Fluid Extractor

[BrandonV]

Looking at getting a fluid extractor. I see some people take them apart and clean them after each use but I'm only interested in using them to extract fluids not fill.

Any reason to clean them if I'm just going to extract? I was planning on using a new piece of tube to avoid cross-contamination.

Thanks.

 

[Sumboodie]

Nope

 

[dogdog]

Some people just like clean looks maybe ?

If you are just extracting fluids why even bother with new tubing, just wipe and reuse? Unless you are sending your oil to lab testing.

 

[BrandonV]

Some people just like clean looks maybe ?

If you are just extracting fluids why even bother with new tubing, just wipe and reuse? Unless you are sending your oil to lab testing.

I was planning on using this one to extract some brake fluid from the master cylinder along with coolant & engine oil.

The warning in the manual stated, "Do not use for more than one application. To prevent cross contamination, use a different Manual Fluid Extractor for each purpose."

Didn't make much sense to me considering its just an extractor but I thought maybe they're worried about trace amounts of the fluids in the hose.

 

[MJK]

I use one for all. Just string up the tube after each use for a few days and it is clean enough for me. (draining only, no fills)

 

[BrandonV]

I use one for all. Just string up the tube after each use for a few days and it is clean enough for me. (draining only, no fills)

Thanks for letting me know what you do.

My concern might stem from past experiences with these sort of handheld units, where it seemed like a dirty syringe could contaminate the fluid since what you're extracting can mix with what is in the syringe. A proper fluid extractor doesn't seem to have this problem since the fluid in the tube does not mix with what is in the reservoir.

Perhaps I just need to turn off the OCD chemical engineer side of my brain.

 

[jayemm]

I had a (6 Liter?) Mityvac for years. Didn't worry about residual fluids mixing as they weren't reused. Just dumped after using. Took apart a couple times for good internal cleaning. The hoses were hung to drain after using then flushed with hot water and wiped down. When using to vacuum bleed brakes discovered that brake fluid would cause clear vinyl tubing to turn cloudy white inside soon after using. Therefore new tubing needed for next brake job so air bubbles could be observed while bleeding. Damn handy tool to have.

 

[MJK]

...these sort of handheld units...

Perhaps I just need to turn off the OCD chemical engineer side of my brain.

I have one of those too, and am pretty OCD about the cleaning between brake and differential fluid etc. ME here.

Good luck, and remember the best advice related to any project. The advice is worth what you paid for it.

 

[dogdog]

Thanks for letting me know what you do.

My concern might stem from past experiences with these sort of handheld units, where it seemed like a dirty syringe could contaminate the fluid since what you're extracting can mix with what is in the syringe. A proper fluid extractor doesn't seem to have this problem since the fluid in the tube does not mix with what is in the reservoir.

Perhaps I just need to turn off the OCD chemical engineer side of my brain.

It’s not like you are mixing chlorine and ammonia . You can always buy three separate extractors. I have a pressure motive brake bleeder just because I find pressure bleeding easier than vacuum bleeding brakes. Never needed a vacuum extractor but that $99 hf one was on sale for $60 two weeks ago. I think @rlitman build one from propane tank/air tank some years ago. If you wanted to go that route. Then you can have one for every fluid you like.

Besides that you are emptying the fluids before using it on different fluids you would be ok. Not sure… then again we have people here afraid of mixing chlorine with dog pee…..

https://www.harborfreight.com/6-1-4-quarter-gallon-oil-extractor-46149.html

 

[Steve W.]

Even for those who recycle their fluids, there is the possible concern of having a few drops of antifreeze left in the system when you **** out a few quarts of oil. The recycling companies are not particularly fond of that, but my feeling is that a few drops here or there won't really matter in the long run. I won't dump in a gallon of antifreeze, but a few drops shouldn't matter that much.

.

 

[unslow1]

Thanks for letting me know what you do.

My concern might stem from past experiences with these sort of handheld units, where it seemed like a dirty syringe could contaminate the fluid since what you're extracting can mix with what is in the syringe. A proper fluid extractor doesn't seem to have this problem since the fluid in the tube does not mix with what is in the reservoir.

Perhaps I just need to turn off the OCD chemical engineer side of my brain.

This is the one I use at home.

