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Update 06/25/03
How to chang your oil without
making a mess write-up
For those of you who don't know anything about your Jeep, this is a pic of my oil pan and drain plug... a very close call!! Needless to say, this is the reason why I decided to get this skid plate.
This is everything you get with your skid plate. kit. Actually, you get a neat sticker and catalog for more stuff but they are not shown in this pic.
This is a pic of my passenger side lower control arm bracket. You will need to remove this nut and reverse the bolt to install the skid plate.
This is how the bolt should look when done.
This is a view looking up at the driver side motor mount where it attaches to the frame. Bend the "T" shaped nut plate a bit and slide it through the top of the motor mount so that the threaded hole line up with the holes in the motor mount.
View of the mounting plate attached to the base of the motor mount looking up from the front of the Jeep.
Loosely attach the transfer case skid plate. clamp to your new engine skid using the bolts and lock nuts supplied.
Hang the clamp to the front of your transfer case skid plate.
Slide the plate over the lower control arm bolt you flipped around earlier and re-attach the nut. Be sure to torque this bolt to factory specs. On a 2000 TJ, it is 130 ft/lb.
Install the strut rod using the hardware supplied and tighten everything down.
This is what it looks like when you are done.
This is an aluminum half sheet that I picked up at a local party supply store for .49¢
Cut the lip and one corner off (45° angle) one end of the half-sheet. Fold back the edge so that oil won't spill out.
Flatten the side edges a bit and slide the pan on top of the skidplate.
View of the pan from the passenger side.
Skid Row Jeep Engine Skid Plate

Boy it sure is hard to justify buying something as mundane as a skid plate. but every now and then you wonder how in the heck you made it back from a hard day on the trail without one. As you can see in the first pic to the right, I got my oil pan tagged by a large rock just in front of the drain bolt. This could have easily turned into disaster on the trail and could have easily been avoided if I had the right kind of protection. Needless to say, after doing some research on-line, I decided to get me a Skid Row Engine Skid plate. This is a very easy install and bolts right up without and drilling. As you can see in the pic above, this thing is extremely beefy and consequently heavy. Although I installed it by myself, an extra pair of hands would have been real nice.

What You Will Need
• Skid Row Engine Skid plate.
• 9/16" Socket & Wrench, 21mm Socket
• Crecent Wrench
• Torque Wrench (up to 130 ft. lbs.)
• Breaker Bar
• Floor Jack
• Jack Stands
• Pry Bar
• PB Blaster


Installation
1. As with any job I undertake (no pun intended) that requires me to work underneath my Jeep, I hose down the entire underside as good as I can the day before I start. There's nothing worse then getting dirt and small pebbles in your eyes, nose and mouth especially when it can be prevented. Also, if you live in the rust belt, be sure to douse the passenger side bolt attaching the lower control arm to your frame the night before.

2. First things first. On most Jeeps, the threaded portion of the bolt attaching your lower control arm to the frame will be pointing towards the out side as shown in the pic to the right. This will need to be reversed. To do this, loosen the control arm bolt using a 21mm socket and crecent wrench, chock your rear wheels, loosen the lug nuts on the front passenger side wheel, jack up your Jeep from the front axle and then set your frame rail back down on a jack stand just behind the lower control arm bracket but leave the floor jack under the axle.

3. Remove your tire and place it under the frame rail just behind your jack stand as a safety precaution. Now, lower your floor jack until the axle will droop no more and then bring it back up just a hair. This will relieve most of the weight off the lower control arm bolt making it easier to remove.

4. Remove bolt and then re-insert it with the threads pointing towards the center of your Jeep. A pry bar may be necessary to help you jiggle the bolt through. Leave the nut off at this time.

5. Okay, now we can finally start installing stuff. If you look through the parts that came with your kit, you should find a "T" shaped nut plate with two integral nuts on it. Take the longer tab part of this plate and bend it just a bit into an arch with the nuts on the top side.

6. Climb under your Jeep from the driver side, scoot yourself toward the front a bit and then look up between the frame rail and your engine block. Here you should see a large bracket with two holes holding your motor mount (see pic to the left). Take your arched "T" nut plate and slip it through the top opening of this bracket until you can align the nuts with the holes. Fold the tab over a bit to hold it in place.

7. Now, attach the mounting plate to the base of your motor mount bracket using the bolts and lock washers provided with the kit as shown in the pic to your left. Make sure the flange with the hole is facing towards the rear of your Jeep.

8. Loosely attach the transfer case skid plate. clamp to your new skid plate using the bolts and lock nuts supplied (see pic to the left). Remember not tighten the bolt at this time as you will need to manipulate this clamp up and over your transfer case skid plate.

9. If you can find some help, now would be the time to call them over. I did this part by myself using a creeper but I'm sure you could always just inch-worm your way under your Jeep on your back too. Lying down on your back, place your new skid plate. on your chest with the loose clamp in front of your face. Scoot under your Jeep so that you are looking up at your transmission. Lift up your new skid plate. and hook the clamp on to the front lip of the transfer case skid plate. Now rotate the opposite end and slip it on to your lower control arm bolt that you reversed earlier. Install the lower control arm nut.

10. The last piece left in your kit should be the strut rod. Take in and install it to the mounting plate and the front of your skid plate using the bolts, lock washers and nuts supplied. The angled end of the strut rod should attach to the mounting plate.

11. Now tighten up all the nuts and bolts. It is very important to make sure you torque your lower control arm bolt to factory specs. On a 2000 TJ, this is 130ft/lb.
How to Change Your Oil
Without Making a Mess


Although there is an appature for you to access the oilpan drain bolt, there are no provisions made to deal with oil dripping from your filter as you remove it.... I found this out the hard way. Well, after cleaning up the mess I made (which is a real PITA, let me tell you), I decided there must be a better way to address this problem and this is what I did... made myself a drip-pan.

What You Will Need

• Disposable aluminum half-sheet (Cost = .49¢)
• Pair of Scissors
Fumoto Drain Valve

What to Do

1. If you don't already have one, do yourself a favor and buy a Fumoto Drain Valve (click on the red link to see my write-up).

2.
Using a pair of scissors, cut the lip and a corner off (45° angle) one end of the half-sheet as shown in the pic to the left. Then fold up the edges a bit so that oil will not spill out.

3. The half inch lip around the rest of the pan will still be a bit too tall to slide in between your skid so flatten out the edges so that they are at a shallow angle.

4. Slide your new drip-pan on top of your skidplate and remove your filter. All the oil drippings should collect on it.

5. Be sure to wipe down your engine and/or anything else oil dripped on, carefully remove your drip-pan, wipe it down and store it for future use.

That should be it. Please let me know if you have any questions.

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