Oil Drain Valve Survey

[HEMIMANN]

Anyone using an engine oil drain valve instead trying to remember what wrench size the Hemi drain plugs are (13 mm dia, FFS), along with your 20 other engines? Most other automotive oil drain plugs are 15 mm dia wrench, the Japanese engines are 17 mm dia wrench.

Reliability (don't leak over the years)? Brand? (Fumoto, other)?

Thanks

 

[DILLIGAF]

Those oil valves are the dumbest things I've ever seen. I never run one especially on a truck.

 

[HEMIMANN]

Those oil valves are the dumbest things I've ever seen. I never run one especially on a truck.

I'll take that as a "no". lol

 

[DILLIGAF]

Why would you want to add an extra failure point to your oil pan. And it also takes the ability away to check your magnet on your oil pan Bolt.

 

[Burla]

kind of agree there. no x2, lol.

 

[Curmudgeon]

I had a Fumoto on my '06 Tacoma for a little while, the whole time I kept re-thinking the decision to use it at all. Ended up selling the truck at 73,000 miles for reasons unrelated.
So having done many oil drains both with and mostly without, it seems to me those drains are a "solution on search of a problem". Mostly that anyone who needed one probably shouldn't be with 50 feet of any vehicle with a wrench in their hands.

 

[alpinegreenneon]

All my vehicles are Mopars and all use a 13 mm socket to loosen the drain bolt. I do my own oil changes. I see no reason for a drain valve when it's so simple to just remove the drain bolt.

 

[G-Ride990]

+1 no valve for me either.

I forget too, but I just grab a rack of metric sockets and a ratchet and toss it under the truck before I start doing an oil change.

 

[Wild one]

+1 no valve for me either.

I forget too, but I just grab a rack of metric sockets and a ratchet and toss it under the truck before I start doing an oil change.

If you throw the the kitchen sink in that mix,then you got it all covered G

 

[G-Ride990]

If you throw the the kitchen sink in that mix,then you got it all covered G

It's only a handful of sockets. It's not a big deal.

Getting back up to grab a socket I didn't have ****** me off LOL. So I have a few sets that I move around a lot.

 

[Dean2]

No drain valves for this boy! No Chancey Mr Whalen!

As far as the right socket, I cheat and use a lift in my garage cause I am too old for crawling on the ground any more. Makes everything a whole lot easier, including walking over to the tool box for another socket.

 

[Wild one]

It's only a handful of sockets. It's not a big deal.

Getting back up to grab a socket I didn't have ****** me off LOL. So I have a few sets that I move around a lot.

You and me both,
The older i get,the harder it is to get up off the ground to grab that 1 wrench or socket you forgot to grab the first time around
I gotta move closer to Dean and buttar him up

 

[BLUKTY2]

Add me to the list of "no drain valve". Never had one and never will. As mentioned, just another potential failure point.

 

[mikeru]

I had a Fumoto valve on one of my previous trucks. Never had any issues with it other than the fact that there’s slightly more oil that doesn’t drain out. So I don’t have them in any of our vehicles anymore.

Each of the five vehicles we own has a different size drain bolt except for the two that have Hemi’s. I took a sharpie and wrote the size of drain plug on the rad cover of each so I can see it when I open the hood. No need to remember the sizes.

 

[DILLIGAF]

My solution was a 2 post lift in my shop , makes getting wrenches much easier.

 

[caulk04]

I have one, only because I already owned it. Previous Jeep had a skid plate over the oil pan and the valve was nice to just toss a piece of hose on instead of pulling the plate. So I put it on in the truck, no tools needed for my oil change.

 

[Docwagon1776]

None of the above.

I have a little notebook in each vehicle. On the inside of the front cover I have written the part numbers for the spark plugs, air filter, oil filter, what type of oil it uses and how much, and the oil pan drain plug size (and filter housing wrench size if applicable).

Then I use the notebook to keep a running history of maintenance. Date, miles, what I serviced, etc.

 

[HEMIMANN]

No drain valves for this boy! No Chancey Mr Whalen!

As far as the right socket, I cheat and use a lift in my garage cause I am too old for crawling on the ground any more. Makes everything a whole lot easier, including walking over to the tool box for another socket.

That dream sailed when being let go by corporate.

 

[HEMIMANN]

Why would you want to add an extra failure point to your oil pan. And it also takes the ability away to check your magnet on your oil pan Bolt.

Because my body is failing. How's that?

Dropped bolts in oil, oil all over (even with gloves), etc.

 

[DILLIGAF]

Because my body is failing. How's that?

Join the club , Why do you think Veterans Affairs pays my 9g a weed a day. and I pop Oxys like its candy

You're going to need a better excuse then that with me. I cant feel my arms after 2 hours of work due to my nerve damage and the multiple elbow and wrist surgeries.. Hence the 2 post lift .

Heck I bend over wrong and I cant walk for a day and im only 46.

I said id never run one. I never said you couldn't.