Originally Posted By: Kira
LOVE the idea of the Fomoto drain valve....love the idea of the hose barb on certain Fomoto drain valves so you can add a plastic tube to a catch can.
Who wouldn't?
In most cases however, the valve reduces ground clearance. In other words, "It sticks down and is vulnerable".
Sorry, just a fact. Simply not worth the risk.....I STILL love 'em. My love means nothin'.
What's a cracked oil pan worth to you? Kira
Does the Fumoto valve on my Outback hang down lower than the oil pan? Yes, by perhaps 3/4". Is it the lowest point on my undercarriage? Far from it. If i hit something that would break off the Fumoto valve, I am going to be hitting plenty of other things also. The Fumoto valve will be the least of my problems.
Get down on the ground and take a look under your car. Determine if the Fumoto valve would be the lowest point under your car. If the answer is yes, then perhaps a Fumoto valve isn't a good choice for your application. But if it would be higher than other features, I see no reason to sweat it.
Just curious. With all the comments that have been made here on BITOG, that suggest there is risk of breaking off a Fumoto valve, can anyone give a first person account of it happening? None of this friend who works in a shop that has a co-worker who removed a broken valve from a customer's car.
Regarding the concern that it takes longer to drain oil, I've found that only to be an issue if you drain the oil cold. But if you do a drain of warm or hot oil, this is a non-issue.
connect the hose to the valve, put the other end in an empty oil jug, and open the valve to start draining the oil. While the oil is draining I remove the oil filter and install a new filter. By the time I have the new filter installed, the oil is done draining. So for all practical purposes, there is no difference in drain time with or without the Fumoto valve. I would not be done with the oil and filter job any quicker without it.
Some will say you don't get all the oil out of the bottom of the oil pan with a Fumoto valve. News flash. You never get all the oil out of an engine when you do a oil and filter change anyway. There is always oil in the internal lines of the engine. For example, My Outback takes 5.1 quarts for an oil change. But for an engine rebuild, it takes 6 quarts. Almost a full quart that never comes out at an oil change. So the few ounces that may be in the bottom of the oil pan is nothing!
There are a few other advantages to a Fumoto valve. One is less mess. No having hot dirty oil gushing out around the oil plug as you remove it, and then having the clean off the oil plug. Or even worse, no risk or dropping the oil plug in the oil catch pan, and having to fish it out with a magnet, then having the clean off the drain plug and the magnet. Also, no hassle of replacing a crush ring, gasket, or o-ring.
Do you occasionally send in an oil sample for analysis? If yes, then that is another advantage to a valve. It makes getting the oil sample so much easier. Open the valve and drain off some of the oil. Then close the valve, position the sample bottle under the valve, open the valve to fill the bottle, then close the valve again and put the lid on the sample bottle. Then resume draining the oil.
