Femco 'automatic' drain plugs

Topic: Femco 'automatic' drain plugs (Read 3109 times) previous topic - next topic

Re: Femco 'automatic' drain plugs

Reply #25 – September 29, 2011, 12:30:34 am

I use a 15 gal, plastic drain pan with wheels, it is about 10" thick, top is slanted inward, great to just pull plug, let it drain and set filter on it to drain, when done, put caps on all openings, take to the bulk tank (450 gal) and deposit. We get about 200 gal per month from PM services, when full, call local outfit, they come and pump it out, pay me for the used oil, get receipt. Solves our oil EPA hazmat issue. They also take the used antifreeze, we keep the oil and antifreeze in seperate containers.
Why we buy oil by the pallet, filters by the case, shop towels by the case.

Re: Femco 'automatic' drain plugs

Reply #26 – September 29, 2011, 10:59:45 am

It is not that there is anything wrong with the standard drain plugs, it is the idiots who take them off and then put them back on to tight and strip them or the pan, or that put them back on cross threaded.

Re: Femco 'automatic' drain plugs

Reply #27 – September 29, 2011, 11:22:15 am

I chose the Fumoto drain valve rather than the Femco because of three factors: price, no extra parts, and ease of use.

Price:
The Femco valve costs a little less than a Fumoto valve, however, draining oil with the Femco valve requires a Femco adaptor. The adaptor costs almost as much as the valve such that the total cost for one oild drain is considerably more than for the Fumoto vavle.

Extra parts: With the Femco valve, oil cannot be drained without the adaptor unless the Femco valve is removed - This becomes more of a concern for me as I age, things are just not where I left them any more. The Fumoto needs nothing extra, but an old hose does make oil draining neater.

Ease of use:
Faster oil drain is easier to me and the orifice size on the Femco is small compared to the Fumoto such that oild draining requires much longer with the Femco than with the Fumoto. I browsed blogs and notice lots of complaints about how long oil drain requires with the Femco.
Using several small containers is easier with the Fumoto because it is a quarter turn valve. The Femco is opened by inserting the adaptor into the valve (like an air line quick connector). I have had air line quick connectors pop right back out after releasing them because the spring lock which holds them together stuck open.

Accidental Valve knock off:
The drain plug wins this contest but the nippleless Fumoto and the Femco are almost the same. A Fumoto with a hose nipple (which I installed) does hang down an inch lower, however, the transmission is closer to the ground than the end of the Fumoto nipple on the M11. The fuel filter is also hanging down as low and vulnerable as well as hydraulic lines. I wont drive over obstacles or on gravel roads.
I was going to install a safety clip on the Fumoto but the handle is on passenger side pointing to the rear, so I deemed a safety clip unneccessary.

The main motivating factor for replacing the drain plug was the stripped threads in the oil pan. The plug would not stay in without several layers of thread tape.

I can understand why a truck fleet company would choose Femco, no adaptor = no drain, and 30 vavles with 6 adaptors would be cost effective. An angry competitor could ruin your day in seconds with the Fumoto valve.

FWIW

Re: Femco 'automatic' drain plugs

Reply #28 – September 29, 2011, 05:40:04 pm

Wyatt, what size fumoto valve did you use on the M11? thanks jc

Re: Femco 'automatic' drain plugs

Reply #29 – September 29, 2011, 06:43:17 pm

Galling on an aluminum pan with a steel drain plug is a constant fight. When you buy it that way, careful doesn't really enter into it...

Re: Femco 'automatic' drain plugs

Reply #30 – September 29, 2011, 06:49:43 pm

Quote from: Dave Head – September 29, 2011, 06:43:17 pm

Galling on an aluminum pan with a steel drain plug is a constant fight. When you buy it that way, careful doesn't really enter into it...

One more reason I like my old Detroit, steel on steel.

Re: Femco 'automatic' drain plugs

Reply #31 – September 29, 2011, 09:32:36 pm

Kent, oh be quite. You and your darn easy to fix, diagnose 93 U300. What fun is that? As you know, we headin to Nac to have a list of thing completed. Most are of the simply, quick fixes. Except for the blower motor and Windshied. See ya tomorrow.

