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Old 08-13-2015, 01:06 PM   #1
Dia
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Can't change oil, needs special tool - SOLVED

Took Lola in for her first oil change today and discovered a mystery. The Sears folks say she has some sort of aftermarket oil system, and they can't change the oil because they need a special tool to open the drain and they don't have that sort of thing.

They suggested asking the dealer.

Stopped by the dealer, and while they'd be happy to take a look, they couldn't do it today.

There's a K&N sticker on my air filter housing*, but the dealer never said anything about an oil system, and I wasn't given any sort of doo-hickey related to changing the oil.

Regrettably, I don't have pics, and I can't even describe what I'm talking about because Sears had it down off the rack by the time I got over.

Does anyone have a clue what sort of thing I might be dealing with?

*I know the air filter has nothing to do with the oil system, but if there's a K&N air filter, that maybe implies a K&N oil system? Would that require a special tool to change the oil?

My upcoming trip is 3,000 miles, so I'm guessing it's not going to hurt anything to put off the oil change until I get back.

If anyone has a good guess about what the tool is, I'd like to go buy one so I can get the oil change done.

Thanks!

Dia

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Old 08-13-2015, 01:18 PM   #2
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Re: Can't change oil, needs special tool - aftermarket syste

I wonder if it's a Fumoto valve, and they just weren't familiar with it? (It doesn't require a special tool - it's a metal piece that replaces the oil drain plug and can be "flipped" open right in place instead of unscrewed and removed like a stock drain plug.)

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Old 08-13-2015, 01:19 PM   #3
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Re: Can't change oil, needs special tool - aftermarket syste

Is the question about the filter or the drain plug, or both?

Viva - was thinking something the same as you for the drain plug
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Old 08-13-2015, 01:25 PM   #4
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Re: Can't change oil, needs special tool - aftermarket syste

Thanks, Viva.

If I were to crawl under the van and take a look, whereabouts would I be looking?
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Old 08-13-2015, 01:27 PM   #5
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Re: Can't change oil, needs special tool - aftermarket syste

I went out and crawled under. You guys were dead on - it's a Fumoto valve. The oil filter doesn't look like anything special. It's blue and says PartsPlus on it.

So no tool needed - you just have to know how to work the valve, right?

Thanks, gents!
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Old 08-13-2015, 01:47 PM   #6
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Re: Can't change oil, needs special tool - SOLVED

The solution is to not go back to Sears, if they couldn't figure that out.


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Old 08-13-2015, 01:49 PM   #7
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Re: Can't change oil, needs special tool - SOLVED

Quote:
Originally Posted by BroncoHauler
The solution is to not go back to Sears, if they couldn't figure that out.


Herb

Amen to that!
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Old 08-13-2015, 01:59 PM   #8
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Re: Can't change oil, needs special tool - SOLVED

Kind of ironic, since the "thing" about the Fumoto valve is that it doesn't require tools!

I first got one when I had a car with slightly messed up oil plug threads (not by me!). They were usable, but I didn't want to keep putting wear on them on threading/un-threading the oil drain plug, and a friend had been using the Fumotos on his vehicles for years.

I have one on my E-350 now too.

Glad the problem is solved (including that you know not to go back to that place!)
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Old 08-13-2015, 02:03 PM   #9
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Re: Can't change oil, needs special tool - SOLVED

Thanks a lot...another thing to get...

Except the messy part for me is the oil filter, not so much the drain plug.
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Old 08-13-2015, 04:52 PM   #10
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Re: Can't change oil, needs special tool - SOLVED

PS - It's not really necessary to change the oil at 3,000 miles. Ford says 5,000-7500 miles depending on drive cycle. I regularly go over 10,000 miles on full synthetic.
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