Fumoto Drain Valve

[jeepman3071]

I thought about getting one, then realized how 1/10 of a quart wouldn't be drained out which would cause my German maintenance nightmare of a car to explode.

/sarcasm

I've installed a few of them on different cars, it helps to make less of a mess, no leaks, and no dealing with stupid crush washers.

 

[BlueOvalFitter]

I took the valve off my 2011 Kia Optima before I sold it last year so that could use it on my new Kia K5. I drained the oil with the valve on and as usual I waited about 30 minutes letting it drip. At this point I took off the valve and measured two tablespoons of oil after 15 minutes. I think it really depends on the angle of your oil pan. I would think that each vehicle would be different. Hope this helps.

In the video below is a Ford 4.2 V6 (just like in my truck, but mine has no oil leaks ). You can see that the drain is slightly angled with a small lowered cavity where the drain plug goes into the pan. If I were to install a FV it would be high enough to not get snagged on anything. And, I think it would drain out 99.9% of the oil.
Man, that engine has a serious oil leak.

 

[Joe1]

I’ve used Fumoto valves on my Subaru, Ford, and a Pontiac; they are a real time saver and you don’t have to worry about stripping out the plug. Some folk use a retention clip but I haven’t and I have a total of around 600K of miles on my three valves and haven’t had any dripping or accidental opening issues. Most of complaints of leaks are from double gasketing during installation or not using the proper crush washer (they come with the proper one).

On my Toyota, I installed a Stahlbus valve which I’m liking quite a bit. They are lower profile than the Fumoto valves and do not have the chance of an accidental opening.

As for the complaints of slowness, I can drain a 5.3 quart sump in about 1.5 - 2 minutes with either the Stahlbus or Fumoto valves. I just take that time to go change the oil filter.

I'm thinking of getting the Stahlbus M12x1.25x12mm for my Toyota Venza for the reasons you mentioned. I've had Fumoto on my last 3 cars without any issues.

Is it possible to open the Stahlbus without putting the car on ramps? I was able to slide an oil pan under my low to the ground Impreza and open the Fumoto valve with the car flat on the ground. I'm hoping the same can be done with the Venza/Stahlbus which is very similar to your RAV4.

 

[Astro14]

My oil extractor gets only 3 quarts out of my Tundra. That leave about 5 quarts in the engine.

Something about the dipstick location, and the shape of the pan prevents it from getting to the bottom, so, oil extractors, while great in some vehicles, are complete failures in others.

The Tundra drain plug sits pretty far off the ground, and oil spews out rapidly, so with the long drop, and high flow rate, it is messy. I’m thinking it is a perfect candidate for a Fumoto...

Yeah...got oil every where last week when I changed it.

Just in from Amazon. Will see which one I like better when I look at them on the pan.

 

[IveBeenRued]

I'm thinking of getting the Stahlbus M12x1.25x12mm for my Toyota Venza for the reasons you mentioned. I've had Fumoto on my last 3 cars without any issues.

Is it possible to open the Stahlbus without putting the car on ramps? I was able to slide an oil pan under my low to the ground Impreza and open the Fumoto valve with the car flat on the ground. I'm hoping the same can be done with the Venza/Stahlbus which is very similar to your RAV4.

Yes, I can do an oil change without ramps on my RAV4 though I usually use ramps so I can drain directly into an empty oil jug.

 

[Spur]

Femco low profile. Probably best design.

 

[IveBeenRued]

Femco low profile. Probably best design.

Looks nice and slightly slimmer than the German Stahlbus valves but appear to have a very limited selection of thread types.

 

[circuitsmith]

I use ValvoMax. Low profile, double sealed, made in USA.

ValvoMax Oil Drain System

Frustrated with your DIY oil change? ValvoMax removes the hassle. Replace your drain bolt with the Quick Twist valve. Made of solid 304 Stainless Steel, the valve simplifies your oil change. Save time, eliminate tools, and conserve the environment. Veteran-owned. Made in USA

www.valvomax.com

 

[KrisZ]

I have a Fumoto valve on my Grand Caravan and honestly I don’t care for it. I still have to jack up the front and crawl under to reach it just as with the drain plug. And the drain time is really annoying. It forces me to wait for it, whereas with the drain plug, by the time I’m done with the cartridge oil filter up top, the oil is drained down to a slow drip. With Fumoto it’s still a stream.

 

[sparky123]

I installed an older design Fumoto valve on our '17 Rogue Sport. Haven't had a chance to use yet. But I had to shave a little of the gasket in order to position the valve lever where I wanted. I can't see how it could open by accident. Haven't timed how long to drain. Hoping for 15 minutes or less. Will report back later...

