1st Gen 100K+ Oil Pan Issues for all MINI owners

Ah yes.....the famous Fumoto valve. Have one on my other car, but alas not on the MINI as I have the OEM oil temp sending unit which is actually the drain plug....lol

Now if they would only come up with a temp sending unit/fumoto/magnetic drain plug!

 

The side mount drain on the first gen would be a good idea...

Not sure I'd be comfortable with the "hanging fruit" bottom drain on the 2nd gen...

 

I had one of those, but did not install it. With the skid plate on my car it would be very difficult for me to use the valve.

This may sound harsh, but here goes. If you can not remove a drain plug without damaging things maybe you should reconsider changing your own oil. It is not very hard to do correctly.

And yes putting a Fumoto valve on a second gen is just asking to lose the engine. Snap, glug glug glug.... :incazzato:

 

I put the Fumoto valve on my car about 5 years ago and luv it.
I'm capable of doing it the hard way... But this is so much easier, IMO.

 

Yes it is easier Paul. Guess my reply was to Xcooperauto. For thinking folks are ruining oil pans. I've seen folks bugger up drain plugs using the wrong tools, but oil pans that's new to me. Could be a side line for his business fixing those stripped bung holes.

If I didn't have a skid plate I'd have one of those valves. Maybe I should mod my skid plate with a fist sized hole. :idea:

 

^^^ I can help with that, Chuck....

I'll be at the shop Saturday, come on down...

I have power tools...:ihih:

 

I have never had a problem with the oil drain plug because I have the correct tools.

Now with the Mini I do my oil changes with one tool, debit card. :ihih:

I have the great guys at Helix do all my service work now.

 

I'll be up at the races watching a field of no MINIs racing. :frown2: Should be fun watching all the other cars though.

Maybe another time Mister metal-master.

 

I'm an old fart, but still can't bring myself not to change my own oil. :smilewinkgrin:

 

Hmm. Stripped bung holes? Not into that man...

 

My '05 has the OEM oil temp but the sensor isn't the plug.

I made sure my skid plate had room to change the oil. So if Crash like the valve that's good enough for me. I'll add one at the next change.

 

Where is your temp sending unit?

 

^^ I have a seperate bung fitted adjacent to the drain plug for the oil temp sending unit. A magnetic plug from Mini Mania now serves as my drain plug.

 

I like the drain plug I'm using now. It's a magnetic one. Any way to magnetize the brass fumoto valve. :lol:

 

We recommend not using the Fumoto valve. Some of the cars that have had it in that we have had to remove the oil pans for work...they have a large amount of sludge in the bottom of the pan. All the cars that do not have it never have sludge in the bottom of the pan. I think that one the hole in the valve is very small and will not let the oil out very fast and all the partials in the oil will not get flushed out and settle on the bottom. Also not all the oil will get out, there will be a small amount in the bottom of the pan. this is just what i have seen here in the shop.

 

:cornut: Thank you for that info.

Jason

 

Thanks for that. I'm feeling better about my old fashioned oil drain plug now.

 

Having skid plates on all my cars I've always used a oil pump suction thingy that you can get from the auto stores. It sucks the oil up through the dip stick. I jack the car up so the oil gathers in this area. Also for oil coolers I can take one pipe off and suck the oil out there too!

 

Last time I rolled a rally car most of the oil fell out of the breather. :frown2: