Vacuum Oil Extractors

[rtcosic]

I'm getting too old to grovel under cars removing drain-plugs and getting hot oil up my sleeve. Besides as the 'family fleet' starts to pass the Y2k date of birth they are presenting with belly pans that need endless inaccessible little fasteners removed.

So....

I'm looking at vacuum extractors to poke down the dipstick tube.

Google throws up various Sealey offerings, such as:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sealey-Va...el-/151890422647?_trksid=p2141725.m3641.l6368

or

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TP69P-Vac...SY-/262600810202?_trksid=p2141725.m3641.l6368


In the past I've been disappointed with Sealey products, so:

• does anyone have one of these and can comment on its quality - for DIY not commercial use.
• does anyone have experience of better products at that price point

 

[Jim Davey]

I've got the second one pictured, it's ok, but sucks very slowly on the smaller tubes and I'm never confident it gets as much out of the engine as a proper drain plug out job does. Also you have to keep coming back to it and re-pump it or it stops. Even on really hot oil if the dip-stick tube is narrow and you have to use the smallest tube it literally dribbles through. I use it mainly for sucking water and debris out of the bottom of contaminated fuel tanks now as it works better on less viscous liquids.

 

[Bullet2012]

I use these http://www.pelapumps.co.uk/default.aspx?a10page=pl650
Have had one over 10 years not quite daily use but very frequent. Can be a bit slow as the pipe to fit inside a dipstick tube is obviously very small bore.

 

[123hotchef]

I have the lidl one used it once to empty a 45 gal drum it took hours

 

[Jim Davey]

I have the lidl one used it once to empty a 45 gal drum it took hours

lol to be fair, that's not really what it's for.

 

[hunter27]

I use the "Sealey" one as in your first link but it's really a Pela re-badged I think.
I use it in the boat once a year (due to engine being angled backwards a bit and drain plug not too accessible) but it takes quite a while, I don't think I would use it on our car fleet. Can you fabricate an access trap in the under engine cover ? Unfortunately I usually find I need access from below to change the filter and catch the drips from that too.
Pete

 

[zx9]

I have used an air operated version of the first link http://sealey.co.uk/PLPageBuilder.asp?id=20&method=mViewProduct&productid=12675 a couple of times a year for the last twenty years or so.
Warm up the engine, stop engine insert drain pipe, connect air supply and wander off to get on with other jobs on the car.
Only thing I have to remember it the Vito is about 9L and the extractor is 6L so I do need to keep an eye it for the first 5/6L.

 

[wristpin]

I had two of the Pela type (various badges) in my garden machinery workshop and one in each service van and they served us well. Yes, a bit slow but we were usually dealing with only a couple of litres at a time.
http://www.pelapumps.co.uk/default.aspx?a10page=pl650

 

[zzr1200]

I use the one in the second link also badged sealed.

I normally use it for hydraulic oil but can be used for engine oil, just slow due to the thicker oil

 

[123hotchef]

lol to be fair, that's not really what it's for.

mine wasn't a vac one either it was a electronic one

 

[rtcosic]

Thanks to all for your responses. I think I'll give one a go.
Seems that they will do what I expected - pump like blazes, replace oil filter (which is accessible from above amazingly), pump like blazes, check over belts and hoses, pump like blazes, top up other fluids, pump like blazes, have a cup of coffee and check status of the extractor, rinse and repeat last three steps as required, possibly with excursion to the loo or to check tyre pressures for excitement and variety.

Even if it takes 30 minutes to extract it's still quicker than jacking up, axles stands, remove belly pan, find drain pan, remove plug, get hot oil up sleeve, unfold self from under, wash hands, crawl back under with handfuls of kitchen roll to mop up the oil that missed the drain pan........
My knees and back are of a state that each 'up-down' takes 30 seconds or so recovery time!
The only ones with an access hole in the belly pan are the MX-5s. They are particularly obnoxious to jack up as they are so low.

 

[MoreWellie]

it isn't clear to me whether the TP69P has a tube that fits down inside the dipstick or if it just pushes into the top of the dipstick hole and sucks on that. If it is the latter then it would leave quite a bit of oil in the sump as dipstick tubes don't go all the way to the bottom of the sump

the sealey at least has a tube that could be pushed right down to the bottom

 

[CompoSimmonite]

I've got a Pela 650 similar to the second Seeley item. Works great. Normally only have to pump once to drain a whole sump but quicker if another pump is given after a few minutes. Takes 10-15 mins to do the job without a mess. Originally bought because my Smart doesn't have a sump drain plug but it now gets used for all my vehicles. The Smart sump is notorious for rusting so when mine needed replacing I fitted one with a drain plug but still use the pump instead. FWIW when sump was removed I was pleasantly surprised to find the pump had sucked all but a tablespoon of oil as expected a lot more to be left. When you think about how much used oil is left in galleries, head etc, even when removing a drain plug, the amount left by the suction method is more than acceptable.

 

[armalites]

I have a Laser one that was Manual or Air operated that's like many of the generic ones and worked pretty well.

I have recently bought a Mityvac air only one and the performance is superior by an absolute mile. Mityvac are also sold by Snap On, obviously rebadged.

It wasn't cheap but it uses way less air and creates a much stronger vacuum. Only critisism would be that it uses a 1/4 npt fitting but I have added a lever ball valve to cut the air flow, there is already a ball valve to shut off the vacuum. The other unit had an air admitance valve for when you pour the contents out but this one doesn't, doesn't seem to be an issue though. I also machined up a bung so I could stop the contents spilling if it got knocked over, not sure why they don't include one.

With some sump shapes and drain plug location it is actually possible that you would get more oil out using suction than draining

I've been a convert for many years and I only ever take sump plugs out when I have to. With modern thin oils it will suck out 6L in a few minutes.

There is a bit of practise required, with my old unit for some reason it would never drain more than a couple of litres from my wifes Disco 3, the dipstick tube isn't straight. The Mityvac gets it all out no problem

 

[migcurious]

I bought a pela 6000 recently from machine mart tried it on my 2003 focus it took over an hour to drain, but I think I should have got the oil hotter,left a bit of oil in the engine but still better than jacking it up to get to the drain plug , got a Ka to do next so I will give it another try

 

[slim_boy_fat]

I use this one http://www.pelapumps.co.uk/default.aspx?a10page=pl14k [big, because I used to service tractors etc as a greenkeeper], does a great job, and while it's sucking I get on with changing the oil filter etc.

 

[mike os]

I have the second one... don't understand why people think it's slow... takes a couple of minutes. ... less than taking the underpannel off.....and not like you have to watch it....

First couple of times I took the sump plug out after and had less than a cup full of oil.... no brained

 

[slim_boy_fat]

....First couple of times I took the sump plug out after and had less than a cup full of oil.... no brained

I did the same 'test' and got about an egg-cup full out - good enough for me as I change the oil more often than the recommended period.

 

[mike os]

I did the same 'test' and got about an egg-cup full out - good enough for me as I change the oil more often than the recommended period.

I

Ditto

 

[Gareth J]

There are several electric ones listed online,

Anyone tried any?
http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=122165218263&alt=web

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=361586165418&alt=web

Like the idea more than pumping manually.