Skid plate

SergeantSavage · Post by **SergeantSavage** » Sat Dec 31, 2011 4:39 pm

Happy new year everybody! My 1980 has a rugged skid plate thagt protects the oil pan. By rugged I mean it serves as a great jacking point. Very heavy duty. Is this a common item? Is it stock or aftermarket? It looks factory.

So Cal Mark · Post by **So Cal Mark** » Sat Dec 31, 2011 4:43 pm

aftermarket. Before I jacked on it, I'd look to see where it's attached

SergeantSavage · Post by **SergeantSavage** » Sat Dec 31, 2011 4:47 pm

I'll post a pic tomorrow rather than try to explain it. It can't move upward without contacting the crossmember, and is built of 3/16 or 1/4 inch steel. Very heavy.

SergeantSavage · Post by **SergeantSavage** » Mon Jan 02, 2012 2:31 pm

Here is a view of the skid plate. Note the tube in the front.

Here you can see how the rear of the plate is isolated from the crossmember with an angle iron bracket. Angle is bolted to crossmember and welded to skid plate.

Sorry for the poor quality of this one, but these tabs are what mounts the tube to body tabs which extend down from the radiator support.

SergeantSavage · Post by **SergeantSavage** » Mon Jan 02, 2012 2:36 pm

Even after re-sizing those pics on photobucket they are huge on this thread. Any trick to that?..

redauto · Post by **redauto** » Mon Jan 02, 2012 5:17 pm

hi

that is an aftermarket skid plate. the 79 on spider oil pan was so close to the ground that thousands of cars hit speed bumps, or curbs, and hit the oil pan. when the oil pan gets bent upward, it breaks off the pickup on the oil pump. the car loses oil pressure, and takes out the rod bearings or worse.

the car is very lucky to have it. thousands of fiats had to have their engines rebuilt because of it.

it would not be a good ideaa to lift the car by it. use the crossmember.

all the fiat parts vendors sell them.
Jay

rlux4 · Post by **rlux4** » Mon Jan 02, 2012 6:58 pm

I have a funny story about hitting the oil pan on my first Fiat. On our wedding day in 1980 my wife was driving my 79 Spider and went into a K Mart store parking lot with a pretty steep driveway. She heard something hit and then a banging noise. She had no idea what had happened, but she decided to put a quart of oil in the car for some reason. That raised the level just enough so the broken pick up tube was in it. She saved the engine by doing this. We were able to change out the oil pump that day, have the dent taken out of the pan and used the Fiat to go on our honeymoon.

Ron

RRoller123 · Post by **RRoller123** » Mon Jan 02, 2012 7:12 pm

Woman's intuition!

narfire · Post by **narfire** » Mon Jan 02, 2012 7:15 pm

[quote="rlux4"]She had no idea what had happened, but she decided to put a quart of oil in the car for some reason. That raised the level just enough so the broken pick up tube was in it. She saved the engine by doing this.

That womans a keeper.... well don Ron

4uall · Post by **4uall** » Mon Jan 02, 2012 7:44 pm

Congrats on entering into your 32nd year of marriage and 33rd of Fiat ownership

SergeantSavage · Post by **SergeantSavage** » Tue Jan 03, 2012 1:18 pm

Great story, rlux! And thanks for the info redauto.

I once knocked a small hole in a pickup truck oil pan and in desperation I asked my poor wife to hold her finger on it while I found something better to patch it with-- miles from home and without enough oil to replace what I had lost. The value of a good woman is sometimes measured in strange ways..haha.

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