Be glad you didn't get the new mustang...

[Arixona]

... because if you did, you'd drive it for 3,000 miles, crawl under it to change the oil, and see this:


A huge skid plate that is held on by 8 bolts. Bolts. Bolts.
Um. Design flaw?

[B-Body Fan]

Hugh??

[Warrior#7]

wow that would suk

[Hal H]

it's getting pretty common to see plastic belly pans under engines.

Helps a car's aerodynamics by smoothing out under-car turbulence (also helps reduce high air pressure build up in underhood area - it helps direct air through the radiator and with the higher airflow moving underneath the belly pan it will draw this air toward back of engine bay and out below the firewall.

These pans also keeps all the road grime and crud from building up on the bottom side of engine and engine cradle/crossmember. Much more pleasant experience when you're working under there to not have road grime gunk building up.

The Challenger has a plastic belly pan that requires removal of 4 bolts so that you can access the oil filter and the drain plug on the V8's. The oil filter is up toward front of engine on passenger side, oriented in a vertical position.

[Al_Gore_Hates_Me]

Bet a lot of those pans dissappear at quick lube places, lol.

[B-Body Fan]

Originally Posted by Hal H

it's getting pretty common to see plastic belly pans under engines.

Helps a car's aerodynamics by smoothing out under-car turbulence (also helps reduce high air pressure build up in underhood area - it helps direct air through the radiator and with the higher airflow moving underneath the belly pan it will draw this air toward back of engine bay and out below the firewall.

These pans also keeps all the road grime and crud from building up on the bottom side of engine and engine cradle/crossmember. Much more pleasant experience when you're working under there to not have road grime gunk building up.

The Challenger has a plastic belly pan that requires removal of 4 bolts so that you can access the oil filter and the drain plug on the V8's. The oil filter is up toward front of engine on passenger side, oriented in a vertical position.

When You say Vertical...Is that upside down or right-side up? can I Pre-Fill the filter before installing without spillage or not? Do You refer to the 5.7 or 6.1 ????

[Hal H]

Originally Posted by B-Body Fan

When You say Vertical...Is that upside down or right-side up? can I Pre-Fill the filter before installing without spillage or not? Do You refer to the 5.7 or 6.1 ????

On the 5.7 its right-side up (you can pre-fill filter before installing it), I imagine the 6.1 is the same orientation?

I do the same thing on my cars with pre-filling the oil filter when possible, to get oil circulating through the engine's oil passages as quickly as possible with the least amount of air - haven't changed the oil on Challenger yet, not that many miles accumulated.