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Oil Drain Valve - Fram SureDrain SD-3

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Technical Discussion' started by kocho, Nov 27, 2007.

  1. kocho

    kocho Member

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    Just thought I'd share. Bought a Fram SD-3 off eBay (since these seem to be discontinued and stores do not carry them any more). $7.95 + shipping for a total of about $12 delivered.

    Installation is a snap - just screw it in instead of the original plug after the old oil is drained. The new valve comes wtih a copper washer so it makes good contact/seal without too much torque needed (the old '02 plug came with both a metal and a rubber washer when I took it out.

    The thread size for the 2002 Prius oil drain plug is 12x1.25 - I was not sure about that when I bought but it looked reasonable and it turned out to be correct.

    Sorry, no photos but the plug once installed protrudes just a little more than the original plug and requires no tools to drain the oil next time - just remove the protective screw-on cap and attach the included short drain hose. Then take a short brake, since it takes about 5 minutes to drain the oil - slower than without the valve but still just fine and you would wait that long anyway to allow more old oil to come out regardless...

    I have had these Fram valves installed on all my cars so far and they have been trouble-free for a combined 250K miles or so on a Nissan, two Mazdas and two Toyotas so far. Unfortunately, as I said - Fram does not make them any more, so grab the last ones while they are stil around!
     
    #1 kocho, Nov 27, 2007
  2. lenjack

    lenjack Active Member

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    Are you at all concerned about ground clearance? Seems this would be fairly easy to shear off.
     
    #2 lenjack, Nov 27, 2007
  3. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    I have a fumoto valve and used it for the first time today (to get a sample for a UOA)...very convenient.
    Ground clearance is not an issue as the plug is on a beveled area of the oil pan and the valve doesn't drop below the lowest spot on the pan (or no more than a couple mm anyway).
     
    #3 efusco, Nov 27, 2007
  4. seasalsa

    seasalsa Active Member

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    #4 seasalsa, Nov 27, 2007
  5. kocho

    kocho Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(lenjack @ Nov 27 2007, 08:28 PM) [snapback]544975[/snapback]</div>
    No. It does not protrude much - it is less than 1/2 inch above the surface of the metal it is screwed into is my estimate. I'll take a photo and post here when I get a chance. The original bolt/plug is not on the bottom but slightly on the side and above the lowest point in the pan and that positioning helps too. The Fram version of the valve is shorter than the Fumitomo (?) version I've seen posted here - it is barely bigger than the original and has nothing that sticks out of it, so it is a more compact design and easier to use IMO.

    I only have some photos of the one on my Camry and these were taken for other reasons so they do not show it well (I recently had to replace my automatic transmission in the Camry and these photos helped me put it back together at the end ;) )

    First photo - the valve is at the upper left. Second photo - lower left. Sorry again - bad photography :(

    [​IMG]



    [​IMG]
     
    #5 kocho, Nov 28, 2007
  6. drees

    drees Senior Member

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    Yeah, I've used the Fumoto valve in the past, it works great! Really makes oil changes just that little bit easier, and a snap to get oil samples if you're into that sort of thing. :)
     
    #6 drees, Nov 29, 2007
  7. onerpm

    onerpm New Member

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    my fumoto leaks a little. my fram suredrains never did, although I do wonder why they were discontinued. would rather pay $10 for a fram than $25 for a fumoto.
     
    #7 onerpm, Nov 29, 2007
  8. Danny

    Danny Admin/Founder
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    Just a little bit of news to add to this thread - PriusChat just became an authorized dealer for Fumoto, so we'll be adding those valves to the Shop as soon as we have them in stock. Also, I have access to 2 of the Fram SD-3s through one of my distributors if anyone's interested. The price is a little higher than $10, though. Looks like it'll be like $17 plus shipping. PM me if anyone wants me to order one for them.
     
    #8 Danny, Nov 29, 2007
  9. MattFL

    MattFL Member

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    I am a huge fan of the pneumatic oil extractors. Got one for $125 online, it holds 6 gallons and empties the 6 quarts from my truck in just a few minutes. No more drain plugs! First time I used it I wanted to be sure it was removing all the oil, so I sucked it empty then removed the drain plug. Not a single drop came out. Oil changes are a snap now on my 2 cars, boat, etc.. Highly recommended! This is the one that I got:


    http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=46149
     
    #9 MattFL, Dec 6, 2007
  10. Roger0152

    Roger0152 New Member

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    I believe the reason Fram discontinued the plug was because it frequently broke off where the threads end and the body begins. We tried these on a utility fleet a couple of years ago and gave up on them. There is a commercial brand available. Sorry I do not remember the name. I am retired now, but if I go by the shop I will inquire how the commercial brand is doing and get the name for posting here.

    Roger
     
    #10 Roger0152, Dec 19, 2007
  11. Moose

    Moose Paw-Paw

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    #11 Moose, Apr 16, 2008
  12. philmcneal

    philmcneal Taxi!

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    do i get the one without the nipple or with? what's the difference?
     
    #12 philmcneal, Jun 28, 2008
  13. Bob64

    Bob64 Sapphire of the Blue Sky

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    The nipple is for if you want to attach a tube to the end (for the oil to flow through). The one without makes you put a pan under it to catch the oil
     
    #13 Bob64, Jun 28, 2008
  14. seasalsa

    seasalsa Active Member

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    Like Bob said.

    I ordered the one with the nipple initially but returned it for the regular valve because the extra length made it stick down to a point where it appeared it could easily be damaged.
     
    #14 seasalsa, Jun 28, 2008
  15. Nords

    Nords Member

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    SD-1: 1/2" x 20
    SD-2: M14x1.5
    SD-3: M12 x 1.25
    SD-4: M12 x 1.75
    SD-5: M18 x 1.5

    So is SD-3 the size for all Prius model years & packages, or is there a difference? Of course I'm most interested in the 2006 answer...
     
    #15 Nords, Jun 28, 2008
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