Re: Femco 'automatic' drain plugs

Reply #32 – September 30, 2011, 11:56:11 am

Hotonthetrail, you asked about "oil drain plug size" in the M11.

The original engine oil drain plug on my 1996 U320 M11 was 1 inch by 18 TPI.

I believe that all M11 engines have 1x18 oil drain plugs until Cummins went metric after 1996, so newer M11 engines have a metric sized drain plug.

I rethreaded the hole and replaced my drain plug twice: firstly, with a Fumoto 26mm by 1.5 (equal to 1 1/32 by 17) drain valve, then rethreaded again with a 1 1/8 by 12 Fumoto drain valve. The 26mm did not provide much threads because the hole was totally stripped and the 1 1/8 valve was not available in super fine thread (course is stronger in aluminum but fine is better for fast threading).

I still have the Fumoto 26mm by 1.5 (equal to 1 1/32 by 17) drain valve with tap which I will sell to someone who has damaged (but not totally stripped like mine were) threads.

Re: Femco 'automatic' drain plugs

Reply #33 – August 25, 2014, 01:22:52 pm

FYI...for anyone that might be interested in the Femco drain plug system, they are currently offering a 10% discount & free shipping but you have to call and ask for it. Apparently they normally attend the Great American Truck Show that wrapped up last week but this year opted not to attend. This discount would have been their "show price", which they are offering until Sept 30. I ordered mine over the phone and saved about $15. Still costs more than the alternatives but this discount helps to close the gap & I'm more comfortable with the Femco design.

Re: Femco 'automatic' drain plugs

Reply #34 – August 26, 2014, 07:44:50 pm

A related question:

I am trying to visualize draining 8 gallons of oil from a coach engine. What kind of container would one use to catch that much oil? Which system is better, Fumoto or Femco, and why? My plan would be to drain it into 5 gallon buckets, but I would need a method of turning off the flow to swap in another bucket? How do you guys do this? Maybe the Fumoto valve is better?

Re: Femco 'automatic' drain plugs

Reply #35 – August 26, 2014, 08:03:49 pm

I'm trying to visualize "simple fix" at Foretravel! I love those guys, don't get me wrong, and they are always fair with their pricing, however, my dash AC on the 96 U320 just about broke the bank and I thought it was going to be an easy fix. I finally pulled the plug and it now will keep my right knee cap slightly cooler than ambient, and that was after a very large cash drop.

Re: Femco 'automatic' drain plugs

Reply #36 – August 26, 2014, 08:16:20 pm

Royce, My solution was to find a plastic 30 gallon barrel and cut it down to where it would fit under the drain plug. Then poured waste off into jugs or 5 gallon bucket for transport to recycling center.
Gary B

Re: Femco 'automatic' drain plugs

Reply #37 – August 26, 2014, 10:43:40 pm

We have Femco on engine & generator. I like the compact version has a very short part sticking out below pan. Femco uses a brass protective screw-on cover to keep dirt out and acts as a secondary closure seal

It now takes longer to drain our 6 gallons than it did when we used to removed drain plug, but we no longer worry about cross thread or other crankcase drain screw threads problems. Especially important for others with an M11 aluminum pan and steel drain plug, where the best intentions can completely destroy drain plug aluminum threads.

We screw on a long drain hose to the Femco fitting and also have a short hose to help capture oil samples for analysis.. Screw on drain hose pushes up a spring loaded valve allowing oil to flow. Unscrewing drain hose allows valve to close. We have not hand any leaks with Femco.

Fumoto hangs downs lower than Femco, but their ball valve may allow oil to flow faster. Fumoto may require users to supply their own drain hoses which slips up over the drain's nipple, and may not be as secure as Femco.

We drain into a large Rubbermaid container that is sized to hold all the oil, so we just let the long Femco drain hose hang down into the Rubbermaid and find something else to do waiting for the last drop. We also buy Lowe's 5-gallon buckets with a lid, that cost about $3, and pour or scoop the drained oil into the new buckets. Rubbermaid cleans up with laundry soap and Lowe's covered buckets are dropped off at Walmart or other disposal place, which keeps the bucket. The bucket cost is included in our oil change cost and we have less to clean and store.

