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Do any of you have a quick-drain oil valve?

pierre smith

pierre smith

Well Known Member
I have an oil change coming up and have always remembered the Cessna Agwagons we flew in the '70's that had quick-drains. It was so simple to reach under the lower cowl air exit area, flip the valve and go get some oil. They installed braided flex line from the sump to the oil drain valve, mounted on the lower left motor mount tube. so it was very easy to reach.

Do any of you guys have something similar?

Regards,
 
oil quick valve

My used o-320e2a came with one of these.

I think it'll make it easier and cleaner when I change the oil.

It looks like I'll be able to slip on a 3/8" piece of tubing to conduct the oil to the drain pan.

Now if I could just figure out how to remove the spin on filter without making a mess:D

Dave
-9A flying
 
Daver said:
My used o-320e2a came with one of these.

Now if I could just figure out how to remove the spin on filter without making a mess:D

Dave
-9A flying
Click to expand...

Large ziploc freezer bag tucked under it.
 
Oil drain

I have been using the quick oil drain for the past 15 years on my Mooney, never a problem and sure makes oil changes quick.
 
pierre smith said:
I have an oil change coming up and have always remembered the Cessna Agwagons we flew in the '70's that had quick-drains. It was so simple to reach under the lower cowl air exit area, flip the valve and go get some oil. They installed braided flex line from the sump to the oil drain valve, mounted on the lower left motor mount tube. so it was very easy to reach.

Do any of you guys have something similar?

Regards,
Click to expand...

Got one on our 182 and love it, no problems! Quick and easy, just like I like it..............
 
I have a Fumoto valve and it works fine but I still have to remove the cowl to get to it, no hose attached to it.

http://www.fumotousa.com/

Years ago, a T-34 stopped at our airport in Massachusetts for fuel. After take off, it returned quickly with the engine shut down in flight. What happened was the hose connected to a quick drain valve somehow dropped down into the NG wheel well and when the gear was retracted, it pushed the hose up and opened the drain valve.

Long story short, the engine which had about 5 hours since new was totaled, the ferry pilot ended up committing suicide, (he really did - he was the owners son and they did not get along well) and the owner sprung for another new engine. I got involved later giving demo rides in the airplane when he tried to sell it, I was the only guy on the field with T-34 time. The airplane did not sell, so I ferried it to another airport and that was the end of that saga.

Interesting how Pierre's inquiry on a drain valve triggered that memory. Needless to day, if you hang a stiff hose to one, make sure it is secure. We don't want anyone committing suicide over it. :)
 
Oil quick drain

Have had one on the Pitts S-2A for 29 years with no problems No tube is attached to the valve and of course there's no retractable gear or anything else moving around there. The valve is safety wired closed. For oil change cut and remove the wire, attach a poly tube and drain away. Very convenient. The IO-360 on my -8 has two drains. I plan to install a quick drain from Vans in each.
 
Quick drain on the RV-8, but you still have to remove the cowl to drain the oil. Probably a good thing since, being a homemade experimental airplane, getting a good look at everything firewall forward every 40-50 hours of flight time has helped us identify a problem with an exhaust pipe hanger Adel clamp that kept cracking.

Now on my old Cherokee, the top cowl simply unlatches and opens up like a couple barn doors and I can just reach down in there and stick a hose on the quick drain and give it a quarter twist and change the oil without ever removing the cowling. I can even change the oil filter with the cowl still installed.
 
oil drain

I have one on my 9A, its a little struggle to reach with the cowling on but the struggle's better than removing the cowl !
 
Yes. O-360, RV-6A. Only have to remove the top cowl to change the filter. Reach in from near the exhausts to attach the drain hose and push up and lock the drain valve.

Easy.
 
Remote drain

pierre smith said:
They installed braided flex line from the sump to the oil drain valve, mounted on the lower left motor mount tube. so it was very easy to reach.
Click to expand...

