Oil Drain valves.

[HoosierDaddy]

HD,
Thanks for all the great info. Your last message ends with my question as a V6 owner.

I just looked under my V6. The oil pan is cast aluminum. The drain plug is horizontal, exiting toward the (passenger) side at the rear corner of the pan. There are zero space constraints on the V6. [On my convertible it is 11" from oem plug to the frame brace and plug is ≈ 2.5" below 3/8" metal tubing (tranny Cooler?).]

If a V6 owner is willing to check the thread size of plug and depth of the cast aluminum oil pan at their next oil change and report, that would be good. The thread depth is not a critical measurement, but I'd be curious.

Any EB owner care to report their oil plug orientation (and pan type)?

I had a 2011 V6 and it has the same threads M12x1.75. And as you point out, since it was horizontal, the length of the threads aren't very important since no matter how long, it won't prevent any oil from draining.

I still recommend getting a Compact/SB (small base) version valve. Even if the physical size of the external part of the valve doesn't matter for a V6 Mustang it MIGHT for a future vehicle with ground clearance issues or even external fins and such in a pan limiting valve width. If you get a LB or standard valve for a Mustang you'll have to use the same type on future vehicles OR have to buy an additional drainer since a drainer only works on one combination of standard/compact and small base/large base. Compact/small base is the most likely to work on any vehicle other than huge industrial engines that require a large base since a small base can only go up to M14 thread sizes.

Make sure you install the valve with the lower of 12 ft-lbs and whatever the factory drain plug torque spec is for a V6.

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[Geotoxic]

Can someone just post a link to which Femco valve + hose our v8 takes?

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Can someone just post a link to which Femco valve + hose our v8 takes?

They make various types that will work for a Coyote but for someone buying their first Femco I would go with part number 7090010153 which is an M12x1.75 thread, compact (short length), SB (small diameter) with 9mm long threads. If someone already has a Femco (or NoSpill brand under license from Femco) they might want to get the same style as they already have so they can use the drainer they already have.

Online order 7090010153 from Femco US: http://www.femcodrainplug.com/fcart/index.php?route=product/product&path=18&product_id=234

Online order 7090010153 in US$ from the Netherlands: https://www.drainplug.com/usa/compact-oil-drain-plug-7090010153.html

You'll also need one of the drainers also at the bottom of either of those pages if you don't already own one.

I ordered over the phone because neither store returned any matches if you search for current Mustangs or many other passenger vehicles. They seem to be focused on industrial and commercial fleets. So I can't personally vouch for either web store.

If you want to order over the phone like I did, the US number is 1-855-336-2687. FWIW, I asked for and got a slightly lower shipping charge when I ordered over the phone.

 

[GTP]

... for someone buying their first Femco I would go with part number 7090010153...

Online order 7090010153 in US$ from the Netherlands: https://www.drainplug.com/usa/compact-oil-drain-plug-7090010153.html

You'll also need one of the drainers also at the bottom of either of those pages if you don't already own one.

...

Agreed. I used the second (Netherlands) link, and placed my order online. Notice the 3 suggested parts in the lower right part of that page. I chose the straight drain hose. (I don't think it makes much difference with either style).

My order came from NL in just 3 days, and for only $9.95 shipping!

 

[davekro]

V6 horizontal Drain plug picture

Here is a shot of the 2015 3.7L V6's cast aluminum oil pan w/ side mounted drain plug. HoosierDaddy had a 2011 V6 who's drain plug was the same size and thread as what is used for the GT, so most likely the same plug would be used for the V6 as GT. A V6 owner doing an oil change can verify to be 100% sure. ;)

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Here is a shot of the 2015 3.7L V6's cast aluminum oil pan w/ side mounted drain plug. HoosierDaddy had a 2011 V6 who's drain plug was the same size and thread as what is used for the GT, so most likely the same plug would be used for the V6 as GT. A V6 owner doing an oil change can verify to be 100% sure. ;)

On my 2011 I had a Fumoto with the same threads as the Femco on my 2016 (M12x1.75). Femcos weren't on my radar back in 2011. There was a concern that the Fumoto lever housing would not clear the rib above the drain but it did. The Femco doesn't have a lever housing but the SB (small base) versions have a 22mm hex. So a 22mm socket would need to clear that rib and maybe a tiny bit more if the recess around the hole is deeper than it looks. The hex of the V8 drain plug takes a 15mm socket and if the V6 threads are the same as the V8 (they should be) the V6 drain plug should also take a 15mm hex.

Just eyeballing it, I can't guess. My 22mm socket has a ~28mm diameter, so a little less than twice as wide as the factory drain hex in the picture. So could go either way. Of course I guess it could be installed with an open end but hard to get accurate torque that way.

What Fumoto does when the lever housing won't clear something is sell an extension to push the valve farther from the opening. I don't know what Femco recommends, if anything. I would call the toll-free number I posted and talk to someone there about it. You might even get lucky and they have sold a valve to an S550 V6 owner and know what works.

