Drain valve safe for offroad use

Joined
Jul 22, 2025
Messages
159
My Jeep doesn't have oil pan skid plate. Fomuto doesn't look safe offroad. Do you know some beefy drain valve with a mechanism that won't get opened if a small rock hits it?
Thank you
 
This looks promising

Screenshot_20250801_212507_Chrome.webp
 
I put the Valvomax on my Pilot. I tried the Fumoto first but it hung too low. Valvomax is much better in that aspect just don't lose the screw in adapter or get a spare to keep in car (clean) in case you need it somewhere not at home.

I also added a skid plate as my oil pan is low an easily hit. If you off road get the skid plate like @repairman54 said. Mine has many scratches / impacts between beach and access to hunting cabin.
 
If this is a JL, the Westin plate is garbage IME --for the 3.6.

Mine never fit right, I even custom machined a spacer for it and it still snapped a mounting tab somehow.

I removed it and scrapped it.

Beyond that I'm no help.
 
Spend your money on a skid plate for going off road before worrying about easy oil changes. One rock and you will get an easy oil change.
Exactly! Even for street use they are almost necessary for most cars. Not for a high ground clearance Jeep probably, but offroading without one? While expecting a stone to hit a drain valve?
 
I dumped a load of oil after unknowingly catching a cornstalk on the drain valve lever on the grain truck year before last. I got it on the road as usual and was up to about 35 mph when it lost oil pressure. I kicked it in neutral, shut it off and coasted it toward the farm. Momentum brought me to within a few feet of the driveway but to this day there is a 2 mile plus long black diesel oil stripe on the road. I stuck a big fat cable tie on it as a precaution and so far so good.
 
I dumped a load of oil after unknowingly catching a cornstalk on the drain valve lever on the grain truck year before last. I got it on the road as usual and was up to about 35 mph when it lost oil pressure. I kicked it in neutral, shut it off and coasted it toward the farm. Momentum brought me to within a few feet of the driveway but to this day there is a 2 mile plus long black diesel oil stripe on the road. I stuck a big fat cable tie on it as a precaution and so far so good.
I looked up lucky in the dictionary and your picture was in there,L.O.L
 
If you off road this as much as you claim - why don’t you have a skid plate? There are a wide variety of skid plate options for Jeeps. Pick one and protect the pan and the drain plug.
 
What’s wrong with pulling the drain plug? I get their concept but are useless to me. Oil sampling suck it out of the dipstick tube. When I had one I had to remove the skid plate to take the filter off.
 
What’s wrong with pulling the drain plug? I get their concept but are useless to me. Oil sampling suck it out of the dipstick tube. When I had one I had to remove the skid plate to take the filter off.
Nothing wrong with drain plug. If you rack a lot of miles then the stripped plug/pan thing becomes more potential. If just plug easy. I've seen many stripped pans though from others wrenching to tight.

On my Pilot it makes it that I don't need to remove the skid plate.
 
Nothing wrong with drain plug. If you rack a lot of miles then the stripped plug/pan thing becomes more potential. If just plug easy. I've seen many stripped pans though from others wrenching to tight.

On my Pilot it makes it that I don't need to remove the skid plate.
If people torque plugs properly you won’t have stripped plugs. Thats the aircraft mechanic in me. Your Pilot makes sence since you have a skid plate. The filter location being behind the tire for removal.
 
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