Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit
Originally Posted By: Guitarmageddon
Have you used/do you use an oil drain valve?
Never have, and most likely never will. I don't mind spending the extra 15 seconds each oil change removing and replacing the drain plug.
As I understand it, the oil drain valves are somewhat/significantly slower to drain that the drain plug, so there is no time savings over the drain plug.
Well that is fine when all you have is a gallon of oil running thru a tiny plug hole. See if you feel that a Fumoto is not worth it on a sump that holds 10 gallons of oil and a commercial truck comes in off the road for shop service after running all day and that oil is still over 180F. Pull the plug on that one and let us know if you have the same perspective, especially when it comes to filling a oil sample bottle from that flow.
It isn't so much about time savings, as hassle savings. My 2013 Chevy Silverado, the warm oil will shoot out clear over to the passenger side steer tire if I was only using the stock plug. I can control the flow better and create less problems by using a valve. And even if the drain is slower using a valve, one can be doing a number of things while the oil is draining. On a typical commercial truck, there are at least 28-30, minimum, grease fittings that need to be hit, and the drive diffs and trans lube levels need checked. On my pickup, I have a number of things to check while I am under it to catch any mechanical issues that might be cropping up.
I realize that some rarely even check the oil, let alone actually take the time to check out the entire vehicle, but a slower drain from a valve is non issue for those of us that do. That a trace of used oil may remain in the sump due to the valve doesn't concern me either. After hundreds of oil samples on both commercial and personal vehicles, I have yet to see that it makes any difference.