 

[rlitman]

I was planning on using this one to extract some brake fluid from the master cylinder along with coolant & engine oil...

According to my state's DEC (page 12 in the link), brake fluid (as well as transmission fluid, power steering fluid and gear oil) can be mixed with used motor oil for disposal, so I regularly use my extractor tank for both engine oil extraction and vacuum brake flushes. Just don't tell the guy at the store that there's brake fluid in your used oil, or you'll get the "year, make, model and VIN" 3rd degree. It's "used oil", and nothing more.

I use around 20' of 3/8" OD polyethylene tubing from the stationary tank, a brass ball valve with PEX barbs and oetiker clamps mounted at the far end of this (because the plastic push-on valve failed on me after a few years), a plastic push-on 3/8 to 1/4 adapter, and about 6' of 1/4" PE icemaker tubing.

For oil extraction, I shove the 1/4" tube into the dip stick hole and open the valve. For emptying the brake master cylinder reservoir before a flush, I'll clean off the outside of the end of that tube to prevent contamination, and only dip it into the brake fluid after suction is on. For a flush at the caliper bleeder, I stick a rubber vacuum bleed adapter on the end of the tube, so no cleaning is necessary.

As for coolant, you could clean out an extractor used ONLY for brake fluid (NOT DOT5) and re-use it for coolant (and vice versa), but I wouldn't dare use one tool for all three.

I have a separate vacuum coolant filler that I've used with mixed results. It's lousy for draining, just as lousy for refilling, but ok for burping.

 

[BrandonV]

As for coolant, you could clean out an extractor used ONLY for brake fluid (NOT DOT5) and re-use it for coolant (and vice versa), but I wouldn't dare use one tool for all three.

Thanks for the detailed information, I appreciate it!

Not following on why you wouldn't use one tool for all three if its just extraction. Can you clarify that or are you talking about using it to do a refill? I too have separate tools for refills.

 

[Sumboodie]

Even for those who recycle their fluids, there is the possible concern of having a few drops of antifreeze left in the system when you **** out a few quarts of oil. The recycling companies are not particularly fond of that, but my feeling is that a few drops here or there won't really matter in the long run. I won't dump in a gallon of antifreeze, but a few drops shouldn't matter that much.

.

It settles out so it's a non concern.

I had ~500 gallons of hydraulic oil that was chocolate milk cream. Work was going to pay $3 a gallon for an outfit to "dispose" it.
I'm setting up a used oil boiler, so free heat.
It settled out and had probably 40 gallons of water I drained.

We aren't that fussy with GOOD, NEW oil, nevermind used oil.

I might pump 5 different products at a shop, use the same pump.

 

[Odd-job]

Also would get a pneumatic one or at least one with the external pump mechanism like this one:




Do not get this one, unless you want to open up and seal the bottom of the pump right out of the box, because the seal will go bad rather quickly (especially from brake fluid) and it won't pump anymore.




Please note with all the plastic ones, the sides tend to get sucked in from the vacuum so I eventually ended up with something like this for hands free reliable suckage:

 

[Buckaroo5]

I have the Mityvac Vacuum Air Bleeder which does a great job. Would only clean it if I was not recycling the fluid. The plastic is thick & strong so there is no deformation in the sides when vacuuming. Not sure how those larger extractors would behave. FYI, when you are using it as a brake bleeder, you just ignore the bubbles as they are easily introduced if the hose/bleeder or bleeder/caliper interface leaks a little. This little device saved my marriage turning brake bleeding into a one person job! DW used to handle the pedal portion of the job and surprisingly (to me) got amazingly irritated by my very specific directions during the process.

 

[rlitman]

Not following on why you wouldn't use one tool for all three if its just extraction. Can you clarify that or are you talking about using it to do a refill? I too have separate tools for refills.

At disposal time, I don't want to have to worry about getting rid of mixed fluids, because once your picture is up on the wall behind the register, dumping oil legally becomes much less convenient, so it's best to not ever get there and mix incompatible fluids in your extractor. Since brake fluid and glycol can be washed down the drain for me, I'd be fine with mixing those two, but I don't want to have to think about washing out used motor oil. And as I said, I don't really have a use case for vacuum extracting coolant anyway.