Having had quick drains on my last three airplans with no issues, I have reservations about the remote version that you describe although I understand why it would be a time saver on something doing as many hours as an ag plane. In my case, by the time an oil change is due, it is time to take a good look under the cowl. A sump mounted quick drain is a simple, clean way to get a hose onto the drain.

John Clark ATP, CFI
FAA FAAST Team Member
EAA Flight Advisor
RV8 N18U "Sunshine"
KSBA
 
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Oil Extraction pump...

..is what I use ,Pierre. I got a 6 Qt. version from West Marine for $60. To me it works even better than a quick drain (which I had on my Cherokee) because I can go in through the oil door and down the dipstick tube with the suction tube. Absolutely no mess - I think I could do the oil change with confidence while wearing a business suit if I were so inclined.

Many European cars including Mercedes and VW use this system.

RocketBob was the first person I read on this forum who endorsed oil extraction. thanks RocketBob.

LarryT
 
Don't any of you pull the sump filter screen? I always drain the oil through a paint strainer and pull the screen. Also cut the filter apart. Don
 
The Valkyrie has had the quick drain from day one - wouldn't be without it! Unfortunately, the exhaust system on "Mikey" (the -6) is routed in such a way that we can't install one - and every oil change is a challenge.

Paul
 
Yakdriver;
I have quickdrains on the Cessnas. Yes I do pull the screen, and cut open the filter too. I never thought of a paint filter, that's pretty good. I just use a clean bucket, then check the bottom for swarf when I dump it out at the recycling station.
No room under the pan on the RV-8 :(. But I seem to be doing everything the hard way on it. :rolleyes:
 
scard said:
Large ziploc freezer bag tucked under it.
Click to expand...
Hmmm, the freezer bag sound good. Sounds better than the Folgers coffee can trick.
I tried punching a hole in the filter and letting it drain overnight but never had good results.
Now, I have my quick drain on my side port on the newer Superior replacement forward sump.The other port interfered with the exhaust system. Although the cowl has to be removed, it was a good time to do a complete inspection of the fwf.
 
Neal@F14 said:
Quick drain on the RV-8, but you still have to remove the cowl to drain the oil. Probably a good thing since, being a homemade experimental airplane, getting a good look at everything firewall forward every 40-50 hours of flight time has helped us identify a problem with an exhaust pipe hanger Adel clamp that kept cracking.
...
Click to expand...
Same here, only on my -9.

LarryT said:
..is what I use ,Pierre. I got a 6 Qt. version from West Marine for $60. To me it works even better than a quick drain (which I had on my Cherokee) because I can go in through the oil door and down the dipstick tube with the suction tube. Absolutely no mess - I think I could do the oil change with confidence while wearing a business suit if I were so inclined....
Click to expand...
I like the idea of draining any metal pieces that may be lying in the bottom of the sump.

yakdriver said:
Don't any of you pull the sump filter screen? I always drain the oil through a paint strainer and pull the screen. Also cut the filter apart. Don
Click to expand...
Once a year but I drain into a clean bucket and stir the oil with a magnet on a stick. If it comes up fuzzy, then more than that little screen is going to come off.

After cutting the filter open, I also run the magnet on a stick (Kind of like a Jalape?o On a Stick) looking to see if it will pick up any metal.

Then I send an oil sample off for analysis.
 
scard said:
Large ziploc freezer bag tucked under it.
Click to expand...

Slightly different technique here - I loosen the filter with a wrench just enough that I can turn it by hand, then put the ziploc freezer around the oil filter. The oil filter is then removed, bag and all, and any drips etc. stay in the bag. Close the bag and remove it from behind the engine with nary a drop spilled.
 
I had one of the style where you push and twist and it stays locked open. One day I happened to be pushing up on the bottom of the cow with my backl, and unbeknowst to me, I accidently pushed up on it and it locked open. 'Next I knew there was a BIG puddle of oil on the hangar floor below the open end of the cowling, which I had to remove to get at it. I then installed an automotive-style made by a famous aftermarket supplier, maybe Fram, but it is no longer available. It has a ball check valve in the opening, and when you screw on the supplied hose which has a stinger to open the valve, down it comes through the hose. No mess at all. It also comes with a screw on cap with an O-ring seal that doubly insures no leakage! Plus it is shorter than the previous one.
 
