Oil Drain valves.

Update 2021-12-05: Femco finally has drain valves for the 2018-up GTs (any engine with the plastic pans/plugs). Info in this thread: https://www.mustang6g.com/forums/threads/finally-femco-drain-for-2018-up.168667/

Update 2019-03-06: Ronin makes a similar product to replace the plastic plugs in 2018+ Mustangs. Info in this post: https://www.mustang6g.com/forums/threads/ronin-oil-drain-plug.118401/

Update 2018-10-12: Femco has a new distributor in the US. Info about that in this post: https://www.mustang6g.com/forums/threads/oil-drain-valves.55750/page-7#post-2367748

Edit: the pictures in this post are of a Standard model Femco valve. It was ordered because an error in a Femco database failed to show a Compact model valve with just 9mm of oil pan threads. When the data base error was discovered, they exchanged it for a compact model with 9mm of threads. So be aware that both the diameter and the thickness of the part outside the oil pan is significantly reduced with the compact, small base version which is an advantage with a nearly vertical drain such as in the 5.0s. With the compact version, the part of the valve outside the pan is only about 1/2 inch thick.

Edit 2: FYI, all 3 current Mustang engines have the same drain threads M12x1.75 and use the same drain plug part number.

As of July 5th, nobody has confirmed any valve will install in an EcoBoost oil pan. The threads aren't an issue but fins and indentations in the pan MAY interfere since the external parts of drain valves are wider than the factory drain plug.

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I always install an oil drain valve on the cars I own.

Advantages (in no order):

1. They make oil changes easier and much cleaner since they allow the use of a hose from the valve to a container. Many don't even require a tool to operate.
2. They make it simple to extract a small amount of oil for analysis.
3. If you use extra oil in a vehicle on track days (my ATS requires that, for example), it makes it easy to remove the extra.
4. They eliminate the chance of stripping drain plug threads or drain plug gaskets leaking.

The only common downside of all drain valves are:

1. A very slightly less amount oil can be drained because the valves threads are probably longer than the thickness of the oil pan (matters for vertical orientations) and/or from the thickness of the threaded barrel of the valve (matters for horizontal orientations) - imagine the original drain plug with a hole drilled thru it for the oil to drain.
2. For vertical installations, the valve will extend down farther than the drain plug it replaces. If the drain plug was susceptible to impacts, a valve will be even more. I have a relative who tore a vertical Fumoto valve off a Yaras when they drove over one of those concrete parking lot stops. I'm guessing a drain plug might have survived.

I used Fumotos for years always looking for something better. The Fumotos have the above advantages but also have down sides including single point of failure for leaks, relatively difficult to open/close to avoid accidental opening, need to operate with gloves since the valve handle is engine oil temperature. Some are very minor downsides, but still downsides. Fumotos are easy to find and buy because personal vehicle owners are a target audience.

Before using Fumotos I researched alternatives and while there were some aeronautical products that were not designed for use exposed to the elements there weren't really any other automotive drain valves sold in the US and foreign market ones were usually niche products for just one or a few brands/models of cars.

I discovered a US alternative to Fumotos in 2013. A company called NoSpill sells a different type of valve. They eliminate the down sides of the Fumotos but add their own, including a larger size which could make them unusable on some vehicles with clearance issues. Fumotos also have that issue due to the protruding lever housing but I suspect its less of a problem with Fumotos. Of course, its not a grey area for any particular vehicle. They either fit or don't. So far I've put valves on about a dozen cars and trucks and all were or would be compatible with either Fumotos or the NoSpill type.

The NoSpill company targets fleet owners. For every car I've tried to buy one for, it was impossible to order on-line because their web store has incomplete or wrong information for every vehicle I have checked. Its not like they don't make a valve that will fit almost any vehicle, its just that they haven't identified what valves fit what cars and built that into their store. So if you try to order a valve for a new Mustang (for example) it will return a description of "for most Ford models after 19xx" and that valve will NOT work in a Mustang. The only reliable way to order is to call them during business hours and order over the phone and hope they get everything right and don't expose your credit card info, etc.. And even then you better give them the specs for the factory drain plug or they will send you the wrong valve because the office people use the same bad lookup, the web store does.

I was a little tired of all this so I decided to do another search for alternatives like I did in 2013 when it was time to buy a valve for my 2016 Mustang.

I was surprised to find that NoSpill was just manufacturing and selling a valve under license from a company in the Netherlands and that due to legal troubles between NoSpill and the inventors, the originator had set up shop in the US. I'm guessing that NoSpill may be out of the business of making and selling these if they lose the case filed against them.

Anyway, the company that invented these valves 40 years ago is named Femco. I'll post contact information for ordering. If you do searches, be aware that there are several unrelated companies in the US with Femco in or as their name.

At present, its almost as hard to order the Femco brand valve as the NoSpill BUT with Femco I don't see so much wrong parts being added to the shopping cart. Instead its more common that the web store can't find a valve for many cars. While not ideal, still a thousand times better than having the wrong part shipped.

