Oil Drain Valve

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I have 5 of them on various cars, about 5 years now and if anyone feels these can be broken or bent I just accidentally ran over a concrete island and the nipple (extended valve not the standard one) took a direct hit. Did not bend, did not crack off and is as solid as a rock.

These valves are great, worth every dollar.
 
I just got one after using Fram Sure Drain valves and the Fumoto is very nice. Sure Drain (apparently discontinued, but still available in stores) has a lower profile if clearance is a problem, but otherwise go Fumoto.
 
I get more comfort using a crush washer and bolt rather than a valve that can open if you hit something in the road. In addition; the Fumoto valve extends into the crankcase on most cars so you don't drain all the oil and the last bit of oil is where most of any **** is. I do know people who use the Futomo valve but, they file a notch in the threads so all the oil is drained. How deep you file the notch depends on your engine sump thickness where the valve seats.
 
It would have to be a one in a million quirk hit to open that spring loaded lever, that is the least of my worries when driving a car with a Fumoto
 
quote:

Originally posted by Spector:
It would have to be a one in a million quirk hit to open that spring loaded lever, that is the least of my worries when driving a car with a Fumoto

That would be the least of my worries too! Just about anything that could be hit on the road is more likely than not to take the oil pan out before it "opens" the valve on a Fumoto. I should be so lucky to sustain nothing more than an open valve after hitting something in the roadway.
 
quote:

Originally posted by Spector:
It would have to be a one in a million quirk hit to open that spring loaded lever, that is the least of my worries when driving a car with a Fumoto

Kinda like getting killed by a stingray?
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Its just not that much work for me to take the bolt off but to each his own.
 
Love my fumoto, I no longer have to put the car on ramps to change the oil and no tools to boot. I also like it because very little chance of stripping the threads. As others have stated above, the any thing hits the valve to cause it to open, losing oil will be the last thing I would be worried about as the oil pan and a bunch of others things will break before the valve gets damaged.
 
That thing about filing the threads, is it true? I was considering buying one until Eddie made that post about not being able to drain the bottom of the pan. All the gunk that settles out of suspension stays in your crankcase?!
 
It says in their Q&A that it won't cause any problems with draining all the oil out.
 
Mine is going into a Ford. All the Fords I have ever seen have the plug on the side of the pan at a little well, so it will drain just fine.

I used to worry about the lever springing open, but since I actually saw the valve I don't worry anymore because the lever is pretty short and is not likely to be opened as it has a spring latch.
 
I installed Fumotos on 3 different Hondas and its probably the best invention for doing no mess oil changes.

Buy the valve with the nipple , so you can attach a hose and drain the oil directly into a gallon Gatorade jug or laundry detergent jug.
 
I'm thinking about getting one for my wife's Vue...sort of a pain not to make a mess due to the bolt being mounted sideways


Goose
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I've had my Fumoto since January (Honda Ridgeline). I installed it when I drained the factory fill and my OLM has not indicated an oil change is due; however, I expect it to sometime this fall. So, I can't give any advice yet as to how the thing works but I can tell those that are worried about the lever being hit that you can turn it in any direction you want. If you go off road a lot or work in farm or construction activity you might want to consider turning the valve so the lever is facing away from the ground just as a precaution although I don't thing you'll ever pop it open.

I emailed Fumoto about this and they said the spring will work in any position, even upside down but the trick is to position it using thicker or thinner crush washers rather than turning the thing tighter to get the desired position. Especially on Hondas and other aluminum pans, stripping the threads can result in a big expense.
 
Great site. After reading it over I have decided to buy two of those valves with the nipples. That will make oil changing a snap! Thanks for the link.
 
Hey martyi, I also have a 2006 Honda Ridgeline, any clearance issue using the the standard valve?

John
 
I've had a fumoto on the same car for nearly 20 years. Here's my one in a million story: 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. After the engine cooled I screwed a spark plug into the drain hole and replaced the oil. The next day I followed the oil stripe and retrieved the fumoto. After chasing it's threads it was fine and remains on the car to this day, along with valves on my other cars. Other than that I've never had a problem. Interestingly, that turbo engine ran another 40K miles until I rebuilt it. In fact the same turbo (not rebuilt) is still on it. For those wondering the oil lost in that in that little fiasco was Mobil 1.
 
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