We buy our oil filters at FilterBarn.com. Oil changes used to be a very dirty job with oil drains blowing and funnel pouring back into gallon jugs, but they are a thing of the past for us. We change oil usually about twice a year or in a slow year, up to once a year. Most oil changes include both engine & generator.

We used to include our Jeep in our motorhome oil change until we bought our new Jeep with Lifetime warranty, so now twice a year we look for a Jeep dealer to have our oil changed and recorded in Chrysler's computer. Buying 12 Chrysler oil change coupons comes to $17 each including tax, which is less than our parts cost for 7 quarts & Mopar filter. But some Jeep dealers have done a poor job with loose filter and drain plug, something that probably would not happen if we did the Jeep oil change ourselves.

Re: Femco 'automatic' drain plugs

Reply #38 – August 27, 2014, 09:17:34 am

I haven't as yet determined that oil changes are my bag but I suspect when I get the pad in the side yard I'll start.
I will probably rig up something that looks like the oil change system on the boat. I would run a plastic hose from the crankcase (probably using the Fumoto valve) out from under the coach to an electric pump. Using the pump would let me do a couple of things:
o I would no longer be dependent on gravity
o I wouldn't be working on a creeper on my back
o I could stop the pump when it came time to switch oil containers
o It might be faster
It was a very easy, clean process on the boat.

We will see.

Re: Femco 'automatic' drain plugs

Reply #39 – August 27, 2014, 10:10:30 am

Here is a good image site with a lot of options. aircraft oil drain plug quick - Google Search Every aircraft I have owned had a quick oil drain and it worked really well for starting and stopping when the container started to get full. Think that's the best of all worlds. No worries about cross threading, easy to start and stop the flow without burning your hands or getting black oil under the fingernails. Just warm the engine up and drain.

The downside here is with a vertical plug, it may stick down far enough to be damaged either by scraping or road debris but that would depend on each application. The side or angle plugs would be ideal. Like Kent, we have a steel pan so have only thought about it. Steel plug into an aluminum pan would get my attention quickly.

Pierce

Re: Femco 'automatic' drain plugs

Reply #40 – August 27, 2014, 01:06:36 pm

I chose the Femco for no other reason than I don't want to worry about the remote chance that the Fumoto valve could be opened accidentally. As infrequently as the oil has to be changed, the convenience of the Fumoto valve over the Femco design is negligible for me. Femco has 2 ways to prevent the oil from draining...the internal valve and the o-ring dust cap. I just trust it more. I haven't rec'd it yet to confirm but my plan is to use a simple spring clamp to pinch the hose when I want to stop the flow to switch 5 gal buckets. If the hose is too stiff for that I will install cheap ball valve in the line. I may run extra hose so that it can be monitored and switched while standing behind the coach.

Re: Femco 'automatic' drain plugs

Reply #41 – August 27, 2014, 02:23:04 pm

Femco, see a lot of cat discussion any 8.3 guys use this?

Evermind, if Barry likes it its good enough for me

Re: Femco 'automatic' drain plugs

Reply #42 – August 29, 2014, 09:29:57 am

Kemahjohn, what was the issue on your dash AC? I'm going into Nac to get my dash AC fixed and you have me worried.

Re: Femco 'automatic' drain plugs

Reply #43 – August 29, 2014, 07:25:45 pm

Use caution when leveling over any hard obstacles. Extra caution may be in order if you have any "appliance" extending downward from the oil pan.

A friend of ours in a U320 ruptured his oil pan while leveling. He had backed into a space and the "add on" drain valve was directly over a parking block. When my friend leveled his coach, the back end lowered enough that the valve came to rest on the parking block. The back end lowered far enough to force a rupture of the oil pan in the area of the oil drain. Fortunately, Jack Bradshaw, the Motorcade Service Representative, was available to help with a repair. The two men were able to replace the oil pan with the coach in place in the RV park.