Below are some pics of my Femco valve for Mustangs. Coincidentally it is the exact same spec valve as the NoSpill in my Cadillac. Both are 12mm x 1.75 threads.

Here is the part that threads into the oil pan. The valve is closed. A later picture shows the valve open.





Here is the other side of the valve with the knurled cap removed so you can see the plunger that opens the valve when the "drainer" is screwed onto it.





The following is the "drainer". To drain oil, you remove the knurled cap cap from the valve and screw this on in its place. As it tightens, it pushes the valve open. The hose spins free to make use easier. The same drainer is used for a wide range of valve sizes and virtually every non commercial vehicle will use this particular "drainer". But the first vehicle you equip with a Femco (or NoSpill) valve will involve purchasing a "drainer". Additional and future vehicles can all share the same "drainer". The seemingly large diameter of the drainer side of the valve is so that one "drainer" can be used with a very wide range of drain sizes.







Here is the valve with the "drainer" screwed into it so you can see the valve in its open state inside the oil pan.






Here is the knurled cap that protects the valve mechanism from the elements AND provides a second barrier to leaks should any internal part fail. It is hand tightened against an o-ring so no tools are needed to drain the oil unless you think of the "drainer" as a tool.






That was the "standard" version of the valve. Most sizes are also available in a compact size which is basically just fewer threads on the external part of the valve which can be useful if valve is mounted vertically to increase ground clearance. There is also a "click" version that uses a snap-on rather than screw on "drainer". Those are significantly more expensive but make sense for fleet owners. Each style of drainer only works with one type of valve (standard, compact, click). So it can save some money if you buy the same type valve for all your cars.

My S197 PP had a horizontal drain plug. My new 5.0 has an angled drain plug, so I would recommend getting the compact versions of the valve/drainer if its your first Femco for the extra 3/8 inch or so of ground clearance. Since I went down the "standard" road back in 2013, that's what I bought for my 2016 Mustang so I can use the drainer I already own.

Here is their US website: http://www.femco.com/

I strongly recommend against ordering Femco thru their web store until they get it sorted out. I would call sales at 1-800-340-2147 during business hours (Washington state) and have the thread sizes (12mm x 1.75) handy to save time or confirm what they will ship. If they forget to ask, don't forget to also order a drainer if this is your first Femco (or NoSpill) valve.

If you go to the website, https://www.drainplug.com, you will see a space labeled "manual search," into which you can enter a keyword. If you enter "12x1.75," it will return eight drain plugs having that thread size.

[MENTION=24010]cdz12250[/MENTION]
I called Femco in Amarillo yesterday. I was given pn 70090010153 for their compact drain plug for $34.20. This conflicts with the website search pn's, so the whole thing is confusing. Furthermore the phone call price for the plug-only seemed to agree with the web store price of both the plug AND the drain hose.

Very

cdz12250 said:

If you go to the website, https://www.drainplug.com, you will see a space labeled "manual search," into which you can enter a keyword. If you enter "12x1.75," it will return eight drain plugs having that thread size.

Click to expand...

Nice.

Here is the search results page in English and US dollars: https://www.drainplug.com/usa/catalogsearch/result/?q=12x1.75&___from_store=en

So decisions to make when ordering.

It appears the T number at the end of the part refers to the length of the part that threads into the oil pan. So I am guessing the shortest (T9) would be the best for the Mustang engines. I doubt the pan is more than 9mm thick but would be good if someone can post the actual thickness if its more than 9mm.

I believe the SB or LB in the name refers to the drainer used so people who already own one or the other can use it with a new vehicle. I'll try to get confirmation and also if SB or LB has any advantage for someone buying their first Femco valve.

I'm guessing most home mechanics aren't interested in a click drain since the drainer for those is $60.

So its looking like the M12x1.75-T9 Standard LB is the best one for the Mustangs since its the only version with the shortest threads (T9). Too bad they don't appear to make a compact T9.

GTP said:

@cdz12250
I called Femco in Amarillo yesterday. I was given pn 70090010153 for their compact drain plug for $34.20. This conflicts with the website search pn's, so the whole thing is confusing. Furthermore the phone call price for the plug-only seemed to agree with the web store price of both the plug AND the drain hose.

Very

Click to expand...

As I mentioned in the first post, I don't really trust the web store, particularly for personal vehicles. I believe their main focus is on commercial truck fleet owners. I hope the keyword lookup is better.

Having said that, the search cdz12250 found does show the part number I ordered which is Standard SB 6090010004 M12x1.75-T9. So anyone wanting the standard size can order from that page.

GTP, can you post the rest of the part description, particularly the number after the T at the end and if SB or LB is in the name. I suspect its SB.

Kyle in Amarillo recommended the compact drain plug for our Mustangs, as he knows about ground clearance for sports cars.

I plan to order next week, as soon as I check out the wife's Acura TL setup. She is finally ready to go DIY oil changes now that her car is outside the stealership's extended service agreement, lol. We are pondering the Amsoil subscription deal, too.

If everyone can wait until ~June 20th, I can report back on what I received and if it was correct.

GTP said:

Kyle in Amarillo recommended the compact drain plug for our Mustangs, as he knows about ground clearance for sports cars.

