Engine oil extractor pump

[richlist]

The cynic in me now thinks that if the garage use the 'remove oil thru the dipstick' method they may only remove half of it. So they only need to replace half the oil but charge me for the full amount. If the oil is synthetic and expensive its a big boost to their profits.

Next time my car goes in for a service I will make sure I ask how they drain the sump oil.

[Slarti]

The cynic in me now thinks that if the garage use the 'remove oil thru the dipstick' method they may only remove half of it. So they only need to replace half the oil but charge me for the full amount. If the oil is synthetic and expensive its a big boost to their profits.

Next time my car goes in for a service I will make sure I ask how they drain the sump oil.

Surely that would show on the dipstick as it would never be clean?

Slarti

[BarrenFluffit]

My handbook showed the oil capacity by both the drain plug and by suction (suction was a bit more). A clear 5l plastic water container did waste tank honours. I've used a suction one, it works very well and wasn't messy, particularly as modern cars are so low. I understand it's common to use suction on marine engines.

[Slarti]

My handbook showed the oil capacity by both the drain plug and by suction (suction was a bit more). A clear 5l plastic water container did waste tank honours. I've used a suction one, it works very well and wasn't messy, particularly as modern cars are so low. I understand it's common to use suction on marine engines.

The only ones I'm familiar with, the drain is through a drain plug at the bottom. But most of them would be at least 50 years old, some much older.

Remember, many marine engines are just lorry/truck engines with modified cooling to handle the seawater.


Slarti

[bionichamster]

The cynic in me now thinks that if the garage use the 'remove oil thru the dipstick' method they may only remove half of it. .

Well it might, but I suspect the problem was more likely me not getting the tube in the right place, not that the method itself is inefficient. However it did ilustrate to me that the procedure on my car at least is not as simple as I assumed it would be. I'm fairly confident that if the end of the suction tube was located in the correct place i would suck most of the oil out, one hopes that mechanics in garages who do this week in week out are better at it than me

BH

[Halicarnassus]

As a car owner, I would be worried about STDs (Sump Transmitted Deposits) with some unwanted crap being transferred via the tube into my engine. There is no way a mechanic will change the extraction tube regularly, if ever.

[bungeejumper]

STDs (Sump Transmitted Deposits)

[sg31]

My handbook showed the oil capacity by both the drain plug and by suction (suction was a bit more). A clear 5l plastic water container did waste tank honours. I've used a suction one, it works very well and wasn't messy, particularly as modern cars are so low. I understand it's common to use suction on marine engines.

The only ones I'm familiar with, the drain is through a drain plug at the bottom. But most of them would be at least 50 years old, some much older.

Remember, many marine engines are just lorry/truck engines with modified cooling to handle the seawater.


Slarti

I have some experience of smaller marine engines, (yacht, narrow boats etc) they are normally marinised generator engines. Generator engines are designed to fit on stands with plenty of room around them for servicing. In boats they are generally shoehorned in where needed with very little consideration given to access.

My last vessel had the engine situated so low that there was no possibility of removing the sump plug. Sucking the oil out was the only possibility.

Boat makers really don't care about servicing, once they sell the boat they largely wash their hands of any problems. I've seen yachts where the only way of removing the engine is to dismantle it into it's constituent parts because it is too heavy to lift manually and there was no way to get lifting tackle above the engine. I wondered how the makers got it into the boat in the first place....they installed it before fitting the deck to the hull.

[dspp]

I wondered how the makers got it into the boat in the first place....they installed it before fitting the deck to the hull.

Clearly you've encountered Sunseeker products where it is not just the engines that have been known to be unable to fit through the hatch.

regards, dspp

[Slarti]

I have some experience of smaller marine engines, (yacht, narrow boats etc) they are normally marinised generator engines. Generator engines are designed to fit on stands with plenty of room around them for servicing. In boats they are generally shoehorned in where needed with very little consideration given to access.

My last vessel had the engine situated so low that there was no possibility of removing the sump plug. Sucking the oil out was the only possibility.

Boat makers really don't care about servicing, once they sell the boat they largely wash their hands of any problems. I've seen yachts where the only way of removing the engine is to dismantle it into it's constituent parts because it is too heavy to lift manually and there was no way to get lifting tackle above the engine. I wondered how the makers got it into the boat in the first place....they installed it before fitting the deck to the hull.

I suppose it depends on the size of the yacht.

