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Vacuum Extractor Pump Suggestions?

Beemer

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Jun 21, 2020
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Looking for extractor pumps with reservoir for occasional home use on vehicle and lawn equipment fluids that would be dependable but not break the bank.
I'm thinking of things like power steering fluid, lawn equipment motors and differentials without bottom oil drains, equipment small gas tanks,
Reservoir doesn't not need to be hugh for the intended items,
 
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alwaysFlOoReD

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Sep 24, 2013
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Airdrie, Alberta, Canada
I use clear plastic hose, a mason jar with 2 holes in lid to insert hose, and engine vacuum to bleed brakes and hydraulic clutch lines on transmission. Mason jar is used to catch fluid.
I recently used it to **** old gas from the fuel tank of my pinto that's been sitting for unknown years.
 
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Beemer

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I use clear plastic hose, a mason jar with 2 holes in lid to insert hose, and engine vacuum to bleed brakes and hydraulic clutch lines on transmission. Mason jar is used to catch fluid.
I recently used it to **** old gas from the fuel tank of my pinto that's been sitting for unknown years.
I wouldn't know where to find a vacuum port on a newer vehicle, and none on power equipment.
My '57 Chevy is long gone so I guess I'm out of luck on that score.
 
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jayemm

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Looking for extractor pumps with reservoir for occasional home use on vehicle and lawn equipment fluids that would be dependable but not break the bank.
I'm thinking of things like power steering fluid, lawn equipment motors and differentials without bottom oil drains, equipment small gas tanks,
Reservoir doesn't not need to be hugh for the intended items,
Do online search for fluid extractors. Boating supply shops sell them for boat oil changes. They've really gone up in price from what I've seen. I had a 6 or 7 liter Mityvac upright tank model for years that was great. Currently have a small 3 qt Liquivac that works OK (prices gotten stupid, I paid ~$30 for mine at Lowes at the time but prices still vary) but you have to pull on the plunger to develop vacuum whereas the bigger Mityvac you push the pump handle down to develop vacuum which is less of a workout than pulling to handle. ***** you mentioned gas tanks --- both models I had caution against using for gasoline or flammable liquids. The bigger Mityvac was the better unit if used frequently and I purchased the brake bleeding adapter (basically small ball valve and flexible tubing -easy and cheaper to make your own). A nice aspect to having a valve attachment allowed building up a tank full of vacuum and modulating the flow of fluid into the tank, otherwise you have to keep pumping the whole time. I put a little ball valve on the little liquivac since it didn't have one. *** If you want a small unit this ebay one probably the best price you'll find one of these for.

 

gahrajmahal

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Cincinnati, Ohio
If you don’t own an air compressor (and why not?) just use a turkey baster. If you do have an air compressor, I’ve really liked my Harbor Freight pneumatic brake bleeder. Useful for that purpose, but also ***** dry other containers quickly and small hose fits in small places. Just be careful where you point it. If it tips over on its side, easy to do while lay in on your back bleeding brakes, and you activate the handle. A fine mist of brake fluid will spray from the exhaust port and all over your vehicle. If it is kept level there is no mist.

IMG_1960.png
 
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Beemer

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Do online search for fluid extractors. Boating supply shops sell them for boat oil changes. They've really gone up in price from what I've seen. I had a 6 or 7 liter Mityvac upright tank model for years that was great. Currently have a small 3 qt Liquivac that works OK (prices gotten stupid, I paid ~$30 for mine at Lowes at the time but prices still vary) but you have to pull on the plunger to develop vacuum whereas the bigger Mityvac you push the pump handle down to develop vacuum which is less of a workout than pulling to handle. ***** you mentioned gas tanks --- both models I had caution against using for gasoline or flammable liquids. The bigger Mityvac was the better unit if used frequently and I purchased the brake bleeding adapter (basically small ball valve and flexible tubing -easy and cheaper to make your own). A nice aspect to having a valve attachment allowed building up a tank full of vacuum and modulating the flow of fluid into the tank, otherwise you have to keep pumping the whole time. I put a little ball valve on the little liquivac since it didn't have one. *** If you want a small unit this ebay one probably the best price you'll find one of these for.

Yes the Liquivac does seem expensive at $55 for what it looks like.

When you mentioned warnings about gasoline, did they prohibit it?
I have been using a hand squeeze bulb gas pump for gas but it's always a an issue getting into the corners and a balancing act risk if the gas can isn't on the ground which it seldom is due to the short hose. we have six items that get seasonally drained so that use is a bit of a priority,
 

N_Jay

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I looked at a few and decided to get a small electric pump instead.
 

jayemm

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Yes the Liquivac does seem expensive at $55 for what it looks like.

