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No worries, glad it's been helpful! Hopeful I'll be able to get away without any cutting when I go to change the oil next year. but it's good to know it cuts so easily. Looks like those cuts could be made with the plate still on the car too as long as the blade isn't too long.
I plan on doing the same, opening up the access to the valve. I’ll probably use a Dremel tool with a cutting bit and set the depth of the cut just enough to clear. Then there are no worries about the blade being too long using a jigsaw.
I bought this valve, though after closer inspection, opted against installing it as I use my vehicle off-road regularly.
The plastic lock is flimsy. Any random stick contact through the armour and that plastic comes off. You'd be unlucky but it can happen.
I really wanted to install it, but the consequence of draining oil when off-road is too high a risk for me.
I will stick to removing the armour for intermittent oil changes, like they do for scheduled servicing.
After installing the valve, one could get a piece of scrap aluminum and make a cover to fit over the opening. I plan on doing something similar, but go one step further and using Riv-nuts fashion a swing away cover which pivots on one riv-nut fastener. Just remove one bolt, swing the cover out of the way, open the valve, drain the oil, close the valve and replace the cover. Easy oil changes from then on.
First... I have yet to physically see the underneath of a Defender so I'm only going from pics and videos I've seen. Isn't the current cut out enough to get your hand in there?
I use this all the time on my current vehicles with the hose going right into my oil capture tank. No mess... and when I'm finished it simply snaps off the valve and back into its holding bag waiting for the next oil change. Without using this adapter I could see the stream might hit the underside of the skid plates... obviously negates the use of the valve.
Even if I do have to Dremel a slightly larger hole I'd still use my adapter and hose to drain directly into the oil catch tank.
I bought this valve, though after closer inspection, opted against installing it as I use my vehicle off-road regularly.
The plastic lock is flimsy. Any random stick contact through the armour and that plastic comes off.
Anything is possible.
That plastic clip even if it's removed you still have to move the valve lever up and over (which takes some force) to open the ball valve. That clip wasn't available years ago when I started using the fumoto valves on my trucks. They have all been off road and in deep sand. I have since purchased the clip on subsequent vehicles just as insurance.
But yes... anything is possible. A branch could hit the clip and another object could move the lever up and over to open the valve. I think it would be more likely to have an object directly hit the valve and cause damage that way than somehow removing the clip and moving the lever.
I would argue it's impossible, due to the orientation it's installed the branch would have to both push down on the lever, and PULL it down. all of this 6" deep through the tiny access port. The Blue safety clip it comes with is already overkill imho. but one could easily fashion a cover for the port and tap some holes for bolts. I'm imagining a triangular piece with a hole in each corner
This thread has been great. Added one to my wife’s 130 P400 today. Fit great and I cut the skid plate hole a little bigger. I plan to use a drain hose with it just to make things really clean. I ended up angling the valve body up a few degrees which puts the handle up more and out of the way. I am not worried on her car as it never leaves the road however my 110 does and when I install one on the 110 here soon I will most likely fab a cover for the access hole. With that said I will argue that I doubt it is possible for a stick or something to open the valve. The valve handle rotates to the front meaning there is more likely a chance of damage to the valve or handle than if opening. A cover is an easy option so why not.
on another not the skid plate already had two holes around the access. One was threaded for sure as I looked at it after I had cut it out doing the expansion. You can see the other one towards the bottom between the two lower access holes and the upper one I cut. Again I am not concerned on the 130. If my 110 plate is the same I will adjust my cut to leave both and just use them to fix a cover over that hole. Will post some pictures once I do the 110 closer to the end of the month.
01-03-2024, 05:27 PM
