dnewton3
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Fumoto Drain Plug Valve...
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I have five of them on various cars, one on over 15 years. Even hit a concrete median with one, shaved the nipple a bit but valve is solid as ever, never change oil without one!
Originally Posted By: LargeCarManX2
If you want to sleep at night....I would not buy one! The mental picture of that lever fliping open if something flips up from the road will haunt you.
I have run Fumoto valves on all my cars for years. The lever is very secure and not easily moved. It is notched (machined) to only open when the lever is moved up and out at the same time. A "hit" is only going to move it one way and not the two opposites at the same time. So sleep like a baby.
If you want to sleep at night....I would not buy one! The mental picture of that lever fliping open if something flips up from the road will haunt you.
I have run Fumoto valves on all my cars for years. The lever is very secure and not easily moved. It is notched (machined) to only open when the lever is moved up and out at the same time. A "hit" is only going to move it one way and not the two opposites at the same time. So sleep like a baby.
(I'll be the spoiler of the party)
I've got one on a high ground clearance vehicle and would NOT buy another.
Sticks down too far, when you drain oil it shoots across to close to the drivers front tire then as it drains to below the drain.
Also you have to clean the valve with a q-tip since it gets dirt in the ball/seal area.
Plus it is made out of soft brass (the MFG warns you against tightening it too much and breaking it
)
Just think what a object @ xx MPH will do to it.
I wish I could have gotten a Sure drain instead..
Here are a few photos of mine. (again on a 9 inch ground clearance vehicle)
My 15 cents...
Bill
PS: Don't worry about the lever. It's prob the strongest thing about the valve.
I've got one on a high ground clearance vehicle and would NOT buy another.
Sticks down too far, when you drain oil it shoots across to close to the drivers front tire then as it drains to below the drain.
Also you have to clean the valve with a q-tip since it gets dirt in the ball/seal area.
Plus it is made out of soft brass (the MFG warns you against tightening it too much and breaking it
Just think what a object @ xx MPH will do to it.
I wish I could have gotten a Sure drain instead..
Here are a few photos of mine. (again on a 9 inch ground clearance vehicle)
My 15 cents...
Bill
PS: Don't worry about the lever. It's prob the strongest thing about the valve.
One question I keep having with these... If they slow down the drain out, do you think there is a possibility the draining process doesn't clean out the sump as well? I know, even pulling the plug can leave "stuff" in the bottom but it seems that reducing the flow rate would only exacerbate this...
They look very convenient but that issue has always stopped me from trying one.
Ken
They look very convenient but that issue has always stopped me from trying one.
Ken
Bill- It looks like the reason the oil shoots to the side is that your drain hole is at an angle. In other words, maybe it's because of a poor design, not because of the valve.
I bet you could find something that would fit snuggly over the valve, keeping the ball and seat clean. Maybe the ones with the nipple stay cleaner.? It rains so much up here that I guess we don't have to worry about it getting dirty.
Do you still have it/use it?
Ken- With the oil good and hot, it doesn't take that long to drain. Don't let that stop you from buying one.
Also, for anyone worrying about the lever getting bumped open, there is an optional clip you can get that secures it very well.
I bet you could find something that would fit snuggly over the valve, keeping the ball and seat clean. Maybe the ones with the nipple stay cleaner.? It rains so much up here that I guess we don't have to worry about it getting dirty.
Do you still have it/use it?
Ken- With the oil good and hot, it doesn't take that long to drain. Don't let that stop you from buying one.
Also, for anyone worrying about the lever getting bumped open, there is an optional clip you can get that secures it very well.
I have used this to drain 20w-50 from my Rx-7 and no, it was not slow at all. Just make sure the oil is hot like you are supposed to. Also the Rx-7 is lowered and I am not worried about it hitting anything.
With the way the drain plug is a Mazda3, the nipple option is necessary imo. When I take the bolt out, oil shoots almost parallel to the underside of the car. I have to hold the oil pan in the air and slowly move it closer as the oil slows. It is ridiculous. If you have drain plug at an angle like the one described, get the nipple attachment so you can put a hose on the end to control where the oil is going.
With the way the drain plug is a Mazda3, the nipple option is necessary imo. When I take the bolt out, oil shoots almost parallel to the underside of the car. I have to hold the oil pan in the air and slowly move it closer as the oil slows. It is ridiculous. If you have drain plug at an angle like the one described, get the nipple attachment so you can put a hose on the end to control where the oil is going.
So get the valve with a nipple and have it stick even further down?
I'll pass.
The sure drain is a much better unit. Stays clean, NO chance of being hit and draining, compact, comes with a hose that drains directly into a pan/bottle.
Too bad they are gone.
Hate2 work; yeah, I'm still using it. I have to hold the pan up to the unit with one hand and open the valve with another. Then hold the pan when it fills up and once the flow is low enough I place it below till its done.
Bill
I'll pass.
The sure drain is a much better unit. Stays clean, NO chance of being hit and draining, compact, comes with a hose that drains directly into a pan/bottle.
Too bad they are gone.
Hate2 work; yeah, I'm still using it. I have to hold the pan up to the unit with one hand and open the valve with another. Then hold the pan when it fills up and once the flow is low enough I place it below till its done.
