Skid plate fab and install

[photo_van]

After breaking the oil pan on a rock the other day, it was time to quit procrastinating and build the skid plate. Living in a remote county the size of Vermont, with the largest town ~6000 people and the nearest city 3 hours away, sometimes materials are hard to come by and shipping expensive.

A piece of aluminum big enough for a skid plate was going to cost $150 to 200, and I wasn't sure if there was anyone here with a break large enough to bend it.

What we do have, is one of the coolest salvage yards; I think things have been collected there since metal was first brought to the county. From airplanes to fire trucks, chair lifts, pumps, snow plows and piles of steel and aluminum. Except for highway signs, sheet aluminum is pretty rare there.

This time, over by the mountain of aluminum, there was a junked pontoon boat that are used on the lakes around here (think small house boat without the house). Not much of any use save two 28" by 40" 3/16" diamond plate hatches; jackpot!

They sell aluminum by the pound; $1.50/lb x 38/lbs; pretty good deal.

The sheets had a few holes for locks and pulls, no problem. I had planned on using 1/4". The 3/16 is 1/4" thru the diamonds, so the strength is close with less weight.

The basic design was adapted from Lifteds creation viewtopic.php?f=14&t=85

NOTE: My transfer case wouldn't accommodate the bend at the rear of the skid plate, so mine is straight.

I was originally going to rip the sheets down to 20" width but then thought better of it. Since I had the material, why not put 40° breaks down the full length and make a pan? The side walls would offer more protection and add considerable rigidity and strength. I also needed about 70" in length to extend the length of my TC. I decided to go with a two piece design with 10" of overlap. This adds more rigidity yet and gives double thickness under the most venerable area.

But how to bend it? I went to a heating/sheet metal shop that had a 22 gauge hand break (22 gauge is less than 1/8"). With considerable effort we managed to bend some of the shorter lengths but gave up on the long ones.

I called a friend that works up at the ski area for ideas; he said "we have a 10' hydraulic break, bring it up at lunch". Not sure what I'm going to owe him, but it sure made quick work of it!

I ended up with a 20" width up front, tapering out to 22.5" at the break just before the pan, then 22.5 with 2.75" side walls all the way back and a 2" rake along the back edge.

This is what the two pieces look like temporarily bolted together. In winter, I can use it as a toboggan!

[photo_van]

I didn't like the idea of the pan being unsupported between the two frame members, a distance of 52", so I fabricated a cross member out of some old L brackets and square stock to bolt between the front axle mounts just in front of the oil pan.

The holes were conveniently pre-drilled in the L brackets, and the front axle mounting bolts are for some reason extra long, easily accommodating the 3/16" steel.

To attach the skid plate to the front cross member, I made these really ugly washer/nuts. Hey, no snickering!!!

Then I slipped them through those big holes in the front of the front cross member and tack welded them in place (just enough to keep them from turning)

[Herbie]

Wow, awesome work!

I really need to get of my keister and build my skidplate. Right after I finish a couple of other projects...

[SilverBullet1997]

Looks good photo_van!



I'm Jelly!

Guess I need to get off my keister too herbie and build mine.

[Stroverlander]

Nicely done!

[photo_van]

Aluminum is pretty fun to work with, you can use all your carbide wood working tools; just be sure to wear eye and hearing protection. I did all the cuts on a table saw and rounded the edges of the oil drain slot and ATF drain hole with a router.

Total weight is 37#. Having it in two pieces makes it really easy to install; front first, then slide the back half over top and bolt it all up. The oil filter can be reached from the side so the front half needn't be removed. It's tight but should work. I'll make a little drain pan that can catch the spill from the filter. Removing the back half allows access to drop the trans pan for filter change.

[photo_van]

I'm hoping this doesn't trap too much heat and get the trans oil hot. Dean, did you notice any issues with that?

I used hex socket flathead screws and nylock nuts to keep things flush and tight

the 10" cantilever behind the TC cross member is pretty suspect, I may figure a way to support that

Finished product

[LiftedAWDAstro]

Very nice! Mine were never as pretty!

[Wiley]

Nice, I love that it is 2 pieces, easy to get to your trans as mentioned. I am almost glad you busted your pan.

[photo_van]

I am almost glad you busted your pan.

LOL. Ya, in many ways I am too. It got me motivated to do a lot of things I'd been putting off; like fix a bad PS leak, replace the fuel pump AND build a skid plate!

A minor setback today. I guess I didn't take it for a long enough test drive after replacing the pan; the new o-ring for the oil filter adapter in the Dorman kit is a POS! Had a leak that was coming from that area and getting my new skid plate all oily

Word to anyone replacing the oil filter adapter o-ring, check it with the old one (which should be SOP anyway ) the old one was much thicker.

[Stroverlander]

I came across a video detailing how aftermarket oil filter adapter gaskets and o-rings are thinner than OE and leak. Since OE isn't available any longer I have the Victor Reinz GS33281 kit so I'll have to check and see if they are close.

Here's the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieLstu4D55M

[photo_van]

I came across a video detailing how aftermarket oil filter adapter gaskets and o-rings are thinner than OE and leak. Since OE isn't available any longer I have the Victor Reinz GS33281 kit so I'll have to check and see if they are close.

Here's the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieLstu4D55M

Now you tell me!!! I took it for a test drive before putting the skid plate on with no leak, but now..... I originally went to the dealer and they said I needed to go to NAPA.

So I put an oil filter o-ring in there (only thing I had that fit). No leak idling in the driveway, I'll drive it hard tomorrow. If people think this is a bad idea, speak up now!!!!

*edit* I just watched the video. If the AM gasket is thicker than the OEM and the O-ring thinner, then I can see how it would leak. It's not the gasket that is leaking (that's internal) it's the O-ring. The thick gasket makes the space the o-ring needs to fill all that much bigger. I think they missed that in the vid. The filter O-ring I used is much thicker, I just hope it holds up!

[Stroverlander]

Not there yet on my van so didn't even think about it!

I hear what you're saying about the gasket thickness versus o-ring thickness.

On the left is original I removed and the right is Victor Reinz kit. The large o-ring is maybe slightly thinner. The VR all fiber gasket is about half the thickness of the original plastic covered metal gasket. I would think you would be fine with using the oil filter gasket as that is the job they do for the the filter. I like to use a little Gasgacinch on fiber gaskets like that.

[photo_van]

Interesting. So your OEM gasket was plastic and metal? Mine was thin all fiber... the Dorman was thick fiber/metal.....

[Stroverlander]

Yes.