The huge thread on oil extractor pumps

biko

Yamanoto wrote: »

I'm wondering whether an oil extractor would be suitable for use on the sludge-tastic Saab 9-5.

As the dipstick's affixed to the bottom of the oil filler cap itself (no separate dipstick ingress), is the tubing likely to have unimpeded access to the bottom of the sump?

Tbh, for the Saab I'd go with a regular method, just to be certain I get everything out.
Oil filter is underneath anyway so you need to hoist car up to get to it.

unkel

biko wrote: »

Tbh, for the Saab I'd go with a regular method, just to be certain I get everything out.
Oil filter is underneath anyway so you need to hoist car up to get to it.

+1

Very easy job too, no bottom cover plate or anything. I used ramps that I just drove the car up onto. Open oil filler cap, undo sump screw and let oil out then take out filter (near sump). Leave for an hour, come back, new filter in, screw back onto sump and the car is ready for fresh oil

Repeat every 5-6k miles or every year, whichever comes first

Mr Benevolent

Oil extractors are great, used one on Sunday with no issues on my car. Takes longer to clean up afterwards then it does to get the oil out. Turns out that my extractor's tube fits very snugly in the dipstick pipe, which means that the dipstick becomes an extension of the extractor tube. Very handy, and the last bit of oil can be extracted using a smaller tube.

gooner99

This might be a silly question.In a garage they use a lift,so the car is level. Same goes for the extraction pump providing you park i the level.But if you use axle stands or ramps I guess the car is not level when draining the oil.So what % would you say is left over by using.....

1) ramps
2) axle stands
3) extraction pump

unkel

Most sumps I've worked on have the plug on the back side of the sump (so away from the front wheels) or on the side of the sump but again away from the front wheels and not on the very bottom of the sump

So in those cases with the front of the car up higher, it would drain out more than if the car was level

Ronnie Beck

The renault ones are on the bottom of the sump. Got a bit extra out alright by taking out the stands and lowering the car flat. Onlt one i've ever seen on the bottom apart from a lawnmower .

On other cars I've never had a level surface to work with so I normally raise one side of the car up and down with the jack to get more out but this was more due to a slope across the width of the car. As unkel says leaning back is fine but if it's off to one side a bit will sit in the corner.

jimgoose

<Whomp>

I bought one of these vacuum extractors on Saturday morning. It's a Sealey, 6.5l capacity and identical to the below:



€98, apparently on offer and down from €135, at a local motor factors. It operates via the dipstick hole, and comes with two sizes of tube to cater for most everything. The tube is inserted in the dipstick hole and pushed down to the bottom of the oil-pan, or as close as. Then you give the thing six or eight pumps to build up a vaccum, and it reefs the oil out of there neat as you like. The vacuum pulled about 3.2l out of the Xsara in "one go", and another third of a litre or that way came out of the old oil filter and the little suppeen immediately behind it.

In short, it works brilliantly and I am quite chuffed with it.

Stevo11

Handy
http://www.conrad.com/ce/en/product/854215/Mannesmann-Oil-Suction-Scavenge-Pump-12V?queryFromSuggest=true

I bought mine from conrad a few years ago (similar to the above but came with used oil collector).

stimpson

Wibbs wrote: »

As I said earlier: I've heard this so many times, but clearly it must depend on the model of engine and sump design, because on mine(Honda B18) it takes more out than the standard method

Wibbs - do you use the dipstick hole to do yours? I've got a B16A and the tubing won't fit down the hole.

aero2k

Yamanoto wrote: »

I'm wondering whether an oil extractor would be suitable for use on the sludge-tastic Saab 9-5.

As the dipstick's affixed to the bottom of the oil filler cap itself (no separate dipstick ingress), is the tubing likely to have unimpeded access to the bottom of the sump?

biko wrote: »

Tbh, for the Saab I'd go with a regular method, just to be certain I get everything out.
Oil filter is underneath anyway so you need to hoist car up to get to it.

Sorry folks, only just saw this.

I had a '94 Audi A6 and my extractor as pictured above would drain every drop. When I got a Saab 9-5 Aero, I found that it left about 2 litres. I did the sump removal and clean as recommended in all the forums to prevent the dreaded sludging, and I found there was a baffle plate preventing the tube from reaching the bottom of the sump. Pity, as it's a great gadget.

jimgoose

aero2k wrote: »

...When I got a Saab 9-5 Aero, I found that it left about 2 litres. I did the sump removal and clean as recommended in all the forums to prevent the dreaded sludging, and I found there was a baffle plate preventing the tube from reaching the bottom of the sump. Pity, as it's a great gadget.

Mmm. That's a pain in the arse, isn't it? I wouldn't have thought the vertical plates that seem to constitute most sump-baffling setups would have prevented a vacuum draining 98% of the oil?

Hal1

I got the sealey 5.5ltr type but haven't tested it yet. I plan to drain via sump plug every second oil change.

Photo

aero2k

jimgoose wrote: »

Mmm. That's a pain in the arse, isn't it? I wouldn't have thought the vertical plates that seem to constitute most sump-baffling setups would have prevented a vacuum draining 98% of the oil?