I don't know what kind mine is, but my -6 had one on it when I bought it. As an added bonus, my airbox cover is removable (separate piece of the cowling), so I can drop that, stick a hose on the quick-drain, and drain out the oil without removing the lower cowl. The drain is within the opening, so I may even be able to drain it into a bucket without a hose, but it's close and any wind at all and it would surely hit the cowling... Murphy's Law, and all that.

If the zip-lock bag on the oil filter can be done from above (haven't tried that yet), I may now have a reasonably clean method for changing the oil...
 
N941WR said:
Same here, only on my -9.


I like the idea of draining any metal pieces that may be lying in the bottom of the sump.


Once a year but I drain into a clean bucket and stir the oil with a magnet on a stick. If it comes up fuzzy, then more than that little screen is going to come off.

After cutting the filter open, I also run the magnet on a stick (Kind of like a Jalape?o On a Stick) looking to see if it will pick up any metal.

Then I send an oil sample off for analysis.
Click to expand...

Some bad stuff is not magnetic. I had #3 rod bearing spin on my IO-360. Lots of big flakes of bearing material that are not magnetic. Only a couple of chips came out of the sump drain and only some very fine glitter when the oil filter was cut open. The filter screen however was completely plugged with chips and the sump was full of chips when I took it apart. Don
 
Pics of the quick drain installed?

I have a Superior IO-360 with the cold air sump and with my cross-over exaust, it appears that there will be interference between the exaust system and a quick drain valve. Has anyone had this issue and successfully solved it? Thanks!
 
MarkChristopher said:
I have a Superior IO-360 with the cold air sump and with my cross-over exaust, it appears that there will be interference between the exaust system and a quick drain valve. Has anyone had this issue and successfully solved it? Thanks!
Click to expand...

You just need to move it to one of the side ports, they are all at the same height relative to the bottom of the sump so they will drain just fine. You will also need to move the sniffle valve from the standard location (there are two ports on the bottom of the sump for this, either one with work). Here is a pic of my IO360 with superior cold-air sump and Vetterman cross-over exhaust, and the blue quick-drain valve on the left rear corner of the sump.

bazb.jpg


Here is another shot from the front before I started putting everything on, just after I attached the exhaust. Note the location of the sniffle valve on the aft port, and you can just barely see the blue quickdrain in the lower right, it's on the back corner of the sump.

c1ka.jpg
 
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I use...

...a suction pump through the dipstick tube. No need to remove the lower cowl. Good enough for Mercedes Benz. Purchase at any boat shop or online.

Larry Tompkins
544WB -6A
W52 Battle Ground WA
 
LarryT said:
...a suction pump through the dipstick tube. No need to remove the lower cowl. Good enough for Mercedes Benz. Purchase at any boat shop or online.

Larry Tompkins
544WB -6A
W52 Battle Ground WA
Click to expand...

Valid point - but I'll actually prefer to remove the cowl at every oil change just for the chance to put eyeballs on everything down there and do a quick inspection while the oil is draining. Things can go from bad to worse pretty quickly without you knowing about it if you only look at them once a year.
 
i tried to get fittings all summer so i could use a quick drain on a hose with my jabiru. in the end i couldnot come up with anything [curtiss, safeair]. i wanted to do a quick drain on the every other 25 hr oil change that i don't change the filter without removing the cowl. in the end i now suck the oil out of the filler every other oil change and it works perfect.
i ran into a lot of raised eyebrows that i would consider putting a hose on the drain plug. like it was more likely to fail with only gravity than the oil lines under 50 psi.
 
Jabiru quick-drain

Bob, the threads in the Jabiru sump are 1/2" x 20. I found a quick-drain at a local auto parts store for $8.95.

Bill NEWKIRK
 
Can anyone describe how the q-drain valve works from vans and if they like it?

