Oil Drain Valve

[01rangerxl]

The Fram Sure Drain might be slightly more fail-safe, but finding them is not easy since they have been discontinued. The problem with Sure Drains is that if you lose the fitting used to open the valve, you have to remove it to drain the oil. I lost the fitting for my truck's Sure Drain and I could not find a replacement. I ended up putting a regular drain plug in. Fumoto valves do not have that problem. The Sure Drain did work very well for the year and a half that I used it though.

 

[oc2006]

I have had a fumoto valve on my honda pilot for the last year or so. It really makes an oil change easier and faster. I would recommend the the valve with the nipple as some of the other posters said. The drain plug on my pilot is on the back side or rear of the pan and is fairly well shielded from damage.

 

[GearGuy]

I put together a short movie HERE
if anybody is curious.
The Fumoto is with nipple and I use 1 foot of clear hose to direct the oil flow.
Valve is installed on my '06 Saturn Vue with 3.5L Honda V6.

 

[frank2009]

I installed a fumoto on my dodge about 6 or 7 years ago. No problems with either draining the oil or leaks. Once in a while i do tighen it with a wrench. imo a very high quality piece of equipment. when they say it will outlast the car, i believe it.

 

[martyi]

Quote:

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Hey martyi, I also have a 2006 Honda Ridgeline, any clearance issue using the the standard valve?

John

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Nope, no clearance issues although it was a tight fit due to the adapter which is required for our vehicle. I have the valve (with nipple model) positioned pretty much straight up and slightly to the inside towards the middle of the truck. As I said in my previous post, Fumoto vlaves work in any position, even upside down.

I was concerned that this position might not give me enough room to work the spring lever when the thing was warm as it is close to the front of the exhaust system. Since I like to change oil when the engine is hot, I pretty much have to use gloves to get in there. I changed oil a couple months ago and I surprised that it was a snap to move the lever on and off, even with gloves on. The spring was easy to release because before I installed the thing I worked oil into it and moved it back and forth a number of times to lubricate it real well.

Like I said, If I were you I would get the nipple model for our application as you can attach a hose from it right to your drain bucket. That way you eliminate the mess you would get with the straight valve.

 

[TallPaul]

Quote:

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One dark night in bad weather I drove over a pipe stub sticking about 6" out of a former air base runway area. It surgically removed the fumoto with no damage to the pan. I then proceeded to jump onto a nearby interstate and drive until the engine seized. No idiot light on the car, only a gauge and I missed it.

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So you had to have the engine rebuilt, right? Your story is the freak incident and you can have a pipe or piece of debris pierce the oil pan anyway, to no deterent to Fumoto. Gauges and fake gauges are worthless in a loss of oil situation.

BTW, your story shows why the idiot light for loss of oil is the best. Guy I worked with about 10 years ago had a retirement desire to drive over his alarm clock when her retired. Sure enough, when the day came he did. His wife watched from the house and said pieces shot out in all directions. On the way home from his retirement party the oil light came on. Apparently a piece of that alarm clock pierced the oil pan because the shop found a hole in the pan.

 

[H2GURU]

Some of you people put too much oregano in your tales!

 

[Quickbeam]

Oregano? Lol, it was a dark and stormy night...

TallPaul: The engine ran for another 40K miles before I rebuilt it. The only consequence was a slight ticking from a camshaft bearing. Fwiw I went back to using the fumoto almost immediately and it's still on there. It was a freak accident but the point is it can happen and had the steel drain plug been in there it probably wouldn't have. The fumoto is brass and gave way. Then again maybe that was a good thing. I agree a gauge only setup is not as good as a light and having both would be best.