Oil change check list

[FrazzledHunter]

Yep. That, and the remote but increased risk of snapping the whole thing off on a rock compared to the regular hex drain plug are why I avoid them. With some nitrile gloves and a couple shop towels there is practically zero mess anyway.

I was hoping to hear that the Land Cruiser was overbuilt, with a 6 inch thick titanium oil pan where the tip wouldn't protrude into the pan, or something like that.
This is a real land mine IMHO.
Thanks for the tip.

The drain valve might be OK/convenient on the Jowett billet oil cap but that's a whole other discussion.
Thanks again.

 

[427Monster]

I do 10-12 oil changes every year (on different cars), and I never considered fumoto plugs. Just doesn’t seem to save time or make thing easier?

Loosen the drain plug with ratchet, twist off with hands wrapped in nitrile gloves, and then let oil drain into pan. No mess and doesn’t take long.

Am I missing something?

 

[FerrisBueller]

I do 10-12 oil changes every year (on different cars), and I never considered fumoto plugs. Just doesn’t seem to save time or make thing easier?

Loosen the drain plug with ratchet, twist off with hands wrapped in nitrile gloves, and then let oil drain into pan. No mess and doesn’t take long.

Am I missing something?

Just a minor thing really - it's convenient not having to ratchet the bolt, buy & replace crush washers, occasionally get oil on a few components around the drain plug & have to wipe off, reinstall & reratchet the bolt. All of those things are super easy and not huge inconveniences, but not having to do any of them is certainly faster and easier.

After seeing how far the EZ-drain valve sticks out, I'm not too worried about it getting hit and broken off, but it's certainly a possibility. With it there, I will be conscious of potential rocks, etc that could penetrate up and knock off the valve. I think that reason by itself might be enough for me to stop using the EZ-drain valve.

 

[bloc]

I typically keep a handful of drain plug gaskets on the shelf so I’m never held up from an oil change needing to find one. Same for oil filters, wiper refills, crush washers for diff/xfer/trans, and a few other things. This stuff is cheap and not worth driving to the parts counter every time I need them, so any time I get a new (to me) vehicle I spend time figuring out what I should have on hand for convenience.

Eventually you’ll memorize the torque settings for the relevant stuff.. yes, fumoto would be quicker and cleaner. Especially now with my lift the draining oil tends to hit the passenger side lower arm, so I need to rig up a deflector. But still, near-zero risk of knocking off the valve or having issues with the seals inside it and draining more of the oil is worth that inconvenience to me.

It’s not like having a fumoto would knock an hour off the oil change time.. maybe 2 minutes? Out of 30? Getting a 3/8” battery impact gun will save far more time removing the skids and can be used on a lot more jobs on the truck.

 

[PDoyle]

Get the 1/2" battery powered gun and adapter for 3/8.

 

[bloc]

Get the 1/2" battery powered gun and adapter for 3/8.

The 3/8” is more compact and uses less power, and will handle everything common on our vehicles including the lug nuts if not over torqued. Plus less likely to just shear something off if using it to snug things up quickly. Anything that I’d “need” a 1/2” for I’d prefer a breaker bar to see how it feels coming loose anyway. (Galling, corrosion, etc)

Though this is definitely off-topic, and I know I started it.

 

[PDoyle]

Ok, if you say so.