Paul,
From one of those photos, it looks like you removed the hinge from the engine cover. Is that true? How do you get to the engine now? Do you just slide the cover across the floor each time.
I have mixed feelings on that cover. The hinge works great if you want to get to the top of the engine or the port side, but if you want to get to the front of the engine, like when you have to change the impeller, the cover just gets in the way, and I unscrew the cover and slide it as far forward in the boat as I can, but it is a pain.