Is it just a twist? Or is there a detent of some sort?
 
bill, i found the quick drain for the jab. the trick is finding a hose barb threaded for the jab and then finding a quick drain with a hose barb.
 
Here is a question.

Has anyone adapted a Christen or Raven system to use a quick drain ?

Asked the guys who make them at Sun n Fun but just got some shrugs.
 
SmilingJack said:
Can anyone describe how the q-drain valve works from vans and if they like it?

Is it just a twist? Or is there a detent of some sort?
Click to expand...

The ones I've used work kinda like a reverse camlock. The spring holds the valve plunger down & closed. To drain, push up & twist into the detent. That opens the valve. To close, twist away from the detent, allowing the spring to push the plunger down, closing the valve.

FWIW, I consider a quick drain safer than using a plug, because there's no continued wear on the fitting, and once installed, no danger of cross-threading at each oil change.



Charlie
 
I bought a Fumoto T202N quick drain valve, which I haven't installed yet. It weighs 164 grams, still in its small plastic bag.

Seems heavy. How much do the alternatives weigh?

Dave
 
Q Drain

Lucky me I have one on each side of the 390 sump I raise the tail on top of a table so its nose down a little and place 2 five Gal buckets under drains works great now the problem is my lower mounted oil cooler on the firewall I have to take a crows foot 7/8 to take the hose off to drain cooler so real soon I will have a third Quick Drain in a cooler oil line.
Bob
 
Yes Pierre,
I had one installed by Carlus Gann of Gann Aviation when he built up my motor, I also have a quick drain on the 90 degree adaptor for the oil filter also really convenient as there is no mess when changing the oil or filter.
His number is
Carlus Gann
Gann Aviation
P.O. BOX 493
120 Gasque Drive
LaFayette, Georgia 30728
Ph: 706-638-3034
He might have gotten it from JJ Air Parts.

Smilin' Jack
 
Q drain

A good way to catch the oil from filter if its mounted on a straight adapter is to cut a oil bottle in half long ways almost to the cap and slide it under the filter the plug wires and top of the mags will hold it in place then screw the filter off and it will catch the oil.
Bob
 
Quick Drain for AN10 fitting?

Is anyone aware of a quick drain fitting that will work with a male AN10 fitting?

We're installing a Raven inverted oil system, and one of our bottom sump plugs is blocked by the exhaust, so we have to remove our quick drain (1/2" NPT male) and use that port for the air/oil separator hose.

We have a T fitting we can use to still drain the oil (with a removable cap on the drain side of the T), but would love to use a quick-drain valve so we can use a drain hose to a bucket and so we're not dropping the cap every time.

We just can not find a quick-drain valve that will work with an AN10 fitting! Nor can we find an AN10 (female) to 1/2" NPT (female) coupler so we can use our old quick drain.

Any suggestions? Thanks!

James.

PS: I have to put in a great word for Rob and Raven Aircraft. We have the separator 1/2 system on our -6, and [working on] full inverted on the -8, and they have been super helpful accommodating our questions and particular needs for the install.
 
roadrunner20 said:
Hmmm, the freezer bag sound good. Sounds better than the Folgers coffee can trick.
I tried punching a hole in the filter and letting it drain overnight but never had good results.
Now, I have my quick drain on my side port on the newer Superior replacement forward sump.The other port interfered with the exhaust system. Although the cowl has to be removed, it was a good time to do a complete inspection of the fwf.
Click to expand...

Hmmm, I wonder why the difference in results with the punched hole? I punch a hole in the filter when I first start draining the sump. By the time I get all the oil drained out of the sump, the filter is empty too. I cut the safety wire, spin it off, wipe the filter mount clean and thread on a new filter. Maybe one drop spills each time.
Oh, and of course +1 for the quick drain, threaded into the sump. Not on an extension hose.
 
Quick drain hose size?

Can anyone tell me the size of the nipple on the Fumoto T202N quick drain valve?
Hoping to be lazy and order this from home, without returning to the hangar to measure...
Want to get a section of hose to help during oil changes.
Thanks
 
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