 

[Sam_Julier]

I can’t make case for any of these valves on the 240s. They protrude down too far.

They could work in the Avalon.

But I’d miss my magnetic drain plugs. It’s so satisfying to wipe off the little bit of metallic black goo at each interval.

 

[earlyre]

had a Fumoto on my old Sable.
towards the end of it's time with me, I gave up/got lazy whatever you want to call it, and took the Sable to the local VIOC, and they wouldn't touch the valve.
"Where did you have your oil changed last? Do you know you don't have a drain plug? "
basically they wouldn't accept the liability if the valve wouldn't close. so they wouldn't change my oil.
an oil change DID show up on Carfax though...

just something to think about when going down this road... if for some reason you have to take it to a shop, they may decline the oil change b/c of your non standard parts....

 

[cb450sc]

As I had mentioned in a previous post I used a fumoto valve on mt 2011 Kia Optima and now my 2021 Kia K5. The only reason I use it is because the oil would splash all over the frame from the drain. With the valve I can attach a foot long hose where the oil will go right into my used oil container without making a mess. I do not have one on my Civic because it pours without straight into a container.

 

[gapi]

I tried it and its too slow to drain. I have perfected dropping oil anyways but the novelty sucked me in. All it does is extend the drain time. Gimick.

 

[IveBeenRued]

I honestly don’t understand people complaining about the drain times. Are y’all doing your oil changes on a cold motor in subzero temperatures with higher viscosity oils or something?

As a trial, I did my Subaru’s last oil change cold with 22 degree F ambient temps. The sump was done draining by the time I was done swapping out the oil filter up top; so approximately 5 minutes. The car uses 0W-20.

Previous changes were done hot and my sump was down to a very slow drip within a minute or so.

The Fumoto saves me time. No wrench needed for the drain plug, no fishing for a dropped plug, no changing the crush washer, no torquing the plug to the spec. Just two flicks of the valve and you’re done.

 

[Trav]

Femco low profile. Probably best design.

I looked at those,the design is nice but I don't care for the o ring. The Stahlbus and ValvoMax are the ones that interest me the most, I bought a Stahlbus for one car and may try a ValvoMax on another depending on what I can find out about the "wave spring" durability, it is stainless which is a big plus the Stahlbus is not.

 

[KrisZ]

I honestly don’t understand people complaining about the drain times. Are y’all doing your oil changes on a cold motor in subzero temperatures with higher viscosity oils or something?

As a trial, I did my Subaru’s last oil change cold with 22 degree F ambient temps. The sump was done draining by the time I was done swapping out the oil filter up top; so approximately 5 minutes. The car uses 0W-20.

Previous changes were done hot and my sump was down to a very slow drip within a minute or so.

The Fumoto saves me time. No wrench needed for the drain plug, no fishing for a dropped plug, no changing the crush washer, no torquing the plug to the spec. Just two flicks of the valve and you’re done.

Perhaps it depends on the application. I do my OCs with a warmed up oil and on my Grand Caravan the bulk of the oil seems to drain fairly quickly, but then it gets to a medium trickle and it trickles for what seems like forever. I once let it trickle for around 15 minutes and it would still not go to a drip, just a smaller trickle.

 

[Hootbro]

I honestly don’t understand people complaining about the drain times. Are y’all doing your oil changes on a cold motor in subzero temperatures with higher viscosity oils or something?

As a trial, I did my Subaru’s last oil change cold with 22 degree F ambient temps. The sump was done draining by the time I was done swapping out the oil filter up top; so approximately 5 minutes. The car uses 0W-20.

Previous changes were done hot and my sump was down to a very slow drip within a minute or so.

The Fumoto saves me time. No wrench needed for the drain plug, no fishing for a dropped plug, no changing the crush washer, no torquing the plug to the spec. Just two flicks of the valve and you’re done.

FUMOTO valve threads have always been like that, peppered with comments like it is a right/wrong equation and anybody that does not share the same experience is wrong.

 

[Spur]

I looked at those,the design is nice but I don't care for the o ring. The Stahlbus and ValvoMax are the ones that interest me the most, I bought a Stahlbus for one car and may try a ValvoMax on another depending on what I can find out about the "wave spring" durability, it is stainless which is a big plus the Stahlbus is not.

Have not seen or heard of any problems with the Femco, but I do understand your thoughts. With the location of my Gladiator drain plug the low profile of the femco seems best. With the cap on, even if the o ring fails it should not be a problem.

 

[Carlo]

I have a Stahlbus valve on my car and all works fine without making a mess.
Done over 10 oil changes and no leaks or whatsoever.