 

[BrandonV]

At disposal time, I don't want to have to worry about getting rid of mixed fluids, because once your picture is up on the wall behind the register, dumping oil legally becomes much less convenient, so it's best to not ever get there and mix incompatible fluids in your extractor. Since brake fluid and glycol can be washed down the drain for me, I'd be fine with mixing those two, but I don't want to have to think about washing out used motor oil. And as I said, I don't really have a use case for vacuum extracting coolant anyway.

Gotcha! Thanks for the explanation.

Luckily I have friend who works at a fluid disposal service and deals with mixed stuff all the time as a byproduct of failed equipment so he doesn't mind adding it to the pickup.

Thanks.

 

[rlitman]

...Luckily I have friend who works at a fluid disposal service and deals with mixed stuff all the time as a byproduct of failed equipment so he doesn't mind adding it to the pickup...

That works. It's not unsafe. The only thing that would make it unsafe is if it were contaminated with something flammable like gasoline. But when waste oil collectors have gotten burned (literally as well as in hefty fines) for gas and flammable contaminated oil, they get all suspicious when they see or smell anything. They're quite a bit crazy around here.

But it's also not like there's a topside access point where you can just shove a tube in to the low point in a coolant system, so I still don't see why coolant would end up in a vacuum extractor.

 

[BrandonV]

But it's also not like there's a topside access point where you can just shove a tube in to the low point in a coolant system, so I still don't see why coolant would end up in a vacuum extractor.

Couple of vehicles with a real PITA to remove coolant reservoir to drain. Planned on just sucking it out thru the top.

 

[thunderskunk]

Can you use the mityvac 7400 (or any of the big ones) for brake fluid? Or is that only the smaller ones?

Anyone have any idea what model to get for daily use?

 

[scooby074]

It settles out so it's a non concern.

I had ~500 gallons of hydraulic oil that was chocolate milk cream. Work was going to pay $3 a gallon for an outfit to "dispose" it.
I'm setting up a used oil boiler, so free heat.
It settled out and had probably 40 gallons of water I drained.

We aren't that fussy with GOOD, NEW oil, nevermind used oil.

I might pump 5 different products at a shop, use the same pump.

This reminds me of a funny story. I was a mechanic at a Heavy equipment dealer and we went through ALOT of oil. We werent so careful out on the jobsites about mixing in a little antifreeze, hyd oil or other common chemicals in with the waste oil when in the middle of a job, plus it was a PITA to seperate when all you wanted to do was get **** done.

Well we had the riot act read to us. Same as above. They found "contaminants" in the waste and what was once recycleable oil was now hazardous waste!

The bill (or threat) was multiple thousands to drain the tank. I dont remember if they gave us a freebe or actually billed us, but people were PISSED. Im not going to name the company, but it rhymes with RapeMeClean

 

[Sumboodie]

This reminds me of a funny story. I was a mechanic at a Heavy equipment dealer and we went through ALOT of oil. We werent so careful out on the jobsites about mixing in a little antifreeze, hyd oil or other common chemicals in with the waste oil when in the middle of a job, plus it was a PITA to seperate when all you wanted to do was get **** done.

Well we had the riot act read to us. Same as above. They found "contaminants" in the waste and what was once recycleable oil was now hazardous waste!

The bill (or threat) was multiple thousands to drain the tank. I dont remember if they gave us a freebe or actually billed us, but people were PISSED. Im not going to name the company, but it rhymes with RapeMeClean

Yup.

And they really push the "cradle to grave" so if it's given away and someone dumps it, it's alledgedly the company's fault.


It's not exactly that way. Most fluids from automotive is "safe". It's not some crazy HAZMAT chemicals that'll make your hair and skin fall off if you sniff.

If it were, any outfit selling fuel, new oil, etc would be liable for its use too.

Used oil... New oil... it's pretty much the same as far as the environment issues (not going to argue about the small levels of metals, soot, etc)


Here It's US replubic/nrc/emerald/republic service, whatever they're calling themselves this month.

Well the TRUTH is it's pretty lucrative to charge to remove used oil and charge for it again when sold for re-refined oils, oils for heat for drying cement and firing huge industrial boilers, etc

So scare "the public"/shops into thinking it's nassty stuff like it's spent nuclear fuel rods.