I hear you Chris. I have this pictue framed in my office.

 

>>Do not use the Hex socket bolts and Do not Loctite them in. The loast time I removed my Skid plate Eric @ Helix had to Air chisel them off. Those Bolts are made of soft metal and strip easily. Go to Lowes Home Inprovement and get Grade 8.8 m10-1.50 (pitch)x20mm bolts.

Thanks for the info. I'll switch them out over the w/e. It seemed odd to use red Loctite on such a small bolt, which is why I went with blue. From what I've read, red is really only meant for a) medium bolts meant to be permanently installed, or b) large bolts (a few sizes bigger than m10).

 

>>Your PS fan might already have a grille of its own - I know it was in the works as of a few months ago and my dealer has shown me the updated fans. I got a 92mm fan grille for a computer on ebay for about $3 and used that on my '03 MCS. I can't seen spending $40 for the (Moss?) part...
>>
>>Check underneath and see what is/isn't there - you might be pleasantly surprised!

You are right! There is a black plastic grill covering the fan on the 04 MC. No need for a shroud to protect the PS fan!! Thanks.

 

Chris,

Just one more quick tip on the install: it would be a REALLY good time to buy an oil drain valve from Fumoto (http://www.fumotovalve.com/) and go ahead and do an oil change and oil valve install while you're down there. The drain valve will eliminate the need to remove the skid plate unless you're doing SERIOUS work on the car. They make one with a nipple that you can just put a piece of tubing over to conveniently drain into your oil container when changing your oil. It's a really great product! (And no, I don't work for them, I just happen to think that it's the single best "mod" I've made to my MINI.)

 

I have purchased a ton of stuff from Moss for my Cooper. I must admit that the few times I have called customer service, it was like talking with Rain man. No one knows anything about the products. Lucky I'm pretty mechanically inclined.

Careful when purchasing the Silicone radiator hoses and the Aluminum fitting. They dont fit together...never a mention of this inthe catalog....

Jackman

 

I think I saw that MINI- Madness has one of their own. IMHO I like the way the madness one looks. I really don't know if there is a price difference, but from previous orders they have a good customer service.

 

The skid plate is mounted with the four hex bolts to the rear and reuses the existing phillips head (captive) screws in the middle and the three bolts which secure the plastic guard to the front bumper assembly.

However, contrary to some of the posts here, it is important to use the loctite as the bolts will work loose. I had the opportunity to remove them without difficulty provided you use the stuff provided (red loctite, not blue or green, if you have to buy it yourself).

Finally, I strongly suggest that you fit an oil drain valve with the hose nipple (avaialble online through Summitt Racing) as performing oil changes with the skid plate in place results in clean ups of biblical proportions. The valve makes things even easier than before the plate installation and is truly a necessity.

Good luck. :smile:

 

I used the (provided) hex head bolts with (not provided) light-duty loctite. I have removed it twice, and I had absolutely no problems with removal. Also, one other point--the central "captive" screws did not fit properly with my (Moss-made, minicooperparts distributed) skidplate. The placement of the hole for said screw on the passenger side was off by a good half-inch. I had to remove it and drill a fresh hole for the screw. Thanks Moss! ( )

 

>> ... so, the plate rusted itself to the car? ... and hadn't been removed in a year? ... no oil changes in all that time?
>>

I am the proud (sic) owner of that plate that had to be cut off due to the seized bolts at the Detroit pulley party, and the problem was that the bolts (with Loctite and a whole lot of rust) were NEVER going to come out...even after heating with a torch.

So I told Randy to cut it off, and he got under there with a cutter wheel and cut off the heads of the bolts. See pics here...

http://www.somc.on.ca/gallery/view_a...umName=mblotto

Funny part is, the ends are still in there, and winter is upon us and I have NO skidplate on the car at all right now (the stock one will go back on very soon, only temporarily). I'm a little paranoid about it. I'm pretty much done with the stock one, though, as it's heavy and cumbersome. I feel a fan shroud is on the horizon.

To answer your question re. oil changes...I've done 2 myself, and there's a perfectly placed hole that allows you to get at the drain plug and allows the oil to flow out without getting it all over the plate, that is until the flow gets right to the end a little bit drips on the plate then, but nothing major. Either way, I don't want it back on the car. Anyone want it?

No bolts included!

 

Welker,

I'm not sure how the laws of physics work in your driveway, but in mine, when the oil drain plug is removed, the oil arcs about a foot (laterally) out of the hole and then tapers back until it's dripping straight down. Now, unless your skid plate has a hole that's at least a foot in diameter (which, of course, would defeat the whole purpose of the skid plate), I guarantee that oil is going to get all over it in a big way.

 

>>Welker,
>>
>>I'm not sure how the laws of physics work in your driveway, but in mine, when the oil drain plug is removed, the oil arcs about a foot (laterally) out of the hole and then tapers back until it's dripping straight down. Now, unless your skid plate has a hole that's at least a foot in diameter (which, of course, would defeat the whole purpose of the skid plate), I guarantee that oil is going to get all over it in a big way.
>>
>>

Please, I'm not trying to trick anybody here. If you read my last post, it says that I've already done 2 oil changes of my own, and aside from a little bit of the end drizzle getting on the skid plate, everything stays clean. I do it on a flat surface, in my garage. And no, I don't have a hole that's a foot in diameter on my skid plate.
One thing that probably does help is that I jack the car up pretty high...about 20", so it causes the drain plug to be at a better angle to the hole in the skid plate as the oil falls down. Certainly not the most scientific explanation, but hopefully you get what I mean.

 

I know I am a little late and the problem of missing bolts has been solved, but I do have a tip for finding unusual bolts and other bits that are not readily available at your local hardware or auto parts store.

Look in the Yellow Pages under "Fasteners- Construction and Industrial". Most towns will have someone that specializes in stocking a wide range of unusual sized bolts and I have been able to find anything I ever needed at such places. It does help if you can bring them a sample for them to match.