This thread needs to be re-titled the f-ing valve isn't leaking, SEE POST #12.

I took my truck off roading last weekend, played around in some mud puddles and rocks, at one point I was on a steep incline and the low engine oil light came on. I put the car on level ground and it went away. Thinking it must've just been the angle I was at, I thought nothing of it.

Today I went out on a very minor incline (less than 10 degrees) and it came on again. I checked the dip stick and it read empty. Uh oh.

I pulled into a flat spot in the parking lot that was dry underneath and saw no leaks, BUT my skid plate was slick with oil, and so was the jack point. I turned the car on and checked again. Sure enough, when the car was running, there was a drip coming from the fumoto Valve. I started to remove the rubber nipple on it and heard a ""kssss" sound of air pressure equalizing when I pulled on it...think I'm gonna leave that on. Luckily I was in a Kroger parking lot and they had some oil ($8 a quart, gahhh). I bought 6 of them and put in 2 quarts. The dip now reads full and the drip is slow enough that I can drive it and monitor it until I get my replacement drain valve, but damn. Never using these again. Probably great for pavement use only, but I think dirt/mud from my adventure compromised the seal on it. Will post pictures in the AM.

 

I put one on today and went to torque it to factory specs (my fault), it sheared right off the threads. Had to get a screw driver to unthread the bit stuck in pan.
I really love the idea but reality is, it's made of brass and that is the weakest thing holding in the life blood of the truck.

 

Bummer dude! I have had one on for a couple years now with no problems. However I do have the TRD skid plate which keeps it pretty safe from the errant rock or road debris that might hit it and cause an issue like yours. Perhaps it got a direct hit from something that affected it enough to cause the leak? Good luck with the remedy! Or replacement!

 

The liabilities of those fumoto valves would keep my up at night. I’d go back to a drain plug.

 

I’ve seen a few catastrophic horror stories on this site due to those valves. The risks outweigh the rewards with those things especially if you drive off road.

I’d go back to a traditional, reliable drain plug if it were me. Juice ain’t worth the squeeze.

 

Agreed. This fumoto is actually on my filter cap. I kept the drain plug on because I was afraid of it getting dinged up. But didn't matter. Still leaked even though it was way up in there.

I have a metal cap with a hole threaded in the center for it. I ordered a new cap.

 

Although I have a problem-free Fumoto, I agree that a standard drain plug is definitely safer - if I did not have the bigger skid to keep the Fumoto tucked away it would not be on my truck! Cuz it's so damn convenient come oil change time!

 

I never understood the draw of the fumoto valve. Drain plugs aren’t that inconvenient.

 

I don't know dude, it saves me like a whole minute and is slightly less messy. Slightly.

 

Use fumoto plugs on multiple cars over the last 15 years never had an issue with any of them. Did you contact fumoto to address this?

 

Same. Wouldn't be without one.

The "seal" is a ball valve, so it would take quite a bit to comprise it. They also sell a cap to protect it.

https://www.fumotousa.com/l-cap.html

Unless you jammed a crap-ton of mud/dirt up inside the valve, you might have received a bad unit. Contact Fumoto and see what they have to say.

 

It has the plastic lock for the lever, never been moved. I haven't even had it for 1 oil change yet. And the rubber nipple on it. And it's leaking away. I'm sure if I contacted fumoto they'd say sorry and send me another one free of charge. But I don't want another one, I want a method that cannot / will not leak.

 

That looks to me like its leaking from the threads, and not from the valve itself. But then again, could have been shot up there. Looks like it really did spray everywhere.

not a tacoma owner, but isn't that on the filter housing too?

 

Uh, that is not your oil pan! The oil filter drain uses a recessed O ring, so the Fujimoto valve screws in (same thread) but wouldn't seal.

Remove it, replace it with a proper bolt and a new O-ring. Use the valve to replace the oil drain plug!

 

It does appear that there is oil up high around the housing o-ring. I'd think if it was the valve itself, you wouldn't see oil there.
Perhaps you have the fiber Fumoto gasket against the o-ring in the housing and it's not creating a proper seal, or you didn't use the factory o-ring at all? Either way, I would assume you would have to tighten it to a torque spec quite above the typical 9 lbs or whatever it is.
I think that is the location of your sealing issues.

Interesting idea, by the way, to use a valve in this location and application.

 

Why do you have the valve on the oil filter cap? It goes on the oil pan.

 

Was gonna say the same thing.

Wondering why Fuu is mounted on the filter and not in the actual oil pan?.

 

Learning experience!

We all learned. Still remember my brother's fubar. He had Mopar for years (426 road runner) and bought a Plymouth Arrow for the economy. First oil change he drained the transmission! Learning experience, thankfully I happened to stop by and noticed a pain of transmission fluid and asked. Oops.

My FUBAR was machining something. Haven't used my milling machine in ages, I'd been selling everything off vi eBay, but still had my mill as I didn't want people coming over due to Covid. Need some tie-down cleats for a custom mount. Simple. Did an absolute bonehead mistake of not squaring a piece first before doing a heavy cut. Workpiece flipped up, took out a 3/4" carbide end mill. That got my attention. Trashed a $250 end mill, but could have been much worse. Square a part, then machine it. I skipped a step with disastrous results.

For OP, it happens. The good thing was you investigated why it was dripping. Learn. Fix. Move on.

 

That is very likely a failure of the fiber washer, it's not designed for a pressurized application. Did you machine the bottom of the cap flat to help it seal? This is why my HD billet replacement oil filter cap has the option of the EZ Drain Valve for that location, O-ring seal, 250 psi operating pressure.

 

Also note that the OEM alloy cap occasionally leaks when installed in an app that was originally plastic. Toyota has slightly different specs where they interface.