FUMATO QWIK VALVE

[JIM CHALOUPKA]

Anyone using the Fumato Quik Valve on their oil pan besides Kevin E?

I'm about to order one and was wondering about first hand experiences with the valve.

If you don't know about it check out the link. I am considering the T201N with the safety clip. You can find it in the charts.

http://www.qwikvalve.com/home.php

JIM

[stevet903]

I have one and it works great - no problems so far. It's great if you don't have a huge pan - you can shut it off in the middle and drain the pan before it overflows - no more trying to get the plug back in while the hot oil is flowing all over the place. Ask me how I know that one.... It also makes it easy to take an oil sample if you need to. The only downside that I can see is that it seems to drain a little slower since the ID for the valve is smaller than the hole in the oil pan.

[JIM CHALOUPKA]

Sounds good, do you have the T201N with the hose bib?

JIM

[stevet903]

I think mine is a T-202 (8v92) without a hose bib. I was concerned that one with a hose bib would be too low and drag, but I think that the transmission in the front and the tow bar in the rear would hit something first.

[Kenneth Brewer]

Be careful. Although there may be items on the undercarriage that are lower, I would not assume the valve is protected. I put a brass petcock on the fuel tank (265 gallon single tank, at the rear) of our Bluebird. One of the reasons for it was so I could more easily get fuel to fill new fuel filters before installing them. Something flew up and snapped it off completely, unbeknownst to me, while driving. It happened that on the approach to the George Washington bridge headed west into Jersey, chatter on the CB switched to concern that someone was dropping oil or fuel. I looked, out of curiosity, and saw this dark trail of something behind me, but not in front, in the rear view camera, as people started to honk. Pulled onto a short apron section against a vertical brick wall to the right (very very fortunate it was there, and stone paved) crawled underneath, saw the disaster while lying on my back on the bricks while the fuel poured out and down in between the stones (so I didn't get soaked), and used a wooden spoon/ladle my wife handed me after she whittled the ladle shaft to a point, and pounded it in to stop the leak, in the August heat in 5 pm bumper to bumper traffic conditions (which is just about always). My point is that the valve was installed where there was the normal plug - similar to some and identical to others - used on the oil and tranny sump pans uyp front, into a threaded bushing (OD and ID). Had there not been a valve but the previous hex plug, I would never have had this happen (my belief).

This plug was located approximately where the drain plugs are on Prevosts (this was an FC Bluebird, 35'). The Bluebird had enough clearance to crawl under (yes, dangerous), but the Prevost doesn't, really, in my opinion. And with a pusher, the heat/temperature under there will be considerable. Use this story as you will. But now you have an idea what might happen.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

The Series 60 drain plug is oriented so it points forward, not down. Without looking I cannot remember if the housing for the torque converter protects it, but my initial thinking is that as a forward pointing valve it is far less likely to be damaged or broken off than if the drain plug were pointing downward or out to the side.

If the torque converter housing does protect it I see no downside to its use.

[Kenneth Brewer]

In the case of the Bluebird, the fuel tank, and engine oil sump both pointed down. If the orientation is forward or rearward, or protected by a pan boss, however, as you point out, I agree. I have seen at least two installations (not on Prevosts, though), where there was a side pointing oil sump drain plug, elbows were used to get the flow pointed down ( a lot easier to get it into the drain pan as the level drops, and from running up one's sleeve). Thanks.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Ken, One of the valves had a lip around the outlet for a flexible drain tube. I would orient the valve horizontally pointing forward, but push a short section of tubing on the outlet to direct the flow to the oil pan. As the oil level in the crankcase drops the flow from the outlet is going to drop rather than shoot out horizontally so being able to direct it is an advantage we don't now have with the plug.

[stevet903]

Here is what an 8V looks like...

7096

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Now that is something I would not do with a quick drain. Even though there is some protection from the transmission oil pan I have had several instances of road debris passing under myt coach. We had a box of air conditioning ductwork fall from a AC service truck and beat its way down the length of our bus and we have had countless alligators kicked up by cars ignoring the fact the alligator was in their lane, sending some substantial chunks into and under our bus. Those will do some damage due to their weight. I wouldn't want to risk it.

[travelite]

Here's an instance of one of our wanderlodgeownersgroup forum members losing an engine just 1 week ago:
http://www.wanderlodgeownersgroup.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7260

[Kevin Erion]

I guess this is what makes the world go around! The first oil change on every over the road truck I have owned from 01 untill now gets one. I won't say what I was thinking about the nipple but these things are bullet proof untill the owner makes a bad decision!

[gmcbuffalo]

Ken you are riding with one smart and quick thinking lady. My hats off to her for whittling that spoon handle for you.
Greg