98 Tacoma , 4X4 3.4 V6 -- shield

Over the many years of having my old changed, I noticed they stopped taking the lower front shield off the bottom of the truck to get at the oil filter. I didn't think much of it until I went to change the filter myself. It turns out either the bolts are missing, cross threaded or rusted. I broke one off trying to get it loose. I don't see any way to get the shield off without breaking the rest of the bolts. I do need to get the shield off as I see at least one oil filter laying on the shield but can't get to it. So someone along the way dropped it and let it go.

Anyway, I was wondering if once I get the shield off, it it's okay to run without? I don't really do any off road stuff, mostly highway driving. I'm sure I'll break off the rest of the bolts getting it off.

Joel

Reply to
Joel
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Same thing happened to me. I went to one of those 10 minute oil change places where you stay in the vehicle and the guy in the pit does the change and then you just drive out. Anyway, I heard him clanging around for a good

5 minutes and then got out and asked what he was doing. He said (in broken english) that he had to charge me more because he had to take off my skid plate. I then kindly advised him to go through the driver side wheel well flap to get to the oil filter on a 3.4 Tacoma. He finished up rather quickly and I left. The next day I crawled underneath and of course I had a few skid plate bolts missing and a few less-than finger tight. At the risk of letting these minimum wage "technicians" touch my truck again, I just sucked it up and went to Lowes and found an equivalent bolt to replace the 4 missing ones. I believe the original head size is 12mm and the new ones I bought were 13mm heads. Just take one of the original bolts to a hardware store and find a nut that fits it nicely. Then, find a bolt that they sell that also fits the nut nicely and buy however many you need. Last step is to do all your own oil changes yourself from now on.

Reply to
dissembler

You found a filter on you skid plate? I found an adjustable oil filter wrench! I guess the guys at The Oil Connection on 327 Texas St in Fairfield CA and I are even. BTW If you never go off road, you dont really need the skid plates.

Reply to
dissembler

Yeah, I wish it was going to be this easy. I can't seem to get the remaining bolts off the plate as they are rusted solid. I know that will break off, as a bunch are now. I'm hoping I can get enough off to be able to put enough back to be able to keep the plate from rattling. But they are all rusted really badly, I already busted one off. I was hoping either I can drill new holes and tap new bolts, or just run without the shield?

Joel

Reply to
Joel

I recently went through skid shield removal and bolt replacement. I think the correct bolts for your truck are M8 x 1.25 x 20. I replaced my stock bolts with JIS flanged-head bolts.

You can run without shields, but it's possible to remove the broken bolts and replace the shield. Before you go any further, spray PB Blaster penetrating oil on the bolts and let them soak for a day. If the bolts break off, once the shields are off, you can drill through the broken bolts (carefully) and remove them with an easy-out (a left-hand-threaded bolt removing tool that you can buy at a hardware or auto parts store). Take your time when you drill. Use sharp drill bits and cutting oil. Start with a smallish pilot drill and keep the drill centered in the broken bolt so you don't damage the threads. Once through, drill with successively larger bits until you've hollowed out the bolt and it's very thin. Then insert the easy-out (use the biggest easy-out that you can insert and tap it in firmly with a hammer) and use a crescent wrench to turn it counter clockwise and unthread the bolt. After the bolts are out, chase the holes with a well lubricated tap (from auto parts or hardware store) to renew the threads.

Replace shield. Coat the new bolt threads with anti-sieze compound so you can remove them easily next time. Henceforth change your own oil so you can save money and do the job right.

James

Reply to
cillablack-69

Spray the remaining bolts with "PB Blaster" or "Kroil" penetrating oil, let it sit overnight, and see if that loosens the rusted ones up.

If it doesn't, you might need to get out "Ye Olde Hot Wrench" and warm them up to a dull red and see if that'll loosen them up. (Heat Them CAREFULLY! There are fuel lines, brake lines, electrical harnesses and other things that melt or go up in big flames if they get hot, so you don't just wave the torch around wildly.)

But if that does not work try a few more cycles of penetrating oil, soak time, and heat - no matter how tempting I wouldn't immediately cut the bolt heads off, because that adds to your removal problems. Bad enough when they snap off.

I would leave the skid plates on, if for no other reason than it controls airflow under the hood for maximum cooling effectiveness. You might not plan to go off-roading and hit stumps and rocks - but a concrete block or firewood log tossed in the street or falling off the back of a truck can do the same type of damage. Just try to aim for it off-center so the debris doesn't jam under the differentials.

Fresh bolts, nickel based anti-seize, and take them off every once in a while.

Sounds like you live in the 'Rust Belt', you might want to go through and clean/treat all the important bolts down there now, before you develop small problems that turn huge because the bolts are rusted tight...

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Reply to
Bruce L. Bergman

Thanks for all the help.. I'm going to give it a good soaking and see where that leaves me.. I wish I could get at the other end of the bolts so the penetrating fluid could do a better job. As I remember the nuts are captive and so spraying on the bolt heads, when they are upside down don't really allow much chance of the fluid seeping into the rusty end of the bolt.. But it's worth a try. I'll probably have to resort to the 'heat wrench' as that might work better.. As I remember when I originally tried to get them off, the one snapped off way to easy,. I'll have to be careful. I certainly would rather keep the shield on the truck, as it does add protection and like you said, probably affects the cooling capabilities.

Actually the truck spent the first 4 years of it's life in Chicago area, and that's where it got rusted out. Luckily not much is rusted that bad. Now, I'm living in Tennessee, and so it's a lot better. They build them a lot better then days of old. The truck before this had 330k miles, but I had to get rid of it because the body rusted out so bad I got tired of holding the door up just to open and not fall off. But it ran like a top.. I loved that old truck.. 22r engine..

Joel

Reply to
Joel

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