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Kilby Enterprise's TJ gas tank skid plate
By Jason
West |
Installation
date: 12/12/00
This
is the first of what I hope to be many articles covering the build-up
of one particular yellow '00 TJ. After running some trails with me and
my XJ and slamming her gas tank on some rocks, my girlfriend Jennifer
decided the stock tin skid plate protecting her gas tank wasn't going
to cut it. The search was now on for a gas tank skid plate for her TJ.
After checking out the offerings of various companies and talking with
the TJ guys over on the JU forums
I decided to call Brad Kilby of Kilby Enterprises. I'd been already
been talking with him about his York on-board air kits, so I was somewhat
familiar with his new TJ gas tank skid plate. After talking with him
and seeing the pics of his skid plate design, my mind was made up and
I placed the order.
The
skid is super beefy, built from 3 pieces of 3/16" steel plate that are
laser-cut, formed, then welded together. It uses the stock mounting
locations to keep the installation time to a minimum and it replaces
the factory tin skid, it doesn't go over it like some other skids do.
One of the big selling points for me was the fact that Kilby's skidplate
raises the gas tank for 3/4"-1" of extra ground clearance
under the gas tank compared to the factory skid. 4 drain holes keep
the crud from building up around the gas tank.
The
skid plate arrived about a week later in a large and very heavy box,
the skid alone weighs in around 65lbs if I remember correctly. Definitely
some beef here. The skid comes unpainted, which suited Jennifer just
fine since she wanted to paint it yellow anyway to match her Jeep. Once
she'd cleaned the unit, primered it, painted it (yellow Krylon spray
paint), and let it dry, it was time to install this bad boy.
The first
thing you'll need to do is remove the gas cap then remove the
filler ring (8 screws). Be sure to replace the gas cap, you
wouldn't want to spill any gas out on you! Oh yeah, since you'll
be moving and handling the gas tank itself, you'll want to try
and time this when your gas tank is almost empty so it's as
light as possible. Now cut the zip-tie holding the axle vent
tube up and unbolt the ground strap from the chassis.
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The fun part
is figuring out how to get the red retainer clip out of the electrical
connector on top of the gas tank. We ended up breaking part of
it getting it out, but it's not a big deal. You'll also need to
disconnect the EVAP hose by twisting and pulling it (be careful
you don't bend the steel tube). Next disconnect the high pressure
line by using your fingers to pinch the two plastic tabs together
and separate the connection. You'll need to depressurize the fuel
system first though, check with a service manual on how to do
this.
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Now position
a floor jack under the center of the factory skid plate and remove
the 3 front nuts and 4 rear nuts that hold the factory skid plate
to the frame. Slowly lower the tank assembly down while someone
guides the filler hoses around the frame.
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Next is
the part we forgot to do (be sure to read through the directions
carefully). Do a trial fit! Before strapping the gas tank in the
new skid, lift the empty skid up into the Jeep to check how it
fits. Some TJ owners may need to bend the front "stand-alone
mount" back a bit to allow the stud to line up correctly.
Lower the skid back down and make any needed modifications. Trust
me, it's much easier to bend that mount back before you
have the whole thing half-way bolted up with the gas tank sitting
in it...
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Now, remove
the 2 nuts holding the hold-down straps in place. Make a note
of the placement of the fuel lines and disconnect the drivers
side vent hose that is connected to the roll-over valve. Raise
the two straps without bending them and lift the tank out of the
factory skid plate. Slide the 2 straps in the Kilby skid, holding
them straight up while placing the fuel tank into the new skid.
Insert the strap studs into the holes and tighten the nuts. Do
not over tighten! Due to the new shape of your skid plate, you
will not have to thread the nuts as far up the stud as the factory
skid setup was. Tighten them enough to secure the tank and keep
it from moving. Don't forget to reattach the vent hose for the
roll-over valve.
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Have someone
guide the filler hoses as you raise the skid and tank up into
place. Loosely install the 7 nuts and check clearances before
torqueing everything down. Reconnect all the lines and hoses and
replace the filler ring. Don't forget to reconnect the ground
strap. Then just start the engine and check for any fuel leaks
and you're good to go.
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The tank
fit great and at 60lbs, it's one hefty chunk of metal. It's
going to take a lot to damage this thing.
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For more information,
contact:
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