UPR Billet Oil Drain Plug - Thoughts?

[ChipG]

Installation won't keep the tabs from ripping out of the pan...

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[UPRjoe]

Installation won't keep the tabs from ripping out of the pan...

Proper installation and removal will keep them from ripping out, as thousands of vehicles have upgraded to this from our previous designs. Many were tested and checked for over a year before we released the new design. We redesigned this to work smoother after testing the Ronin and similar designs to see the complaints they suffered and reading what others' experiences were with them.

The tabs can only be damaged by rotational force when the unit is not pressed inward to depress the spring, allowing the recessed locking area to clear the tabs during installation or removal.
We considered harmonic pressure to determine the amount of spring detent pressure and how tight the o-rings fit to absorb any vibration to protect the tabs.

Proper installation and removal will allow the oil pan to function as designed. The installation instructions were just updated to explain proper installation so that you can have the best product experience.

Joe@UPR

 

[ChipG]

Caveat emptor

 

[JAJ]

Proper installation and removal will keep them from ripping out, as thousands of vehicles have upgraded to this from our previous designs. Many were tested and checked for over a year before we released the new design. We redesigned this to work smoother after testing the Ronin and similar designs to see the complaints they suffered and reading what others' experiences were with them.

The tabs can only be damaged by rotational force when the unit is not pressed inward to depress the spring, allowing the recessed locking area to clear the tabs during installation or removal.
We considered harmonic pressure to determine the amount of spring detent pressure and how tight the o-rings fit to absorb any vibration to protect the tabs.

Proper installation and removal will allow the oil pan to function as designed. The installation instructions were just updated to explain proper installation so that you can have the best product experience.

Joe@UPR

Thanks for this - now I'm hearing a response to this situation that actually explains the UPR perspective.

I spent a decade as a product designer developing and manufacturing equipment that was used in high vibration environments. Then I spent seven more years as a manager in a company making equipment for use in high vibration environments. This problem is similar to problems I've seen before. Now, I get that vibration might not be the culprit here, but it's an option. So let's explore that option for a moment. Oh, and I do get that "to a man with a hammer, every problem looks like a nail."

The vibration environment in a Voodoo is characterized by a lateral movement of the engine that occurs at twice the RPM. Putting it in context, if you drive a GT350 1,000 miles at 2,000 RPM, the pan moves back and forth 8 million times. The amplitude of the vibration is likely dependent on engine load and other factors we don't know about.

The "falling out" problem, to the extent there is one, is likely a consequence of weight and balance in the plug. Ford uses a very small and light (18 gram) plug in the Voodoo. The plug's center of gravity (CG) is about 1/8th of an inch from the o-ring toward the outside. That puts the CG between the o-ring and the outer retaining clip, well inside the envelope of the pan structure. When vibration happens, the lightweight plug will move laterally with the pan with little or no tendency to swing like a pendulum.

Now, it's interesting that Ford uses a different plug in Coyote engines - the GT and the F150. That plug has a "handle" on it that sits outside the pan structure. Presumably, this plug is a bit heavier than the Voodoo plug with its CG a further out from the o-ring. Under lateral vibration, this plug may have a tendency to act as a very small, light pendulum. Regardless of that speculation, Ford has not qualified that plug for use in the Voodoo.

Then there are the aftermarket plugs - all of them. They are made of aluminum, which is much denser than the reinforced nylon used in the OEM plugs. If it were the exact same size and shape as the OEM plug, an aluminum plug would weigh nearly twice as much (35 grams vs 18 grams). But the aluminum plug makers don't stop there. They attach a big (relatively heavy) valve and spigot assembly onto the outside of the plug where it protrudes from the pan. This makes our already heavier plug quite a bit heavier - I'm guessing 3 ounces (85 grams), which would be nearly 5 times heavier than the factory plug. That design shape also places the plug's CG well outside the pan. It creates a big, heavy pendulum that swings back and forth (to the extent there's compliance in the springs and o-rings) 8 million times every thousand miles.

So, where's the risk? Well, what occurred to me when I read about @ParmesanPrime's situation was that the departing drain plug took the pan's retainers with it. Reinforced plastics generally are subject to fatigue failures just like metal, and we could be seeing that or something like it in these detached drain plugs. It's possible that the cyclic loading on the pan's retaining pins from the weight and pendulum motion of the aluminum may well have damaged the pan structure itself. Or not. I'm just speculating here. I agree it's a long shot.