One of the few where I really took much interest in the engines had a pair of massive 6 cylinder Chrysler diesels in the engine room. And this was a sailing yacht! There was about 1m below the front of the engines, which the mechanic who was working on them was delirious about. The engines could be removed, by removing the prop shafts, the rear mast, the steering gear and the cockpit and some of the rear accommodation. We were lucky enough to have a shed large enough to do that, once the masts were drawn.


Other engines I have experience of were single cylinder jobs in the bottom of old, very heavy, wooden boats. I have no idea how the oil came out of those, but they did usually have to have, err, something, preheated with paraffin for quite a while before they could be started.

Or outboards. Do they even have oil?

Slarti

[BarrenFluffit]

I've seen yachts where the only way of removing the engine is to dismantle it into it's constituent parts because it is too heavy to lift manually and there was no way to get lifting tackle above the engine. I wondered how the makers got it into the boat in the first place....they installed it before fitting the deck to the hull.

From TV, fishing boat engine replacement seems to involve hauling it out of the water and cutting a hole in the side.

[Halicarnassus]

I've seen yachts where the only way of removing the engine is to dismantle it into it's constituent parts because it is too heavy to lift manually and there was no way to get lifting tackle above the engine. I wondered how the makers got it into the boat in the first place....they installed it before fitting the deck to the hull.

From TV, fishing boat engine replacement seems to involve hauling it out of the water and cutting a hole in the side.

Wow, I never knew that. Seems crazy, there must be a better way.

[sg31]

I've seen yachts where the only way of removing the engine is to dismantle it into it's constituent parts because it is too heavy to lift manually and there was no way to get lifting tackle above the engine. I wondered how the makers got it into the boat in the first place....they installed it before fitting the deck to the hull.

From TV, fishing boat engine replacement seems to involve hauling it out of the water and cutting a hole in the side.

Wow, I never knew that. Seems crazy, there must be a better way.

There is...don't buy boats.

[bionichamster]

Follow up:

It was time for another oil change (9000+ miles since the last one) so I decide to try the pump again.

Oil was at about 1/3 of its allowable dipstick range, which probably means there was just under four liners in there.

This time I tried to roughly measure what came out, by using the 2l ice cream tubs for the pump. I reckon I got around 2.75 liners out plus a small amount from the filter housing. I did how ever confirm that it is possible to push the hose too far into the dipstick channel and actually start to reduce the oil draw, you have to judge it just right and re adjust if it stops drawing. When I opened the sump I got slightly more than half a 2l tubs worth so that works out about right.

All in all, the pump wasn't that much better than last time, it still missed a fairly significant volume of oil somewhere in the sump.

BH

[mearnsfool]

It would appear that this particular engine does not allow the dipstick tube routed flexible tube to reach the bottom of the sump, our Suzuki Jimny sump has a deeper area in it and I have not checked if the dipstick tube allows access to that deep area.

Therefore it appears that certain cars are unsuitable for suction pump assisted oil changes from the experience of bionichamster.

[DrFfybes]

Someone who shall remain nameless boiled a Large Ham over Xmas, let it cool for a while, then tipped to cooling liquid into a cold sink.

The following morning I went down and emptied a couple of soaking pans into the sink and the water and sludge sat there. I emptied the sink into a bucket using the suction syphon for emptying the fish tank.

Looking at what remained in the sink, I'm even more convinced that a bottom drain is a better idea.

Paul

For those that care, water heated in the kettle and a bit of plunging sorted it out - seems the water from the ham had turned to jelly rather than a fat blockage.

[swill453]

Looking at what remained in the sink, I'm even more convinced that a bottom drain is a better idea.

And that's when you can see where you're putting the drain pipe. In a sump you're working blind, with no idea if you're anywhere near the lowest point.

Scott.

[teecee90]

Depends on the car. I always use the pump method and it removes all the oil in my car. Oil and filter changes every 6k miles. Car is now on 193k miles and still going strong.

[DrFfybes]

Depends on the car. I always use the pump method and it removes all the oil in my car. Oil and filter changes every 6k miles. Car is now on 193k miles and still going strong.

Just out of interest, what is the recommended interval in your car?

Most car these days have 12-20k service intervals, even my 1990s Toyota had 9k intervals.

If you're changing the oil every 6k then it probably doesn't matter if a bit is left anyway.

Paul

[richlist]

Many cars now have 20K / 2 year service intervals. In the main part due to quality synthetic oils.
My Range Rover is 22 months old, original oil and filter...gets its first service in March.
The oil on the dipstick is totally clean and looks like new.