papermaker

Nice looking oil catcher.........

CeeDee

Did I get that transmission skid plate rear portion installed correctly? What's the extra hole in the skid plate for? Some of the pictures on the RCI website for this truck show an extra hole there and some do not. Some also show the (silver) reinforcement backer-plate along with the allen-head bolt mounted outside of the transfer case cross member, somehow.

The pictures all seem a little different from each other and the larger fender washer for the allen-head bolt on the backer plate buckled and bent as soon as I tighten it. Maybe I was supposed to use the extra fender washer and double it up?

Thanks for the torque ratings. That'll help me make sure I have the bolts at least that tight. Do you recommend swapping out all the OEM bolts and clips for the ones that are provided in the skid plate kit?

rddakota

Appears the skid plate were designed for pre 2017 oil pans. Since later model oil pans drain from the side and not from the bottom, unless you want a big mess, you'll have to remove the skid plate to drain the oil.

Themobilephoneguy

Sorry for reviving an old thread, but I have a 2018 F150 2.7TT super crew short bed. I wanted to protect my cats from theft so I got the RCI trans skid plate with bolt on cat protecting side wings. It was pretty sweet...and not cheap.

Anyhow....I go to put it on and my factory OEM belly pan fabric bs was soaked...made a huge mess when I took it down. Thought I had a tranny or oil leak. Turns out it was a faulty oil drain plug. Dealer fixed under warranty and they were going to be nice an bolt skid plate on for me while under there.

However they noticed that the removable cut out in the RCI plate to access for oil change was to the passenger side, and not in the middle where my drain plug is. Apparently they are in two different places on F150s depending which drive train you have. RCI told me, my set up was "uncommon" and was basically my fault. They say they have no plans to make one that satisfies center oil plan plug, only side.

Does this seem like BS to anyone else? Ford sells over 265,000 2.7TT models annually since 2015...how is this set up uncommon? Am I missing something here? I asked that they refund me as I can't use this, and it's unfair to have anyone doing oil changes on my truck have to remove a 35 pound skid plate just to drain the oil.

Thoughts anyone?

My drain plug location

matthewthirtytwo

Just changed my oil over the weekend, that cut out would only work with a fumoto valve, and since us folks with plastic drain plugs can't use fumoto valves, you'll end up with oil all over the plate, and it'll drain out the holes at the rear end of the plate. If you want to change your oil, the plate has to come off. Only takes about 5 minutes to take off though, and if you're on your back/creeper, it's very manageable.

If anything, be mad at Ford for not giving us threaded drain plugs (like I am).

larryo108

iTrader: (1)

I have a 2018 F150 2.7 Ecoboost. I installed the full RCI skidplates minus the cat extensions. Didn't even know those were a thing. Anyways, while the access panel isn't centered on the drain plug, you can still easily access it. I run a Ronin drain plug on my truck and with that, oil changes with the RCI skidplates are cake and not messy at all. I just changed it this weekend. Removed the access panel. Changed it with the Roning plug and had zero mess or issue.

Themobilephoneguy

I have seen those Ronin plugs, but if it faces the wrong direction how do you divert it out the side thru the opening so the plate doesn't need to come off?

N4HHE

Is my understanding the oil drain plug is in the center for all 2.7EB.

Themobilephoneguy

Exactly my point. RCI tried to make it out to be my trucks fault because it's an "uncommon configuration". That's BS because Ford sells about 265,000 2.7TT F150s each year since 2015. Then RCI tried to tell me if I want to send it back I'll have to pay to ship it back again on top of the $68 I was charged to get it....PLUS a 15% restock fee. Unreal. Horrible way to do business. It isn't my fault or the trucks fault.

I would suggest to all who will listen, NOT to buy from RCI in Colorado.

N4HHE

Just take a jigsaw and make the hole big enough to reach the drain. Leave the hole open, you are not sliding over sand dunes, primarily you want to protect catalytic converters from theft.