Worst case is you could get a Fumoto. Not quite as good as a Femco IMO for reasons posted above but much better than continuing to use a regular drain plug.

 

[Souldriver]

Great post. Since these things take 7-8 quarts and i want to keep to synthetic ive been doing my old compared to taking it to a quick lube place. This should make it much neater and easier for us driveway warriors

 

[davekro]

On my 2011 I had a Fumoto with the same threads as the Femco on my 2016 (M12x1.75). Femcos weren't on my radar back in 2011. There was a concern that the Fumoto lever housing would not clear the rib above the drain but it did. The Femco doesn't have a lever housing but the SB (small base) versions have a 22mm hex. So a 22mm socket would need to clear that rib and maybe a tiny bit more if the recess around the hole is deeper than it looks. The hex of the V8 drain plug takes a 15mm socket and if the V6 threads are the same as the V8 (they should be) the V6 drain plug should also take a 15mm hex.

Just eyeballing it, I can't guess. My 22mm socket has a ~28mm diameter, so a little less than twice as wide as the factory drain hex in the picture. So could go either way. Of course I guess it could be installed with an open end but hard to get accurate torque that way.

What Fumoto does when the lever housing won't clear something is sell an extension to push the valve farther from the opening. I don't know what Femco recommends, if anything. I would call the toll-free number I posted and talk to someone there about it. You might even get lucky and they have sold a valve to an S550 V6 owner and know what works.

Worst case is you could get a Fumoto. Not quite as good as a Femco IMO for reasons posted above but much better than continuing to use a regular drain plug.

W/ car on ground, I can confirm that the oem plug has a 15mm head. While the milled area to the ridge above seems almost big enough to allow a 22mm socket, the ridge is not very high. Maybe the thickness of a copper plug washer, maybe a few thousandths thicker. Being that the socket does not 'need' to go all the way to the oil pan surface, just over at least the majority of the plug's 22mm head depth, this should not be an issue. Even if additional clearance 'was' needed at the oil pan surface, a minimal amount of aluminum could easily be ground away around the upper semi circle ridge with a Dremel (even a hand file would likely do the job). I have no problem 'shaving' that upper ridge on the oil pan as required if needed as it is soft aluminum.

I will place an order for one of these low profile Femco plugs for my V6, but first, I'll need to research my other vehicles plug sizes and constraints so as to place one order and have one shipping fee.

HoosierDaddy, Thanks for your info and research on this.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

I will place an order for one of these low profile Femco plugs for my V6, but first, I'll need to research my other vehicles plug sizes and constraints so as to place one order and have one shipping fee.

For the Mustang, I'd order a Femco with longer threads than the 9mm that's best for the V8. The reason is that, since its horizontal, longer threads won't prevent any oil from draining and the cast pan may be thicker than 9mm anyway plus you may be adding a washer.

 

[Coaster]

IMHO the Fumoto is too long for the GT.

Admittedly my car gets more torture on gravel roads than most but the fact is that the valve sticks down far enough compared to the K frame to be in danger.

The pic below is a result of a single very light scrape down the middle of the car from a highly crowned dirt road.

I'm back to a good old drain plug for now.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

For anyone concerned about ground clearance, here is a picture showing the factory drain plug and a compact Femco. As noted, the pictures in the first post were of a standard size which I exchanged for a compact version.

I matched the scale between the factory plug and the Femco in this composite by resizing to make the width of the threads identical.

The factory drain plug was taken at more of an angle and that picture of the valve doesn't have the dust cap on but the dust cap adds less than 1 thread to the length outside the pan. The valve picture also doesn't have the 1mm washer so I shifted the valve picture about that much to the side to make it easier to see how much each will extend from the pan. As you can see, the Femco does not extend much, if any, beyond what the drain plug does.

The only downside of the compact over the standard valve that I see is that since the valve itself can never open farther than the height of the threads for the dust cap, a compact valve will take longer to drain the oil than a standard. And of course any valve will take longer to drain than the factory drain plug because any valve even when open will have a smaller opening than the pan threads its screwed into.

 

[GTP]

Yeah, well, 20 weight oil is so thin it is like water. While we were filling the Acura, the wind kicked up and blew the oil stream onto the engine cover. :doh:

I wanted to change oil and install my plug this past weekend, but we had too much fun and I did other things to my car. Hope to try it this coming weekend - my monitor is at 15% now.

 

[BmacIL]

While it wasn't a pic of the drain itself is is in there. This is the Fumoto "short" valve.

Thanks [MENTION=13317]Coaster[/MENTION]. How high above the crossmember in front of it does the nipple sit? I'm due to change my oil this weekend and have the Fumoto short valve NIP ready to install. Now I'm a little nervous...

 

[JungleG1337]

WOw these are cool. Anything for the Ecoboost?

 

[Coaster]

Thanks @Coaster . How high above the crossmember in front of it does the nipple sit? I'm due to change my oil this weekend and have the Fumoto short valve NIP ready to install. Now I'm a little nervous...

I didn't throw a level on it but I'd guess it is less than 1/4" above the lowest point of the K member.

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