Fumoto Fact(s) You Might Not Know

just remove the lower oil pan every oil change

 

I kinda like to drink a beer when I’m waiting for the oil to finish draining.

 

You make a very good point. My FJ has had a Fumoto valve installed since 2008. It’s never been out. I guess there’s been six or 8 ounces trapped the bottom of that pan every time I change the oil. It hasn’t blown up yet. I don’t think that small amount really affect anything.

 

So take a look at these pictures below. Even with the removing the drain plug, you’re not gonna get all the oil out. The welded in drain plan boss extends up below the bottom of the pan about 3/8 of an inch.

 

The pan is small, accessible and requires the pig sealant to reinstall. For those not in a rush, it’s easier than performing a trans flush.

 

So, the only way to make sure all the oil is drained is to remove the entire oil pan...welp, that makes shaving the oil pan plug-length irrelevant.

Seems like the residual oil gets recycled into the new oil unless...it accumulates and becomes heavy/sumpy.

I would recommend not waiting too long to do oil changes...which is why I set 5K intervals or close enough to that mileage.

 

5K? Nahh.

3 to 3.5K.

 

I say 5K as a limitation...this last oil change, I had just over 3K from my records.

My standard when I had the 2003 Honda Pilot was 3K miles and that vehicle lasted me 200K+ miles!

I wasn't using synthetic oil with the Pilot until later in years.

My Sporty Spice gets Havoline Synthetic every time!

 

Or we could employ a vacuum pump to extract out the 10 ounces or so, but you can’t do it through a Fumoto valve. Possibly something like this with the u-part shortened of course.

This idea should rile-up a few folk, lol.

 

Will this Fumoto dilemma ever end? lol



Although, that is a good idea to help with the sump-ing accumulation.

EDIT: I'd rather do that then remove the oil pan every oil change.

 

Put the penis pump back in the box!

I'm an old Lean-Six Sigma guy. And with just about any process, you reach a point of diminishing benefit returns. I think we are there when attempting to pump out a few ounces of old oil from above!

 

Me too, an old Lean-Six Sigma from the aerospace industry.

Love, love, love the PP reference, lol.

 

How I despised that crap…….but it’s true. You have to know when to throw in the towel. I’m ok with 8-10 oz left behind at an oil change

 

OCD heads exploding.....

 

yep…….

 

Or just never change your oil. Pretty sure more people just do that.

 

He was joking about pulling the oil pan every oil change.

In all this hand-wringing over getting the last 2 to 8 oz (or whatever it is) out the sump, nobody's discussing the obvious good solution to this issue. Just install a 2 micron bypass oil filter in the circuit. (Will require some re-plumbing, takes up extra space, and is of course one more thing to go wrong / leak / burst.)

 

Doing it. I have the 2 micron filter setup on a bench so I can filter all my vehicles once a month during the warmer months.

 

That's a lot of work! lol

I couldn't see doing that unless the gasket needed replacement.

Yeah, I gathered the task was a joke. lol

 

Thanks for the visual aid.