Home Made Engine Skid Write Up (W/ pictures)

[Scotch740]

The oil pan can be the Jeeps, or any vehicles, Achilles Heel, one good blow and your being towed off the trail. While I have never had this happen to me, or been on a trail where this happened to someone else, I aim to keep it that way. Most engine skids are at least $150 and usually do not take into account a Motor Mount lift. After doing my Flat TC skid I did not want to have my engine skid hanging down an extra inch. I made the TC skid first in order to design my engine skid around it and not have to be changing either at a later point.

This project was more “redneck engineering” than my TC skid but hopefully its clear enough for others to use as a guide. There is also more custom fitting involved depending on your jeeps configurations. TC skids, 4cyl vs. 6cyl or V8.

My materials were:
12” X 40” X .25” plate. About 6 inches got cut off the rear in the end.
Around 8’ of 1” X 1” X .25” angle.
8” of 6” X 6” X 5/16” angle Cut to 3” X 6” (scrap I got for free to practice welding on)
(2) 2”x1-1/2” x 3/8” angle ( again scrap)

I started with a cardboard template to determine the size plate I needed, I then ordered that and test fit it on the jeep. Using clamps to secure it to the TC skid at the rear and a jack in the front I raised it to the point where I though I had enough clearance under the oil pan. Others have suggested having 1” of clearance, I ended up with less but feel its sufficient for my current use.

I then placed my front angle piece on to check clearance between the exhaust. I made sure I had a fingers width between the exhaust and front bracket. I then took that off and welded it on.

I also took this time to cut some of the corner off to clearance the drive shaft a little better.

I then measure and cut the 1” x 1” x .25” angle for the sides. This was different on each side. I chose to mount the bracing on the drivers side in an “L” fashion to help provide clearance for the exhaust. The passenger side I welded on in a “/\” fashion. My final step was to use a piece of ¼” plate I had sheered off of my TC skid to brace the corner I cut off.

Yes my welds are uglier than hell, but I am pretty sure they have some good penetration. Any suggestions or tips are welcomed.


The ends of my bracing butt up against my TC skid so the forces from a frontal impact are not entirely on the bolts connecting the two plates.


Now I had to mount this to the frame. I had looked at the Jeep Medic and Skid Row brackets but decided I could make my own. Plus I hadn’t ordered them and I wasn’t going to sit and wait. I made these from 3/8” angle that I cut down to I think 1.5” X 2” by 3” long. I drilled holes in the short side for some 3/8” bolts and test fit them. This was my second set of brackets as my first design didn’t turn out well.


NOTE: The engine mounting brackets on the frame are not symmetrical! Also something I learned with my first set of brackets.

Because of this the holes are offset on the brackets as you can see in the picture, all the holes are in different locations. So check your measurements carefully, and clamp them up to test fit. I also clamped up my support arms to test fit on the plate while doing this to ensure they would fit.
MOUNTING NOTE: To hole the bolts on the inside of the mounts I cut a cheap 9/16" wrench in half, I could get a whole wrench in on the drivers side but not the passenger side. Skid row also makes nut tabs to solve this problem.

I used 1” x 1” x .25” angle for my support arms. I wish I had some 1.5 x 1.5 x .25” but this should suffice for the time being.

I drilled holes for 0.5” bolts so the head would sit next to the wall of the angle and I would only need one wrench to assemble/disassemble it. You can see in the picture of the primed pieces the support arms have a notch cut in half the angle piece. This was to get a good compression fit between the front angle bracket on the skid and the support arms. Since the forces here will mainly be in a upwards motion I think these should hold. If not I wanted to make them with 1.5” angle anyways, and will weld a piece to help reinforce that notched area.




I then test fit the skid and made sure I had clearance on either side for my oil pan and exhaust. Then I marked my holes for my support arms, removed everything and drilled.

To attach the engine skid to the TC skid I drilled 5 holes 2” on center in the engine skid 1” back from the front edge of the TC skid. Put the plate up and drilled the two side holes in the TC skid and then removed everything to continue drilling the other 3. It’s a real pain to have to drill with the skid on the jeep and the TC skid was coming off for painting anyways.




At this time I cut off excess metal off the back of the engine skid giving about 2” behind the bolts that attach the two skids.

For my Oil pan drain hole I took measurements off of 4 points to triangulate the location of my drain. When I had the skid back on for more test fitting I marked the location of this hole. I used a 1.5” hole saw and drilled two holes, which should have been further apart. My centers were about 2” apart and I wish I had made them closer to 2.5 or 3”. I hand filed out the bits between the holes, took about 15 minuets that way with a dremal to clean it up.I have yet to try to drain the oil but I am planning on using a plastic back piece to make sure the oil does not over shoot over my hole and cover the entire skid. I have considered and will think about using one of those valves, but for now I think a “backboard” piece will do.