Compact Drain Plug PN 7090010150
Straight drain hose PN 750001
-OR- 90° drain hose PN 750030 (maybe no jackup needed?)​

I plan to order next week, as soon as I check out the wife's Acura TL setup. She is finally ready to go DIY oil changes now that her car is outside the stealership's extended service agreement, lol. We are pondering the Amsoil subscription deal, too.

If everyone can wait until ~June 20th, I can report back on what I received and if it was correct.

Click to expand...

Can you post the name of the item since you say it doesn't come up in search. The name (Tn) tells the thread depth; n is the depth in mm.

Ground clearance isn't necessarily the most important aspect. The thread length also matters because the longer the threads the more oil will be left in the pan except for horizontal applications where ground clearance would be the same regardless of the style.

And its possible the SB/LB (small/large outside threads) designation is important if one is available for more vehicles than the other. The same applies to standard and compact since a drainer will only work with one combination of Standard/compact and SB/LB. Those matter to anyone contemplating putting Femco valves in multiple vehicles now or over time.

First image is results using your suggested search technique.
Second image is a shopping cart with all viable drain plugs and accessories that we might consider. (Clearly they are using some standard and not actual photos for similar plugs.)

Yes, the compact plug is 12mm above the gasket, but obviously shorter external to the oil pan. Latter feature wins, IMO.

My head is starting to hurt. :headbonk:

Subbed to read later. Ive been using fumotos for years.

Okay. No need to choose between a tiny bit of ground clearance and leaving a little more oil in the pan.

I tracked down a compact drain with only 9mm of threads into the oil pan as opposed to the 12 in the above search. When Femco built their database someone entered this one as M12 x 1.75.... instead of M12x1.75... like all other valves. So the spaces kept this valve from popping up in a search for 12mx1.75. Anyway, here is a link to the best valve for a 2011 up thru 2017 Mustang (later model years have a different plastic drain plug) :

https://www.drainplug.com/usa/compact-oil-drain-plug-7090010153.html

It is a compact model for M12x1.75 drains, so sticks out slightly less from the oil pan than a standard model. Not super important for Mustangs since their drain plugs are not vertical but some are angled so shorter is still better. And since you may own other cars with vertical drains now or in the future going with a compact valve and drainer could save you from having to buy another drainer in the future.

A drainer can only work with one style of drain: Compact/SB, compact/LB, Standard/SB or Standard/LB. So it pays to go with the type that will work with the most vehicles.

This one is an SB valve which means its a smaller diameter. Smaller diameter is definitely a plus for personal vehicles since there is less chance of interference with things like fins cast into an oil pan. You might not need SB for the Mustang but you might for another car, so it will make it more likely you can use the same drainer on other vehicles current and future. SB valves are available for drains of up to 16mm threads so pretty much every private vehicle ever made.

mustang_guy said:

Subbed to read later. Ive been using fumotos for years.

Click to expand...

Fumotos are definitely a LOT better than a drain plug! I used them for decades and still have them in a few vehicles.

I think these are just a little better. To recap, the pluses over the Fumotos are easier to operate and multiple fail-safes for leaking.

The Fumoto valve lever can be hard to get to in some applications, will be too hot to touch without gloves and can put a pretty good dent in the finger operating it. ;)

While rare, Fumotos have failed and dumped the oil out while the vehicle was in use. May not be any more often than someone forgets to tighten a regular drain plug but the Femcos eliminate any chance with 2 o-rings and a cap backing up the valve itself.

So I'm not inclined to replace the Fumotos I'm using but won't be using them going forward.

Anyone ordering their first one of these valves, remember to order a drainer. Straight or 90 degree drainers are an option on the same page.

Sub'd for future reference.

@HoosierDaddy - nice write up. Never crossed my mind that there was an option like this.

HoosierDaddy said:

Okay. No need to choose between a tiny bit of ground clearance and leaving a little more oil in the pan.

I tracked down a compact drain with only 9mm of threads into the oil pan as opposed to the 12 in the above search.
https://www.drainplug.com/usa/compact-oil-drain-plug-7090010153.html

Click to expand...

Right, I called Kyle at Femco Amarillo again Friday, and planned to post this same info Monday. Bottom line is the pn 7090010153 is ideal for our cars.
Thanks for all the detailed information. I am ordering Monday, plus a setup for the 2007 Acura TL 3.2

The only remaining curiousity to me is that his quoted prices are 1.7x the website listed prices. He said that may be because it is the Netherlands site. IDK, maybe the site is listing direct wholesale prices. I'm kind of afraid to order from that site and then have something go wrong.

I use Fumotos on all of my cars over the past 10 years without any issues. I have never had a issue with one getting hit by anything. I have one on my 4x4 truck and I take it off roading all of the time.

evo8904 said:

I use Fumotos on all of my cars over the past 10 years without any issues. I have never had a issue with one getting hit by anything. I have one on my 4x4 truck and I take it off roading all of the time.

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Wouldn't expect anything different. I used Fumotos for even longer in everything up 'till 2013 when I found something better.