Question about a lever on the oil drain plug.

[Art-n-Marge]

On my next oil change I plan to install a new oil drain plug that uses a lever to open a valve to allow the engine oil to drain. But I wanted to put this up to you members on what you think. Now that I am back to doing my own oil changes I want to make things easier and cleaner.

Background: When changing the oil one must use a wrench & socket to remove the drain plug which screws on/off. This can get messy as the oil starts to drain and the plug is not moved quick enough. Or sometimes the plug drops into the oil drain pan and must then have to be "fished out".

Potential solution: By installing a new after-market drain plug that has a lever that opens to drain the oil, this should make things much neater. The plug I have seen also has a safety position to prevent accidental opening. This may not relieve me from removing it because there may be residue that should also be drained out but this will be easier if I don't have 15 quarts of oil to contend with. My truck uses 15 quarts of oil.

Questions: Does anyone else have one? Do you like it? What do you not like about it? Does it have a magnet to attract metallic debris like the OEM one?

Thanks for your help on this?

[LonnieB]

Art, several years ago I installed some of those valves as a test on a few trucks that were part of a fleet I maintained. They did make the oil changes much easier and cleaner, but after a few months they all developed a slow seep. It was most likely due to the environment they ran in though, lots of dirt and mud. At that time the valves that were available didn't have magnets, they may now and they may also be less prone to seeping.

[kilch123]

I have the Fumoto version on my truck. It doesn't have a magnet (if you want, put a strong magnet on the outside of the oil pan - that will collect anything that your oil filter didn't.

I know lots of people that have the Fumoto version, and have never heard of them seeping. Mine's not been in there long enough for me to give first hand experience though

[GregN]

I have the Fumoto Valve on my truck. Have had on for 7 years, never a leak. I do have a small hose clamp attached to it so there is no accidental opening on the valve.

[Art-n-Marge]

Thanks for the warning LonnieB. Do you remember what brand of plug you used? It seems that the others using Fumoto have had pretty good luck. I have not seen one with a magnet so I might use the magnet idea from kilch123.

I will probably still be removing the drain/valve plug after all the oil is drained out because the screw fitting sits up pretty high from the opening which means there will be some amount of oil still left at the bottom of the pan. But at least 15 quarts of oil won't come spewing out. I will also need to slide the magnet to the opening to try and remove any metal bits caught by it.

Thanks for the comments. If the device never leaks, I think it will definitely help with keeping things clean during oil changes. But if it ever does become a problem, I will still have the old plug to go back to.

[Dmaxdon]

Fumotos are top quality. I have them on 3 vehicles I still have in the family and I had them on two other trucks I don't own anymore. They do not leak. I have used them for 8 years and like them very much. They drain the pan very well and I too like to put a 5/8" hose clamp on the valve body as another safety. The lever has to be pulled and turned and it would be very unlikely for it to be opened by mistake but I do use the clamps on my 4x4 trucks. The cars I service do not go off road so I don't use the clamp on them. Here is a link.
http://www.quickoildrainvalve.com/

[LonnieB]

Art, I don't remember the brand I used, but they looked identical to the Fumoto in the link. I got them from a local truck parts and service center. As I stated in the previous post, the seepage was probably due to the extreme environment these trucks operated in, 100% off road on feedlots and farms. I didn't put anything on the valves to insure them staying closed and I never had one open on it's own. The valve was constructed in a way that the lever, when closed, dropped into a notch and was held there by a pretty sturdy spring. You had to push the lever up out of the notch in order to open the valve.

[Delaine and Lindy]

Have had the Fumoto on all 6 of my Duramax's and have never had a issue. I recomend the fumoto with the nipple which you can attach a small rubber type hose and you can direct the oil flow. GBY...