Thanks for your review / feedback on the undertray! Much appreciated... Always good to see a snapshot of what's going on underneath there.

 

I've have a Fumoto on my 2003 S for many years and I've never cleaned it; works perfectly. To make sure the lever could never move by accident I put a small spring clamp on the housing- not really my invention- it was mentioned on something I read by Fumoto as a backup in extreme conditions. I'd do it again in a heartbeat!

 

Glad to hear another vote for the Fumoto. It is tempting... Seeing as I just changed the oil, I have some time to think about it. Maybe it will go on sale between now and the next change.

 

I also had the drain plug issue. I attempted to break the slightly rounded drain plug loose with a snapon wrench and that just completely rounded it. I then used a snapon extractor and rounded it more. I decided to buy a brand new set of craftsman extractors and they just rounded it smaller. I tried vise grips and again they just removed more metal. There is almost no head left so I am screwed. I have never had this issue with any car before. I am to the point where I will need to remove the pan and weld a nut on to try to break it free. I feel like they use a cheap metal for the plugs. Sorta like everything else on the car.

 

Uggh. That sounds painful.

I wonder if a muffler shop could weld the nut on in place without your having to remove the oil pan.

As to the drain plug material, I wonder if you are on to something there: it might make sense from an engineering perspective to use a mild steel since it is threading into an aluminum hole, to protect the aluminum more than a stronger steel would.

If so, to me anyway, it strengthens the argument for a Fumoto valve, or perhaps an aftermarket magnetic drain plug depending on what material they use to make those...

 

Lately, been thinking of a magnetic drain plug as a replacement. Only issue that I can see is.... the bolt's head is pretty short that can be prone in being rounded. Since it also needs to be torqued I figured it has to have a pretty secure connection between the socket and the plug.

Has anyone used an aftermarket magnetic plug like Dimple?

A Fumoto valve may have a clear advantage over the magnetic plug?

 

It sure is. I have a mig and I have thought about welding a nut to it but I am fearful of getting the nut to hot and starting a fire within the oil pan. I am also concerned if that doesnt work it will melt the rubber and leave me with a leaking stuck plug and I will be forced to immediately pull the pan.

What you are saying with the plug material make sense but my s2000 had an aluminum pan and for the 6 years I owned the car I never rounded the plug. I keep trying to find a positive to the mini but so far I am struggling.

 

Until last week, I had a 2000 VW GTI that had an aluminum oil pan like the MINI and your S2000. In fact I was the original owner and sold it 14 years, almost to the day, after buying it. While the drain plug did not have the same issue as we have on the MINI, one of the shops I took the GTI to managed to strip out the threads in the aluminum oil pan. It is a common thing on VWs.

Of course that could still happen with the MINI, but if the MINI drain plug is a milder steel, the aluminum pan might stand a better chance to put up a fight. I am not saying I think the design philosophy is proving to be a successful one, mind you. I am just saying I can see why an engineer might design it that way, not understanding the consequences of that decision when the seal bonds as well as it apparently does...

 

I too have been considering a magnetic drain plug for my MCS. The prices I have seen for them have been comparable to that of the Fumoto. If the head does round off, then the Fumoto should prove to be less expensive long term assuming it is as reliable as its fans attest.

 

It is a strong, well made plug. The only problem is that the magnet is so powerful it can pull the plug out of your hand and stick it to the oil pan with great force. Be prepared!