They reported that the pan probably would not have been damaged if a "regular" drain plug had been on the pan.

Re: Femco 'automatic' drain plugs

Reply #44 – August 29, 2014, 08:59:03 pm

What a mess. Fortunately, the drain plug on my coach is on an angle at the side of the pan, slightly higher than a nearby frame cross-member. I will have to double check when I install the plug but I don't think it will extend low enough to be exposed. They do make a low profile drain plug but I bought the full size version because of the space that I have available. Definitely something to for everyone to keep in mind though.

Re: Femco 'automatic' drain plugs

Reply #45 – September 03, 2014, 02:41:53 pm

I have the Femco and I can't imagine it opening on its own as I have to really fiddle with it especially for the first gallon. I have milk jugs in a crate just big enough to hold them all. I put them out where I can reach them all while partially under the coach and able to reach the valve. It has a rubber hose about six inches long. There is just enough room to squeeze the milk jug in place. Fill them one at a time and take to any auto parts store to dump in their waste oil tank. Now the refill on the CAT 3116 is no fun at all. I bought one of those drill pumps and a very long plastic hose to reach way down inside the fill pipe. Works like a charm. Used to stand on a ladder with bungee cords holding a long hosed funnel in place while trying to not overflow the funnel or tire from holding the gallon of oil for so long as the engine slowly drank it. What a mess. No way I can change the oil while hot though as I have to schedule that for a Saturday morning and it just isn't practical to have the engine warm. Don't think I want to be under there with everything hot anyway so I just don't get the advantage of hot oil or the gushing effect to better clean the pan.

Re: Femco 'automatic' drain plugs

Reply #46 – September 07, 2014, 10:55:20 pm

The standard size Femco plug didn't work on my coach. The drain plug fits but it's too close to the frame cross member for the drain hose to attach. I'm going to have to send it back and exchange for the compact version. Meanwhile, anyone with the Cat 3126 engine, don't order the full size Femco. You may be able to get by with the Fumoto but I would be concerned about how close to the frame it rides. I will post the results when the new plug arrives.

Re: Femco 'automatic' drain plugs

Reply #47 – September 21, 2014, 08:16:10 pm

For future reference, the following Femco/No Spill Systems oil drain plug will work on a 1997 U295 with a Cat 3126:

Compact Small Bottom (SB) #25-19016-03
w/ SB Straight Drainer #CD 2001

The standard large bottom is too long and the drain hose hits the framing crossbar. The Compact Large Bottom (LB) might work but I did not test that version. The only problem with the Compact SB is that it's a little difficult to get a wrench on because it sits recessed slightly in the oil pan. There's just enough to get it torqued down but I would have liked another 1/4". A thin wall socket might have worked better than the box end wrench that I used.

Note that the drain plug on the Cat 3126 is on the side of the oil pan and the drain tube is relatively short and not very flexible so you will be shooting oil out horizontally. It might be hard to hit a 5gal bucket without some modifications. With a short piece (4-5') of 5/8" ID clear hose and a PVC ball valve you can solve this problem by extending the end of the hose so you can monitor, control and switch buckets at the side of the coach...not under it. Just insert the supplied 5/8" OD hose several inches into the new 5/8" ID piece and attach the ball valve to the other end with a barb fitting.

Another great tip I got somewhere on the forum was to use a wet/dry vac to allow you to install the plug without draining your oil. I just finished an oil change that inspired me to get a new drain plug and I didn't want to deal with the mess again at my next oil change. I also would have been out of commission for a couple of weeks since the 1st plug didn't fit. I wanted to change the plug now, with a full crank case of new oil. So, plug up the crank case vent tube that hangs down the passenger side of the engine with a rag so that you don't lose suction and you don't pull dirt up the tube into your engine, insert the wet/dry vac suction hose with a tight seal into the oil fill tube. Remove your drain plug. Insert new drain plug without spilling a drop. Remove rag from vent tube. I was a little skeptical so I had a drain bucket in place the 1st time just in case but it really wasn't needed. 2nd time was with no safety net.

Affiliate Notice