When you mentioned warnings about gasoline, did they prohibit it?
I have been using a hand squeeze bulb gas pump for gas but it's always a an issue getting into the corners and a balancing act risk if the gas can isn't on the ground which it seldom is due to the short hose. we have six items that get seasonally drained so that use is a bit of a priority,
Yes, it's expensive at $55. That's why I posted the cheaper ebay one available. *** OOPS , sorry, missed shipping on that one.... I looked at so many ads I didn't catch that. Like I said initially, prices on these Liquivacs got stupid. You'd get more bang for your buck getting a bigger one and better ease of use.
 
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Lassen Forge

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The romantic hills of central Umbria, Italy,
If you don’t own an air compressor (and why not?) just use a turkey baster. If you do have an air compressor, I’ve really liked my Harbor Freight pneumatic brake bleeder. Useful for that purpose, but also ***** dry other containers quickly and small hose fits in small places. Just be careful where you point it. If it tips over on its side, easy to do while lay in on your back bleeding brakes, and you activate the handle. A fine mist of brake fluid will spray from the exhaust port and all over your vehicle. If it is kept level there is no mist.

IMG_1960.png

One of the things I actually liked from HF... Had one (for years) and man, it sucked like a, er, umm ahem... Hoover.
 

Chipm

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Georgia
**** MAYBE a person WOULD NOT want a mityvac like this after seeing the terrible reviews and some really messy pictures of failures on Amazon. Mine was great. Quality must have slipped.

All of my Mityvac stuff has been disappointing in quality, except for the actual hand-pump traditional "mityvac" mityvac.

The fluid extractor leaks and uses ****** rubber hose connectors. The ATF filler uses ****** hoses that get hard when exposed to ATF and use proprietary fittings to it is difficult to replace them. The brake bleeder uses hoses that go bad when exposed to brake fluid, and the master cylinder adapters use proprietary fittings so you can sub in a Honda cap from a different brand - because Hondas are rare and so Mityvac doesn't see the need to make a cap. Also, the clasps on the case for said adapters break if you look at them, which is okay because they only cost $2, but shipping is about $20.

I fixed all of this by making custom hoses with Tygon tubing, but I would not recommend spending a premium for any Mityvac products.
 

jayemm

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All of my Mityvac stuff has been disappointing in quality, except for the actual hand-pump traditional "mityvac" mityvac.

The fluid extractor leaks and uses ****** rubber hose connectors. The ATF filler uses ****** hoses that get hard when exposed to ATF and use proprietary fittings to it is difficult to replace them. The brake bleeder uses hoses that go bad when exposed to brake fluid, and the master cylinder adapters use proprietary fittings so you can sub in a Honda cap from a different brand - because Hondas are rare and so Mityvac doesn't see the need to make a cap. Also, the clasps on the case for said adapters break if you look at them, which is okay because they only cost $2, but shipping is about $20.

I fixed all of this by making custom hoses with Tygon tubing, but I would not recommend spending a premium for any Mityvac products.
I had a 7200(?) I got in early 2000's and had for over 10years, probably more like 15. I bought it from National Tool Warehouse and it cost about ~$75 total for pump and brake bleeder kit (~55 +~20). It was very reliable and I took it apart a few times for good internal cleaning and inspect pump plunger seal etc, total teardown. Only DIY use for coolant, ATF, brake bleeding , windshield washer fluid, draining a plugged sink etc. Couldn't do oil changes because the 2 3800 V-6's I had both had a windage tray above the crankshaft that blocked the extractor tube from extending into the oil pan. The clear tubing did get cloudy from brake fluid but replacement vinyl tubing was cheap at the local hardware store. The 2 supplied tubes were like nylon and quite stiff, with (IIRC) the skinnier tube having a wire running the entire inner length. It was a good unit and gave me my money's worth before passing it along to a friend after my needs changed. It's a shame it got "garbaged up" like a lot of products these days. The little 3 qt Liquivac I now have isn't in the same league but still handy for small jobs.
 

jayemm

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Mine's been great too.
IF you forget to swith back to the direction you wish to move the fluid it can get messy(ask how I know) but that is operator error.
I kept it simple with mine only capable of suction. Didn't have need for suction and pumpout capability much less the complexity and expense of an air driven one that required a compressor.
 
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Beemer

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7 Liters of oil, one turkey baster at a time???
Not intending to drain vehicle engine oil, only equipment without bottom drains.
I have ValvoMax drains on the vehicle oil pans and it doesn't get much easier than that and it avoids cleaning an evacuator tank.
 

N_Jay

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Nov 1, 2016
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Not intending to drain vehicle engine oil, only equipment without bottom drains.
I have ValvoMax drains on the vehicle oil pans and it doesn't get much easier than that and it avoids cleaning an evacuator tank.
Much easier on cars with lots of underbody panels.
Also pumps directly into disposal bottles so no tank to clean.
 
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