Bill
I have a Fumoto with the nipple on both cars and I just leave a short rubber hose attached so that the opening doesn't get dirty with sand, grime, dirt or other junk.
You will NOT break a Fumoto.
You will NOT break a Fumoto.
Originally Posted By: Bill in Utah
...
The sure drain is a much better unit. Stays clean, NO chance of being hit and draining, compact, comes with a hose that drains directly into a pan/bottle.
Too bad they are gone.
...
Bill
You still can buy Suredrain online, may be on Ebay where I bought two Suredrains last year for about $6-7 shipped.
...
The sure drain is a much better unit. Stays clean, NO chance of being hit and draining, compact, comes with a hose that drains directly into a pan/bottle.
Too bad they are gone.
...
Bill
You still can buy Suredrain online, may be on Ebay where I bought two Suredrains last year for about $6-7 shipped.
Honestly I think most of Bill's concerns are there only because of the vehicle he has it installed on. I've got one on my Civic and it doesn't stick down at all, it's perfectly horizontal and since I got one with a nipple, I just attach a hose and direct the oil wherever the pan is.
The soft metal is a mute point. If something flys up under my vehicle I'm more worried about it piercing the oil pan (or oil and coolant lines, brake lines or wires) than knocking the drain valve out of whack.
If you have doubts about where it will sit when on your oil pan, look at the angle that the drain plug goes in at. If it points down like Bill's you may develop clearance anxiety.
Clark
The soft metal is a mute point. If something flys up under my vehicle I'm more worried about it piercing the oil pan (or oil and coolant lines, brake lines or wires) than knocking the drain valve out of whack.
If you have doubts about where it will sit when on your oil pan, look at the angle that the drain plug goes in at. If it points down like Bill's you may develop clearance anxiety.
Clark
Originally Posted By: LT4 Vette
I have a Fumoto with the nipple on both cars and I just leave a short rubber hose attached so that the opening doesn't get dirty with sand, grime, dirt or other junk.
You will NOT break a Fumoto.
Don't tell the MFG of Fumoto that. They incl a paper telling you it WILL break from over tightening.
If you can snap it off with a wrench, a truck tire, rock or any other item @ speed WILL break it.
Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
You still can buy Suredrain online, may be on Ebay where I bought two Suredrains last year for about $6-7 shipped.
Sadly, not for the large drain plug for a Subaru...
I checked. If I could find one I'd buy it.
Take care, Bill
I have a Fumoto with the nipple on both cars and I just leave a short rubber hose attached so that the opening doesn't get dirty with sand, grime, dirt or other junk.
You will NOT break a Fumoto.
Don't tell the MFG of Fumoto that. They incl a paper telling you it WILL break from over tightening.
If you can snap it off with a wrench, a truck tire, rock or any other item @ speed WILL break it.
Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
You still can buy Suredrain online, may be on Ebay where I bought two Suredrains last year for about $6-7 shipped.
Sadly, not for the large drain plug for a Subaru...
I checked. If I could find one I'd buy it.
Take care, Bill
I have had a Fumoto valve installed on my Tahoe for the past 140K miles. It has traveled all across the Eastern United States in all kinds of weather and never leaked a drop. The drain plug on my 5.3L is almost horizontal, so I don't worry about it hitting something. If you change the oil hot it works like a champ and hitting the drain pan is very easy. I can change the oil and not spill a drop or get it on my hands.
I have not installed a Fumoto valve on my wife's Toyota Sequoia. That drain plug is vertical and it would hang down below the skid plate. I had a bad feeling about it, so I didn't install one.
One more thought....if you leave the oil cap on while draining the Fumoto does drain slower, but if you remove the oil cap it flows very well ... albeit slower than a simple drain plug hole with larger diameter.
I have not installed a Fumoto valve on my wife's Toyota Sequoia. That drain plug is vertical and it would hang down below the skid plate. I had a bad feeling about it, so I didn't install one.
One more thought....if you leave the oil cap on while draining the Fumoto does drain slower, but if you remove the oil cap it flows very well ... albeit slower than a simple drain plug hole with larger diameter.
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You will break anything if you purposely over tighten it.
I think if you take a normal drain plug and over tighten it you will strip the threads in the pan.
The Fumoto is soft brass and since it sticks down further than a normal drain plug those two things make it easier to break than a normal plug.
The SureDrain is made out of metal and since it is shorter, I doubt your damage it.
The Fumoto is soft brass and since it sticks down further than a normal drain plug those two things make it easier to break than a normal plug.
The SureDrain is made out of metal and since it is shorter, I doubt your damage it.
Brass is metal, too
Originally Posted By: Bill in Utah
Here are a few photos of mine.
If my Fumotos stuck down like yours, Bill, I might not be using them. With the extension on there to boot, I see.
Here are a few photos of mine.
If my Fumotos stuck down like yours, Bill, I might not be using them. With the extension on there to boot, I see.
I really want to get one of those...but I would be driving along thinking of all the debris hitting it at 70mph...this would undoubtedley maximize my OCD to the point where I would need a CCD camera installed under the vehicle and networked into the NAV system so I could watch it while I drive...
I already wake up in the middle of the night worrying about the drain bolt coming loose...
I already wake up in the middle of the night worrying about the drain bolt coming loose...
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