's just not going to happen. There are four white plastic pins (in the corners - photo attached, marked in red) that hold it in place - who the hell knows why though. It's not going anywhere ever without them - especially with the number of other tabs holding the thing in place (purple marker in photo). I think there are maybe 14 of those and they hold on tight.

Even when you get those four things out, that thing does not want to come out. And you can't even access all of the tabs anyway, since there's a substructure riveted to the back of the bumper that at least partially bocks a few of them. I ended up cutting all of the tabs on the back side with some cutters just to be able to yank it off from the front with a big suction cup. My black insert was badly cracked anyway - so I didn't care if I made it worse. And, of course, I broke it more when I yanked it off anyway. Thankfully no apparent damage to the rest of the bumper.

Everything did go back together OK after that though - except for a few light scratches on the fender moulding trying to get in in place . But I didn't have a second set of hands to safely align it - so I definitely recommend a friend to help take the bumper off and put it on. I'd still trade these light scratches for the big crack in the front grille I had.

Anyway... that's how last Friday evening went for me. All in, I think about 3 hours since I was learning along the way. And thankfully, I have a set of quick jacks - so I was able to raise the whole car up. This is super helpful when you need to pull part of the undertray, since there are probably 20-25 fasteners of 3 different types holding it on. So again... bumper cover removal? Would probably feel OK doing again... black GT bumper insert? Overengineered piece of shit that can DIAF for all I care.

 

[markboris]

I FINALLY took my bumper off this past weekend to replace the GT grille insert.

HIGHLY not recommended.

Well, honestly, getting the bumper cover off actually wasn't too bad - except for the four bolts that attach the bumper cover to the fenders in step 9 of Mark's PDF instructions (thankfully, I also have the service manual). Those bolts can fuck off.

Though if I had a stubby ratcheting wrench, they might have gone a little easier - but with the various wrenches and sockets I have (not a tiny collection), it was a PITA to get something in there with enough movement to get them out. Maybe there's a secret that I just wasn't seeing, I don't know. SUPER frustrating.

Anyway - once I got those out and got the bumper actually off - the real fun started. I finally saw for myself why you will never get this black insert out from the front. It's just not going to happen. There are four white plastic pins (in the corners - photo attached, marked in red) that hold it in place - who the hell knows why though. It's not going anywhere ever without them - especially with the number of other tabs holding the thing in place (purple marker in photo). I think there are maybe 14 of those and they hold on tight.

Even when you get those four things out, that thing does not want to come out. And you can't even access all of the tabs anyway, since there's a substructure riveted to the back of the bumper that at least partially bocks a few of them. I ended up cutting all of the tabs on the back side with some cutters just to be able to yank it off from the front with a big suction cup. My black insert was badly cracked anyway - so I didn't care if I made it worse. And, of course, I broke it more when I yanked it off anyway. Thankfully no apparent damage to the rest of the bumper.

Everything did go back together OK after that though - except for a few light scratches on the fender moulding trying to get in in place . But I didn't have a second set of hands to safely align it - so I definitely recommend a friend to help take the bumper off and put it on. I'd still trade these light scratches for the big crack in the front grille I had.

Anyway... that's how last Friday evening went for me. All in, I think about 3 hours since I was learning along the way. And thankfully, I have a set of quick jacks - so I was able to raise the whole car up. This is super helpful when you need to pull part of the undertray, since there are probably 20-25 fasteners of 3 different types holding it on. So again... bumper cover removal? Would probably feel OK doing again... black GT bumper insert? Overengineered piece of shit that can DIAF for all I care.

I know exactly what you mean about that grill insert. Taking the bumper cover on and off really is not a big deal, just time consuming but for those 4 bolts you don't like, I use a DeWalt 90˚ power ratchet. The come out fairly easy with that. As far as the grill, I am on my third. Keep trying different ones and two were custom made. I have gotten to the point to just attaching it with the four big tabs that have those clips an not worry too much about the others. I cut most of them off. That thing isn't going anywhere.

 

[ack154]

I know exactly what you mean about that grill insert. Taking the bumper cover on and off really is not a big deal, just time consuming but for those 4 bolts you don't like, I use a DeWalt 90˚ power ratchet. The come out fairly easy with that. As far as the grill, I am on my third. Keep trying different ones and two were custom made. I have gotten to the point to just attaching it with the four big tabs that have those clips an not worry too much about the others. I cut most of them off. That thing isn't going anywhere.

Hmm. I do have a Milwaukee 90 deg ratchet but I didn't try it because I didn't think it would fit in there. Will keep that in mind.

I actually want to put PPF on JUST that insert but there really isn't anyone around me that does it (at least an hour and a half away). I see @twraps has a lot of PPF kits - and some for the bumper, but NOT for the GT grille. I would absolutely buy that kit if I could get it.

 

[twraps]

Hmm. I do have a Milwaukee 90 deg ratchet but I didn't try it because I didn't think it would fit in there. Will keep that in mind.

I actually want to put PPF on JUST that insert but there really isn't anyone around me that does it (at least an hour and a half away). I see @twraps has a lot of PPF kits - and some for the bumper, but NOT for the GT grille. I would absolutely buy that kit if I could get it.

If anyone has the GT and lives in East Bay (we're in Concord, CA) and willing to drop it off for a day so we can design for it, that'd be great- DM me please and you get the PPF for free

 

[markboris]

If anyone has the GT and lives in East Bay (we're in Concord, CA) and willing to drop it off for a day so we can design for it, that'd be great- DM me please and you get the PPF for free

How about I drop off just the GT grill itself? Or do you need the grill to be installed in the bumper?

 

[CarolinaMachEGT]

So …haven’t had time to replace my cracked insert but thanks for making me look forward to it even more. ?
?

 

[twraps]

How about I drop off just the GT grill itself? Or do you need the grill to be installed in the bumper?

No idea...when the grill is by itself, is it obvious where the visible part of it ends (i.e. where should we make the PPF end so that when the grill is installed you can still install the PPF without removing the grill)? If yes, then we can totally do the grill this way.

 

[markboris]

No idea...when the grill is by itself, is it obvious where the visible part of it ends (i.e. where should we make the PPF end so that when the grill is installed you can still install the PPF without removing the grill)? If yes, then we can totally do the grill this way.

I don't need the PPF, I was just wondering if you wanted the grill for measurements to make the film. However if it is better for the grill to be on the car, I understand.

 

[twraps]

I don't need the PPF, I was just wondering if you wanted the grill for measurements to make the film. However if it is better for the grill to be on the car, I understand.

Generally better indeed, because this way I can make the bumper too (as the bumper is also different between GT and non-GT) at which point I can offer full front PPF.

 

[markboris]

Generally better indeed, because this way I can make the bumper too (as the bumper is also different between GT and non-GT) at which point I can offer full front PPF.

Do you also install or just make the film?

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