Anyone using a fluid evacuator for oil changes?

[e-tek]

Just bought this unit to make changing the oil on Mrs E-tek's MiniCooper a little easier. The drain plug is in a tough to access location and Dealers do it this way. No need for a hoist either....just **** out the old oil, change the filter and refill. Anyone else doing this?

 

[ixlr8]

Yup, I do it on my VW Golf. It actually gets more of the oil out than draining through the plug... and I don't have to remove the belly pan to get at the drain plug. Also, the oil pan is aluminum and easy to strip out the threads for the drain plug. The only issue I have had is that when I do an oil change and the oil is too hot... the container will partially collapse.

 

[Cryptic1911]

I picked one up before we got the lift, it took forever since i had to use the smallest tube, but was pretty sweet since my oil filter is on the top of the motor

 

[ScottKing]

All day, every day at the small engine shop. Even use it to vacuum test for clogged fuel lines/filters.

 

[Marshall2u]

I got one for my Benz a while back, but decided didn't like it. I was never confident that I was getting all the oil out.

 

[volvo]

...
>>>Dealers do it this way>>>

The only people around these parts changing oil this way is the boat dealers and the Mobile repair guys. Convenient, yes, as for leaving behind some contaminates that otherwise would drained out? I have one, great tool,I just do not use it for oil changes.

 

[metalhead212121]

e-tek- what the hell model is that one? It looks like you got a "mini" one. Ive got two of them but they are about 2 1/2 feet tall. I got one for oil and another for water.

ixlr8- have you done a side by side comparison as far as the amount of oil that came out from doing an oil change? I just picture more oil coming out from opening the drain plug. Just my opinion.

Im with volvo on this one.. Id rather take the drain plug out.

Dan

 

[Ric in Richmond]

Love it! Use it all the time. Also got the brake fluid kit.

As long as the oil is hot it is not all that slow.

Won't work on my fords, but does on my Mini, Mercedes, Kubota (boat motor).

By the time the oil is gone the filter is done being changed and I can refill then.

R

 

[930dreamer]

I use one for ****** fluid.

 

[Zelatore]

I'm in the yacht business, so yes, I use these things all the time. I have one of the manual ones like the OP shows, but normally I use a 12v unit. Basically a 3 gallon bucket with a small jabsco pump bolted to the lid. Works fine on small stuff; luckily most larger boats have an oil change pump hard-plumbed to the engines and generators.

I've never actually used one on my cars/trucks/bikes though. Always easier to just pull the drain plug.

 

[Nozzlejocky]

I recently picked up a used one that I intend to try out on the ****** of my truck. I don't mind pulling the drain plug for oil, but auto ****** fluid/filter changes are a hassle. The one thing that I actually liked about working on the Saturn I used to own was that the ****** filter was a screw on type like an oil filter and there was a drain plug as well. Was actually easier than changing the oil on that thing! I don't understand why more companies haven't gone that route.

 

[jvitez]

Ah, Princess Auto......

It sounds awfully convenient, but I'd always wonder if I got out enough oil. Never used one yet.

 

[ixlr8]

ixlr8- have you done a side by side comparison as far as the amount of oil that came out from doing an oil change? I just picture more oil coming out from opening the drain plug. Just my opinion.

Dan

I personally have not, but some of my friends have. They pulled the drain plug, drained the oil for 10 minutes. Then used the topside method and got more oil out. They tried the reverse on the next oil change, using the topside method to remove the oil, then pulled the drain plug... and nothing came out. This is on a VW TDI, other vehicles can, and will, be different. The other side to this is the aluminum oil pan... the fewer times I have to pull the plug on it, the less chance I have of stripping out the pan. Which on these cars is apparently easy to do. In 245K miles, the plug has only been pulled 3 times, all before I had 50K miles on the car.

 

[79firebird]

ive had to use a air powered one to add fluid to the newer bmw's and ford sport track. they work beter for some stuff then outhers. works good to change the fluid in a 2 post hoist

 

[tdkkart]

If you look at most oil pans, assuming the drain plug is on the side rather than on the bottom, the plug is quite often 1/4" or more off the bottom of the pan, has to be or there wouldn't be anywhere for the threads. Very seldom do you see a pan with a sump at the plug, so yes, it quite possible that the suction system might get more oil out.
One application that comes to mind is the daughter's Mazda, has a PIA belly pan that has to come off, but it has to come off to change the filter anyway so it doesn't much matter.

 

[ZAPPER68]

I have been using a similar unit on our two Mercedes SLK's one the 230 and the other a 350. It works very well, but like others the filters are accessed from the top....all the oil is evacuated from the pans...I have done the drain plug check too.

 

[e-tek]

Thanks guys. Looks like it'll be useful for the Mini, plus other applications like Trannies (not that I'm changing ****** or brake fluids very often - if ever!).

Even with a lift and a pit, sometimes I just don't want to move a bunch of cars around to change oir. This ends that!

This one is a 6 quart (1.5 gal) pnuematic unit. You plug in the air hose and that creates the suctions. I've needed one several times, so for $80 on sale I think it'll be a good buy over time.

 

[BrokewrenchLS1]

If you look at most oil pans, assuming the drain plug is on the side rather than on the bottom, the plug is quite often 1/4" or more off the bottom of the pan, has to be or there wouldn't be anywhere for the threads. Very seldom do you see a pan with a sump at the plug, so yes, it quite possible that the suction system might get more oil out.
One application that comes to mind is the daughter's Mazda, has a PIA belly pan that has to come off, but it has to come off to change the filter anyway so it doesn't much matter.

Easy enough to get around...you just get the side of the vehicle the drain plug is facing a little bit lower, and you'll get all the oil out. I do that with both my Sunfire and Trans Am, and always get the same amount out that I put in (use a 5+ jug to fill it, dump the used oil back into the same empty jug afterwards...used oil is always within 95% of the new oil that went in).

 

[SpiderGearsMan]

mityvac - for questionable stripped drain plugs

 

[rwhite692]

Back in the day, used one all the time for doing oil changes on boats.