As a final though I added two drain holes in the corners just before the TC skid overlaps the engine skid. Hopefully this will help keep water and dirt from accumulating.

Well that’s all the metal work, except for cleaning. I used a flapper disk and grinding wheels to prep and washed it with soap and water. Primed and painted, then installed 2 days later.

This skid weighed in at 39.4 lbs that is with out the arms or mounts so maybe 43 lbs. Not to bad for 0.25" plate.

[Scotch740]

Some finished product pictures.
Front



Close up


Mount Close up


Side


Back


Installed Pictures
Mount


Front

[Dogman]

Another fine scotch740 product

[tommaho]

Looks good.

Just from personal experience: disconnect your swaybar, drive on a rock or ramp, completely stuff the right front tire, and double check the clearance between the driveshaft and edge of the skid.

You'll probably be good now, but you might run into trouble if you switch to arms or springs that allow much more wheel travel.



Tom

[Scotch740]

Originally Posted by tommaho

Looks good.

Just from personal experience: disconnect your swaybar, drive on a rock or ramp, completely stuff the right front tire, and double check the clearance between the driveshaft and edge of the skid.

You'll probably be good now, but you might run into trouble if you switch to arms or springs that allow much more wheel travel.



Tom

I did check that on the ramp and had clearance. Is there a lot of side to side movement of the axle with larger springs and control arms?

[Dogman]

Does your oil pan skid slope down toward the front? I currently have a skid row skid and I'm [probably] going to have to modify it when I do a belly up skid. Just wondering if I'll have to modify the front passenger side mount.

[Scotch740]

Originally Posted by dogman

Does your oil pan skid slope down toward the front? I currently have a skid row skid and I'm [probably] going to have to modify it when I do a belly up skid. Just wondering if I'll have to modify the front passenger side mount.

You know, I am not sure. I know it is not a lot of slope if it is. I will have to check that out. I drilled my drain holes in the back so I might be needing some new ones in the front.

I built my Flat TC skid first because of that. What I really wanted was an engine skid but I did not want to have to redesign the engine skid after the fact.

[Combatsylvania]

awesome... when can you have another one built and shipped to Ontario?

[Scotch740]

Originally Posted by Combatsylvania

awesome... when can you have another one built and shipped to Ontario?

LOL that depends on how much its worth. For enough cash I will leave work early go pull that one off my rig and have it in the mail today. But I think there might be cheaper options for you .

I will try to get some designs up eventually so people could go to a local shop and have them weld up the plate and cut the pieces. Then all you would have to do is drill the holes, and paint. Not sure what a shop would charge but it shouldn't be that much with designs and all they do is cut and weld.

[tommaho]

Originally Posted by scotch740

I did check that on the ramp and had clearance. Is there a lot of side to side movement of the axle with larger springs and control arms?

I guess alot is relative, but there was more movement than I ever expected. With RE 3.5" springs and short arms my font DS would swing over a good 3-4" with the front fuly articulated.

It's easy to see once you think about it, but it caught me off guard when I had to make a temporary change to my skid height and ended up laying in the snow with a air grinder on that weekends wheeling trip because it was grinding my DS so bad.

Tom

[Scotch740]

Originally Posted by tommaho

I guess alot is relative, but there was more movement than I ever expected. With RE 3.5" springs and short arms my font DS would swing over a good 3-4" with the front fuly articulated.

It's easy to see once you think about it, but it caught me off guard when I had to make a temporary change to my skid height and ended up laying in the snow with a air grinder on that weekends wheeling trip because it was grinding my DS so bad.

Tom

Humm I'll keep an eye on that, I plan on a lift next summer so I might have to remake this then, guess I'll just have to wheel it to see.

[Scotch740]

Originally Posted by dogman

Does your oil pan skid slope down toward the front? I currently have a skid row skid and I'm [probably] going to have to modify it when I do a belly up skid. Just wondering if I'll have to modify the front passenger side mount.

Changed the oil for the first time tonight, and found the oil pan does slope forward. The oil didn't over shoot my drain hole but it ran down the oil pan and onto the skid. Then it ran to the front of the skid and pooled up there. I will have to cut a funnel out of something to prevent this.

Any other suggestions? Other than a drain valve, which I have not ruled out but I think it might hang down too low.

[Dogman]

A cut up funnel would probably work pretty good as a backstop. I use a cut up pringles can when doing my tranny/tc. I have fumoto drain valve for my oil pan.

[JeepRocks86]

looks great

[ErikJordan]

it would be nice if the mounting bolts were countersunk.
get some of those large hex flat socket head cap screws.