Best oil drain valve? Fumoco vs others?

[apollo18]

hey all i just ran across getting a oil drain valve for my 2015 rav 4 2ar-fe, just wondering what brand is the 'best' valve? i think now a days there is a bunch of brands so just wondering which is best against leakage and or accidently opening etc?

thx!

 

[blupupher]

I have had several Fumoto's with no issue, have an EZ drain valve on my '18 Santa Fe with no issues either.
Don't remember exactly why I went with the EZ instead of Fumoto, but I think it was because is cheaper and wanted to try it out.

 

[Owen Lucas]

I'm in the don't use a drain valve crowd. They are super convenient but imagine running over a stick or getting the perfect money shot to the valve lever letting oil loose it all over the highway.

 

[fsdork]

I've had the EZ drain on a couple vehicles (still do on the F-150), and I've had no issues. One of the features which drew me to it is the metal threaded cap that goes over the output side of the valve. Although I wouldn't want to have it be the only thing holding oil in my engine, I do like that it offers some extra protection in the unlikely event the valve got opened somehow by a road hazard.

I haven't used any other brands, so I can't make a comparison of real-world use.

 

[goingplacesanddoingstuff]

I'm in the don't use a drain valve crowd. They are super convenient but imagine running over a stick or getting the perfect money shot to the valve lever letting oil loose it all over the highway.

That’s what skid plates are for.

 

[cptbarkey]

Does the permanent threaded end (inside the pan) of a drain valve prevent a complete drain?

 

[joekingcorvette]

I have 3 Fumoto valves and have not used any of them due to the fact that they all need different add on connector's to make them work properly. Not a fan of Fumoto valves. Buy a MityVac if it works for your engine. The best way to change oil is most likely the old fashioned pull the plug and dump the oil. The MityVac works great on my Honda and my Jeep. That's all folks.

 

[Furious]

That’s what skid plates are for.

That's what not all vehicles have.

People scared of a little motor oil on their hands, if people are that worried why not make it even cleaner and just purchase a fluid extractor from harborfreight.

 

[jetman]

Fumoto in the pan of my Detroit

 

[BAJA_05]

I have had several Fumoto's with no issue, have an EZ drain valve on my '18 Santa Fe with no issues either.
Don't remember exactly why I went with the EZ instead of Fumoto, but I think it was because is cheaper and wanted to try it out.

Just this!!!!

 

[shanegtr]

I have an EZ drain on my Land Rover. Never had an issue with it since its been in (at least 4 years now)

 

[Skippy722]

I'm in the don't use a drain valve crowd. They are super convenient but imagine running over a stick or getting the perfect money shot to the valve lever letting oil loose it all over the highway.

At that point there’s going to be more damage than just the valve… front bumper, the oil pan itself, heck even the transmission pan.

Fumoto has their little lock clip if you’re that worried, not to mention the lever itself is spring loaded and requires some force to push up and over. Valvomax and Stahlbus use a valve that requires a cap to push the valve which is internal to the valve body, sort of like the schrader valve on your tires.

Got a Fumoto on my Ram. No issues with it, even when running over branches in the road. Wish I put one on the van, but I may have forgotten to change the oil for ~2 years/30k miles and the drain plug is effectively welded to the pan now so I use an extractor for it.

 

[Donald]

I have put a Fumoto on 3 Subaru vehicles. Fits fine, makes oil changes quicker and easier.

But I think on my F250 PSD it might stick down too far. So I have stuck with the normal drain plug.

 

[Trav]

I tried Fumoto but found it was too low and also did not do a complete drain. I went with a Valvomax, it has a low profile, a safety cap and is all stainless steel. It does do a complete drain. It is also made in the USA, owned and made by veterans. The Stahlbus is the german version but not stainless and more expensive, it performs the same but not any better or worse.

 

[hrv]

I like the one that came with the car.....unscrew replace crush washer and screw back on....simple...

 

[Number_35]

I tried Fumoto but found it was too low and also did not do a complete drain. I went with a Valvomax, it has a low profile, a safety cap and is all stainless steel. It does do a complete drain. It is also made in the USA, owned and made by veterans. The Stahlbus is the german version but not stainless and more expensive, it performs the same but not any better or worse.

I recently bought two Valvomax units, based on your recommendation in a previous thread.

I plan to install them on the '09 Mazda5 and the '07 Grand Caravan when they're due for oil changes.

Already running a Fumoto on the '09 Kia Sedona, and am happy with it.

 

[JeffKeryk]

I bought an older V6 Camry to fix up for a family that had the Stahlbus style drain valve. The visible part broke off leaving the threaded portion in the pan threads. Luckily a pencil magnet pretty easily spun out the threads.

I imagine there are some road damage stories out there, but I have never personally heard of one. I prefer top side extractors with filter swaps every 2nd or 3rd service.

Some vehicles are not appropriate for drain valves and some are not appropriate for extractors.

 

[blupupher]

Does the permanent threaded end (inside the pan) of a drain valve prevent a complete drain?

a few ounces less will drain with the valve installed. Not enough to make a difference, but if you are one of those that lets your car drain overnight to get it "all" out, then it may bug you.

For me, I let oil drain till it is a slow drip, then close the valve/install drain plug.

Thanks for posting this though, made me remember I need to buy one for my son's Scion tC.
When we changed the oil the first time, noticed the drain plug threads were looking a little bad (not cross threaded, but may have been at one point), so with a drain valve, I don't have to worry about that stripping out.

 

[DirectRejection]

I can spin a yarn for ya.
Million to one, BITOG.
Million to one.

 

[cb450sc]

The last time I changed the oil on my 2011 Kia Optima I removed the Fumoto valve so that I could use it on my new at the time 2021 Kia K5. There was three tablespoons of oil that came out after i took out the valve off. I let it drip for 15 minutes because i was curious as well. I know that each application is different but that gives you an example of how little oil is left. I routinely let the oil drip out for 30 to 45 minutes doing an oil change.