So, are the aftermarket plugs poorly designed? No. They're fine. Is there a risk that they'll damage a Voodoo pan and fall out? Maybe, maybe not. Hard to know with very little evidence. But, I like this theory a lot more than one that assumes that GT owners always install the parts correctly while GT350 owners lack the brainpower to follow simple instructions.

 

[mrbillwot]

This is not an insult, as it showcases that it will not fall out when properly installed. You can start whatever flame fest you want, but that's not my point. I am very familiar with the voodoo and it harmonic issues. That's why I know a vibration will not cause the new UPR Ford Speed Oil Drain Valve to fall out.

I am referencing the voodoo, not just as a GT or Ecoboost. These are on hundreds of Voodoo's that we've had previous customers upgrade to the new 3025-04 design from the original 3025-02 just so they wouldn't have to worry about any issues. That was Voodoo was our primary target as I gave these to our customers to put them through the motions with the 5.2 engine.

The video shows how badly you can abuse a properly installed UPR Ford Speed Oil Drain Valve. So go ahead and keep trying to defend someone's mishap, as they never meant to do it, I'm sure. But the case is that it just did not seat the tabs into the recessed locking groove.

Thank you for your input, but nothing you said applies to the point we are trying to make about how secure and strong the new design locks in place on the tabs with a wave lock washer. Out of courtesy, I will not engage in these types of posts, as they are counterproductive for fellow enthusiasts.

Have a great night, Joe@UPR

Hi Joe,

I have the older UPR plug (ASIN # B081D6RB2V, not sure if that is 3025-2, bought Sep 30, 2020) and found it had leaked/leaking in the spring early summer. I tried reaching out to UPR to find out about o-ring replacements as a remedy or if the design was refreshed but got nothing back either from the UPR support req or from calling & leaving my name & number. Anyway car is due for end of season oil change and then winter storage so its time to consider options.

My question are: Is the 3025-04 model the exact GT350 (2019) recommended replacement? And will it be installable and then serviceable given I have a BMR 2 point chassis subframe brace (see photo attached)? Or should I just go back to the shorter stock yellow fomoco plug? The old 02 plug was ok for draining but I can't get a sense of the dimensions of the new model hence the calls to support. Would welcome your opinion. Thanks

 

[DougS550]

Hi Joe,

I have the older UPR plug (ASIN # B081D6RB2V, not sure if that is 3025-2, bought Sep 30, 2020) and found it had leaked/leaking in the spring early summer. I tried reaching out to UPR to find out about o-ring replacements as a remedy or if the design was refreshed but got nothing back either from the UPR support req or from calling & leaving my name & number. Anyway car is due for end of season oil change and then winter storage so its time to consider options.

My question are: Is the 3025-04 model the exact GT350 (2019) recommended replacement? And will it be installable and then serviceable given I have a BMR 2 point chassis subframe brace (see photo attached)? Or should I just go back to the shorter stock yellow fomoco plug? The old 02 plug was ok for draining but I can't get a sense of the dimensions of the new model hence the calls to support. Would welcome your opinion. Thanks

My older UPR single O ring "Seeped" my new UPR with two O rings has no seeping. Even though it has a locking tab, I safety wired. I couldn't imagine going back to the "Big Duck Dump" stock drain plug. Messy and flow not controllable. But, to each their own as far as what they feel comfortable using.

 

[UPRjoe]

The 3025-04 should fit fine, and the New UPR Billet Oil Drain Valve opens and closes the drain valve without the end staying stationary or extending back and forth externally to operate the New UPR Billet Oil Drain Valve.

Feel free to try it out. If you have any clearance issues, let me know, and I'll make sure you can return it if needed without any headaches. When installing, you need to be able to put pressure on the face to engage the detent spring to clear the tabs for proper installation. You might even want to initially loosen or remove the brace to install the UPR Billet Oil Drain Valve Assembly.

Once installed, draining and operating the valve will not require that, and I can promise you will be happy with the performance. Make sure to add a drop of oil to the boring before installation and run it through a basic open-and-close cycle.

Have a great weekend, Joe@UPR Thank you for supporting UPR.

 

[galaxy]

Interesting....

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