Yes, I was surprised too. Maybe "baffle" wasn't the correct term - I don't have the car any more but if I recall correctly the plate was actually horizontal, about 50mm above the bottom of the sump. The dipstick, which is attached to the bottom of the filler cap on a Saab, could reach far enough to give a reading but the oil extractor tube couldn't reach the bottom of the sump.

Pics of SAAB 9-5 sump http://www.serioussaab.co.uk/Procs_pages/proc_pages/p_sump.html

cmchugh82

Anyone know where to buy a 5 litre engine oil extraction pump at a good price? Micksgarage have a Draper one for €100 but I have seen smaller versions on ebay for €30. Seems like a handy way to do an oil service without having to get under the car.

biko

Local motor factors usually have them. Also marine shops.
Pela is a popular brand with boardsies.
Where are you located?

cmchugh82

Thanks a mill. Ill have a look a Pela. Im out in Sandyford.

SleeperService

cmchugh82 wrote: »

Thanks a mill. Ill have a look a Pela. Im out in Sandyford.

Draper or sealey do em too. Can't remember what brand mine is. Got it in local motor factor iirc.

listermint

Being brutally honest, you are much better off emptying the oil in the conventional way. These pumps will leave more residue in the engine than emptying it out via the oil plug.

It wouldnt be something id switch to doing regularly.

biko

I am merging this with a large thread already on the topic.

Nino Brown

listermint wrote: »

Being brutally honest, you are much better off emptying the oil in the conventional way. These pumps will leave more residue in the engine than emptying it out via the oil plug.

It wouldnt be something id switch to doing regularly.

A lot of people say the pumps take out more. I guess it varies from car to car. But I don't think it's necessarily true to say the pump removes less residue than the sump plug method.

jimgoose

listermint wrote: »

Being brutally honest, you are much better off emptying the oil in the conventional way. These pumps will leave more residue in the engine than emptying it out via the oil plug.

It wouldnt be something id switch to doing regularly.

I disagree. At least in the case of an engine that has a decent service history and is known to be reasonably clean, it's my experience that a good vacuum extractor works very well indeed. If I was that bothered about a particular yoke I'd do the first change via the sump-plug and put a gallon of diesel through it after the old oil.

listermint

OSI wrote: »

Some modern cars are designed and recommended to use an extractor over the sump plug, and I've read a number of (admittedly anecdotal) reports that they remove as much or more than removing the sump plug.

In saying that, I'd tried to use one myself a month ago to change my own oil, it took the best part of 20 minutes to get the pipe down the dipstick and into the sump, only for it to feck all and drain nothing. I actually spent less time jacking up the car and pulling the plug.

I dont trust modern cars what so ever if im honest. The seem to make them like mobiles nowadays. designed for set life time and then they deteriorate.

And ive literally no trust to the latest fashion in no dipsticks.

listermint

jimgoose wrote: »

I disagree. At least in the case of an engine that has a decent service history and is known to be reasonably clean, it's my experience that a good vacuum extractor works very well indeed. If I was that bothered about a particular yoke I'd do the first change via the sump-plug and put a gallon of diesel through it after the old oil.

I am bothered, I do it via sump plug everytime.

corkgsxr

Id be definitely sump every time. Its not like it takes much longer

reflexsean

blastman wrote: »

Food for thought, lads, thanks. I might pull the trigger on one of these next pay day.

I used to use one of these pumps on my Skoda Octavia because the engine is covered in under neath and it was easier to use the pump until I removed the cover under the engine and discovered that where the dipstick enters the sump its over the low oil sensor and not the lowest part of the sump so the pipe can't reach the bottom of the sump and remove all of the oil. As these are the same engine as in the VW Golf and would cause a simpler problem for vw owners so you got to check your sump to make sure the pipe can reach the bottom of the sump

unkel

Aye it's a pain in the hole alright if your car has one of those cheap nasty plastic covers. Had that in my Rover 75. In my last 3 cars (E39 BMW, Saab 9-5, E60 BMW) the sump was directly accessible thankfully

I drive my car up ramps and drain the oil from the sump. I can't see myself using an extractor unless I ever own a car again with one of those covers

corks finest

hi,bought a sealey vacum pump from amazon,delivered for about e45,fantastic,stick one tube in dip stick opening,other in the long plastic container ,pump a few times,wait,wait,eait,all oil in container,10/15 minutes max,easy,well worth it,saved me min e 90 ,last 9 months

dooroy

Have one for a number of years - makes oil changing much easier.
Once in a while it would be a good idea to get the oil hot and then drain through the sump plug - it helps to clear out the gunge that builds up in the sump and may not be sucked up by the vacuum.

Liamalone

What about the oil filter? I'm assuming this is pointless for my Vectra as I can only get at the filter from underneath the car, takes any benefit away I'd imagine.

unkel

Yep. Pointless in your case. Most cars I've had have the filter near the sump (except a few BMWs)

I'll stick to the sump method myself