Kilby Gas Tank Skid Plate
Have you ever dreaded doing something so much that you put it off for as long as possible...for years, even? I have. The object of my dread was a bad gas tank sending unit that one day began telling me that I had 1/8 of a tank of fuel left when in fact, the tank was bone dry. That resulted in a one-hour walk on a blazing hot day. After that, I never let the gauge get down to 1/8. So naturally, the sending unit started telling me I had 1/4 of a tank left when it was, in fact, empty. Another session of calorie burning exercise ensued. After that, it became more blatant in its deceit and actually tried to tell me that I had 3/4 of a tank of fuel left after driving for two weeks. But it was too late. I had discerned its evil nature and had resorted to using the trip odometer as a rough gauge of how much fuel I had used. I used the trip odometer technique for the next six years. Changing tire sizes, transfer cases, and speedometer drive gears was always a bit of an adventure since I had to re-calibrate my guesstimate of fuel used per (indicated) km travelled. And off-road driving always skewed the results thanks to lots of idling and low range reduction gears.
A few weeks ago, in preparation for Rock Crawl 2002, I decided to install a set of Teraflex Revolver Shackles. This necessitated removing the frame-side shackle bolts which in turn required that the gas tank be dropped. That seemed like a perfect opportunity to exorcise the evil sending unit!
And that was the job I was dreading. Gas tanks don't get removed very often and when they do, you have the prospect of eyes filled with dirt, dried mud, and the joy of broken bolts to look forward to. Of course, you also have to siphon out any gas remaining in the tank so petrol-breath is another treat awaiting you. I've got a lively imagination but my imagined fears turned out to be completely factual. I broke off several bolts, covered my face in dirt, and wrestled under the Jeep for a very long time before the tank and skid plate was finally removed.
Now, you have to remember that Project YJ was, at some point in the distant past, a very stock Jeep. In its stock form, it was very low to the ground and I was reminded of this fact by frequent thumps, bangs, and grinds and various Jeep pieces hammered the rocks on the trail. So it was with no amount of surprise that I saw a huge concave dent in the bottom of my gas tank. The funny thing is that the stock skid plate wasn't nearly as badly dented as the gas tank. Perhaps its dent had popped out? Removing the fuel pump/sending unit revealed that the fuel baffle from which the pump drew was bent at a rather severe angle, as was the fuel pickup filter. I could now see why the sending unit hadn't been working correctly (although I was still unable to forgive it).
At that point, I could have hammered out the old skid plate and re-installed it along with the replacement tank/pump/sending unit I had already acquired. But the horror of removing the tank/skid plate was still fresh in my mind and I didn't ever want to have to do that again. I wanted something stronger, much stronger. And so a call was made to Brad Kilby of Kilby Enterprises. They make a variety of Jeep products and are very well-known for their Jeep TJ gas tank skid plates. They had recently released a YJ version and that's what I ordered. All 72 lbs of it. That's right, 72 lbs. There's not much you can do about the weight because it's made from 3/16" steel. If you want a low profile skid plate with lots of strength, it's got to be thick steel. (The TJ version is lighter at 60 lbs.)
When it arrived, I was struck by its beauty, and I'm not kidding. It was laser cut, professionally welded, and powder coated to perfection. I felt a bit depressed at the thought of hiding it under the Jeep. But ultimately, it did go under. It took a lot of work (hint, remove the driver-side spring shackle) but I did it. The holes lined up perfectly and the stock rubber liner and tank straps were re-used on the new skid plate.
This is what greeted me when I dropped the factory skid plate. Lots of mud and a very obvious dent.
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But even worse was the gas tank itself, which was badly concaved. The fuel baffle (the white plastic piece inside the bank) was bent, as was the fuel pickup which rode in the baffle. It's no surprise that my sending unit wasn't working correctly anymore.
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The original tank is on the right, the replace is on the left.
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The Kilby skid plate to the rescue! This hefty piece of armour was absolutely gorgeous!! 3/16" of rock shattering armour, laser cut, precision welded, and powder coated. You can't find a nicer skid plate.
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Before installing a replacement gas tank in a YJ, make sure the tank has the re-call service done on it. I managed to finagle one of the re-call kits so I could install it myself. It is basically a heavy gauge steel gasket that provides extra rigidity around the fuel tank opening where the sender and pump enter. Without it, you may experience leaks (and a spontaneously combusting Jeep).
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When removing the old gas tank, the odds are extremely high that you will break at least one of the retaining straps that hold the tank to the skid plate.
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Of course, you will need to re-use those straps (or buy new ones from the dealer!) so make sure you have access to a welder just in case. I bought some suitably long bolts, cut the heads off, and welded them to the straps.
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You will also need to re-use the original rubber mat that sat between the tank and skid plate.
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The tank fit into the Kilby skid plate perfectly. Nice and snug but not overly tight. The rubber mat and straps have been installed and the skid plate/tank combo is ready for installation under the Jeep.
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Unfortunately, that left-side spring pack is in the way of the tank's two spouts.
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Un-bolting the left-side shackle and jacking up the frame was needed to remove and re-install the tank. Don't waste your time trying to remove or install the tank without removing that shackle. I did, and will verify that it cannot be done!
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A floor jack, as always, makes the job much easier. The skid plate's holes lined up perfectly with the factory bolts.
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Done! One heavily-armoured gas tank now installed in Project YJ, thanks to the Kilby gas tank skid plate.
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A dented gas tank is now a thing of the past. The Kilby skid plate can support a lot of weight.
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I haven't smashed it into any rocks yet (the Jeep's a lot higher now than when I first got it) but I have jacked up the back by lifting the skid plate. It showed absolutely no signs of flex. I am supremely confident that I will not have to worry about a dented gas tank or unexpected hikes ever again. Remember, you only ever to change your gas tank once in your life. Get a Kilby skid plate and it will be forever protected from damage and you will be spared the horror of changing a gas tank forever more. Two thumbs up for the Kilby Enterprises gas tank skid plate.
...lars
