Mekanix Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 So, I had the oil changed by a local garage and they used a cool vacuum pump that ran off compressed air to drain the sump tank. Since I do all that stuff at home anyway, I was wondering if someone else has purchased that particular type of equipment and what they thought of the particular brand they used. Suggestions? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zero Knievel Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 So, I had the oil changed by a local garage and they used a cool vacuum pump that ran off compressed air to drain the sump tank. Since I do all that stuff at home anyway, I was wondering if someone else has purchased that particular type of equipment and what they thought of the particular brand they used. Suggestions? Thanks! You could probably make your own with a shop vac and an intermediary bottle with an in and out port. Shop vac does the suction. Intermediary bottle (big and sturdy) catches the liquid but lets the air pass out the exit port. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toynutt Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 Mityvac has several versions that I own: http://www.mityvac.com/pages/products_fee.asp You also have a pump version should you have a need to service a vehicle where there isn't any shop air available. Don't use them for gasoline or strong solvents, however. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ptxyz Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 i have one of these at home and it works pretty well. i might improve on things with a stiffer walled vaccum tube. the hot oil tends to collapse the tube under vaccum. oil still gets pulled through, just a bit slowly. gives time to change the filter, i suppose... http://www.amazon.com/LiquiVac-Liquivac-To...der+oil+changer holds about 2 gallons. combined with the cartridge type filter on the top of the motor in the wife's car (benz), i no longer have to crawl underneath! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KaziXX Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 I have one of these and it works pretty well. It has 3 different diameter hoses and can reach just about anywhere you need to extract fluids from. Griot's Garage - $89.00 http://www.griotsgarage.com/product/multi+...sortby=ourPicks Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackhawkxx Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 So, I had the oil changed by a local garage and they used a cool vacuum pump that ran off compressed air to drain the sump tank. Do you think that it get the grime out as well as pulling the drain plug? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mekanix Posted August 15, 2012 Author Share Posted August 15, 2012 KaziXX - That looks a LOT like the one I saw but it has a chuck and a trigger to let compressed air draw it out. blackhawkxx - Well, since it was the dry sump and there is no plug in the bottom, I guess we got all we could out. If one doesn't use a vacuum pump, the standard instructions are to fish the sight tube down the frame with a plug over the hole, pull the plug and let it dangle under the bike for an hour, then fish it back up and reconnect it. There is also a plug in the block that drains about 1/2 a quart there. I've also looked at the mighty vac, but heard a lot of people complain about the tube collapsing. I think this is what I am going to settle on. http://www.zorotools.com/g/00044176/k-G131...CFWIaQgodsWcA2g It looks like what I had in mind, unless anyone else has any suggestions? Gonna order it tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BearXX Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 KaziXX - That looks a LOT like the one I saw but it has a chuck and a trigger to let compressed air draw it out. blackhawkxx - Well, since it was the dry sump and there is no plug in the bottom, I guess we got all we could out. If one doesn't use a vacuum pump, the standard instructions are to fish the sight tube down the frame with a plug over the hole, pull the plug and let it dangle under the bike for an hour, then fish it back up and reconnect it. There is also a plug in the block that drains about 1/2 a quart there. I've also looked at the mighty vac, but heard a lot of people complain about the tube collapsing. I think this is what I am going to settle on. http://www.zorotools.com/g/00044176/k-G131...CFWIaQgodsWcA2g It looks like what I had in mind, unless anyone else has any suggestions? Gonna order it tomorrow. I got this one, and it's excellent Used it on gas, break fluids, coolant, oil etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R1000 Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 So, I had the oil changed by a local garage and they used a cool vacuum pump that ran off compressed air to drain the sump tank. Do you think that it get the grime out as well as pulling the drain plug? Good point. A lot of grime in the tray and the oil pickup may be blocked to some extent causing oil flow reduction. Pulling the drain plug is King in this sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobicus Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 What's so hard about pulling the drain plug that you think sucking the oil out from the top is a better solution? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zero Knievel Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 What's so hard about pulling the drain plug that you think sucking the oil out from the top is a better solution? +1 It might be neater and easier if you have trouble getting under a vehicle or working on the floor, but letting it have a good drain time from the bottom of the oil pan is always better. Shops resort to pumps because it allows them to get a vehicle in and out faster so they can do more customers, but they sacrifice quality in the process...and avoid incidents where they forget to put the drain plug back in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mekanix Posted August 20, 2012 Author Share Posted August 20, 2012 What's so hard about pulling the drain plug that you think sucking the oil out from the top is a better solution? +1 It might be neater and easier if you have trouble getting under a vehicle or working on the floor, but letting it have a good drain time from the bottom of the oil pan is always better. Shops resort to pumps because it allows them to get a vehicle in and out faster so they can do more customers, but they sacrifice quality in the process...and avoid incidents where they forget to put the drain plug back in. Just to clear things up, I mentioned in the original post that I am working on a sump tank (a dry sump). It's for my BMW KS. Since it is a dry sump, there is almost none of the total engine oil inside the engine. Even by draining, there is still roughly a cup of oil that doesn't drain out because the bottom of the sight tube is below where it would drain, leaving a little oil in the tank if you use the drain method. By using a vacuum drain, it literally sucks the bottom of the sump like a straw sucking the last bit of a milkshake out of the bottom of a cup. In reading about users using the drain method, they claimed 3.75 quarts to refill. Using the suction system, I had to use a full 4 quarts to refill. By that bit of knowledge alone, I am assured that the suction method, at least for my situation, is more complete. The process of changing oil involves draining the dry sump tank, pulling the plug from the bottom of the crankcase and changing the filter. Everything is easy to reach and no panels have to be taken off. It really is a well designed system. I do let the oil, what little there is, drain from the engine plug like normal. One final, final point. There is no drain plug at the bottom of the dry sump. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OrganDonor Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 Pella. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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