jezza

I'm having a hard time understanding how your drain plug managed to displace 3 quarts of oil (*EDIT: ah... you use a drain pan with a single small hole in the center. I use a big open pan. Makes life a lot easier in my opinion).

I've dropped the drain plug into the pan plenty of times... it never does much beyond splash a bit of oil perhaps. It's easy enough to fish out after I drain off the used oil into the jugs I take to recycle.

Gernby

iTrader: (1)

Correct. It seems easiest to me because I can put the cap back in, toss it in my trunk, and dump it at a oil recycling place. This is the 1st time I've had this particular problem of the bolt falling in and plugging the drain hole. If I had noticed it quicker, I could have fished the bolt out with a magnetic retreival tool before it overflowed. I couldn't get it with my hands because the oil was damn near 200 degrees.

Tony1

I've never heard of that before. it's kinda cool

Gernby

iTrader: (1)

I know this doesn't pertain to oil, but these are an even bigger "Must Have" for bleeding brakes.

http://www.mpsracing.com/products/Earls/Solo-Bleed.asp

G35TOIS350

just not sold mad. too easy for someone to crawl under there and open the valve, or have it fail, or whatever could happen that normally dosent with a std drain plug. im lucky in my friends owns a new Valvoline service center and works on my cars personally. i go down in the pit every time and watch the guys working.

jezza

Yeah, it's a good theory. But in practice, I've never had one of that type of container stay leak proof for very long. It also gets pretty messy just from regular use. So I drain my pan off to gallon jugs, which I can pop in plastic bags.

conekiller

Unless the deviant is severely malnourished and can even fit under my car, and just happens to have a vendetta against me, I'm not too concerned about someone crawling under my car hoping to find a Fumoto valve so they can drain my oil. As for the odds of failure...

The Engine Oil Drain Valve has been tested and granted "Genuine Parts" status by 5 major motor vehicle manufacturers in Japan, including Nissan, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Subaru, Isuzu. These approvals were not granted easily and gaining them was a testimony to the quality and durability of Engine Oil Drain Valve.
In the United States, the Engine Oil Drain Valve is being installed at the factory level on some of the vehicles made by Ford and Freightliner.

GreyHound

iTrader: (1)

That drain plug sets low enough on the 350. Don't need any small appendages hanging down, getting sheered off out in the middle of nowhere. Had one of those valves on a Rodeo. It leaked constantly, cause you if you tightened the little valve tight enough to the oil pan to where it wouldn't leak, the dam valve was upside down..!

Nah , I'll pass, I'm old school. If you don't torque the drain plug so tight that you have to bust a gut to get it off next time, and use good wrenches or sockets like Craftsman, Snap-on & S-K , you won't round off the edges of the bolt and its easy to take off. Just replace the little metal gasket every time, or every other time, they are 10 cents at the toyota dealer. That drain plug will look new when you trade the car off. they probably want $16 for the little valve thingy.

Good luck, hope the threads end up right side up for you with the valve.

TAMR_GUS98

Dunno Dude,
I've always heard that those things leak.

-Will

conekiller

I finally reached 10K today so I changed my oil and filter, and installed the valve. The valve doesn't hang lower than the belly pan AT ALL - no part of it is exposed, and so far it is not leaking. Additionally, in the closed position, the valve lever is on the trailing end, so there's no chance of a rock etc. hitting the lever and pulling it open (plus it has the lock position anyway). You have to swing the lever towards the front of the car to open it.

I plan to keep an eye on it to see how it holds up, but so far....hit!

cdeslandes

Funny, I did the same kind of thing on my lawn tractor and my snowblower, using valves I bought at the hardware store!

mwinner

Guys-

I have had this valve on my S2k for 2 years which sits much lower then the IS350 (I have both parked side by side) thus far no leaks, and easy oil changes.

I personally will purchase one for the new IS350, assuming I can reach the valve without jacking the beast off the ground.

Gernby

iTrader: (1)

Once you do your first oil change, you'll see that there's NO WAY you can do it without jacking it up like you did on the S2000. The oil drain and filter are not accessible at all from above.

conekiller

Jacking up the car is completely unnecessary...ramps are dirt cheap and they're all you need to reach the filter element and oil pan.

Shinedown

Are there any warranty issues w/DIY oil changes? Do you have to keep documention? Just wondering for when i get my IS350.