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"Top Side" oil extractor that works? (Oil evacuator recommendations)

Bought this today, a small car battery powered transfer pump. Looks like it's marketed for car oil changes however

20211003_214500.jpg20211003_214531.jpg

I figured it would be handy on the shelf If i had to transfer Kerosene etc from tanks
 
Here is what happens when you awake at 4am, brain starts to "wonder"... I like my extractor fine, but apparently, there are manual/pneumatic units available as well.

I'm certainly no engineer, but the concept, if I understand correctly, device that I need would create a negative pressure for evacuation?

pneumatic_conversion.jpg

Is there a place where I can find/buy/build this attachment (as parts or as whole piece) as this one (which I'm sure has some kind of internal pressure limiter)?

I don't want to replace extractor, but I do want to convert mine to pneumatic/manual unit.

Regards,
D
 
Duh_Vinci said:
Here is what happens when you awake at 4am, brain starts to "wonder"... I like my extractor fine, but apparently, there are manual/pneumatic units available as well.

I'm certainly no engineer, but the concept, if I understand correctly, device that I need would create a negative pressure for evacuation?

View attachment 138750

Is there a place where I can find/buy/build this attachment (as parts or as whole piece) as this one (which I'm sure has some kind of internal pressure limiter)?

I don't want to replace extractor, but I do want to convert mine to pneumatic/manual unit.

Regards,
D
Click to expand...

Grainger? Mcmaster Carr? It would be cool to hook up my 18v wireless tire inflator to the extractor….
 
Do you want the entire valve or just the male / female quick-connect fittings?

The entire valve will be harder to find.
 
Seems like a very inefficient way to generate vacuum for oil extraction, not to mention the noise from your compressor. But if you really want to try it, you might be able to modify a media blasting gun as it works the same way. Just my $0.02.
 
Just a little update on Mityvac... We have been using it extensively, on 4 MB vehicles, and overall, very very happy with it still, however, not with out a small issues:

Over time, the insertion points of the air tubes into the fitting, exactly where the fittings "bite" into the tube with little metal fingers break around the full perimeter

i-rzJKCVC-X2.jpg

Discovered it last night while changing the oil on C280, suddenly stopped flowing, and you can hear a faint hiss: air leaking! Thin needle nose pliers needed to extract the broken 1/4" sections of the tubing from deep inside of the fittings. Trimmed and refitted existing tubing back in, and back to work this morning on SL320. Works fine, but I will get extra tubing from the hardware store and may change once a year as preventative...

Regards,
D
 
I now have two of the HF oil extractors that Jono had recommended, one in Florida and another in Flagstaff. They work great and require very little air to create a vacuum adequate to pull a full 8 quarts out in about 10 minutes if not less:

HF Oil Extractor

Granted, they're not cheap, but if you play the coupon game you can get a pretty good deal on them. I use them for just about any fluid change, whether it be oil, transmission, power steering, etc.

I don't have the old Topsider cans in Flagstaff to store or transport waste oil, so I bought one of these to take the oil to our city recycling center:

https://smile.amazon.com/Hedpak-5-g...=sr_1_3?keywords=Hedpak&qid=1656779765&sr=8-3

With only two cars in Flagstaff right now it's not a big deal, but I didn't want to transport the oil extractor, as it's HEAVY when full. I can pour the contents into the 5 gallon jug whenever I like and just toss that in the back of the ML350 to haul to our collection point.

Dan
 
Picked up one of these earlier this year.

The wife's car had a oil level sensor go bad, consequently I overfilled the damn thing. Creates a very strong vacuum. Also lightens the wallet quite nicely. Found on ebay for $160

ctatools.com

6510 - Fluid Extractor Tank - 15L (4 GAL)

15L (4 Gallon) extra-large capacity tank services passenger vehicles, pick-up trucks and light duty trucks with large engines Now includes built in hose storage compartment Includes 4 hoses, including brake bleeder hose, servicing engine oil, transmission fluid, gear oil, coolant, power steering...
ctatools.com ctatools.com

6510_592x592.jpg


Replaced the do-nothing blanking cap on the engine's dipstick tube with a proper dipstick from a sibling model that still uses one.

Also used it to change the oil in a truck, as well. Plenty of capacity.

I'm making a sheath that I can attach to the tank so I can keep all the tubes organized. Otherwise I can see misplacing them. Wish they offered a proper cap that could seal the tank for transport.
 
That looks like a rebranded Extoil extractor, Ace. Available for less from Extoil directly:

www.extoil.us

15-Liter Professional Pneumatic Oil Extractor

HUGE 15 Liter Capacity Exclusive Built-In Suction Gauge Shop-Air Attachment for Powered Extraction Flip-Town Foot Pedal Extra Long Pump Travel Length Easy Carry Handle Pointed Pour Spout for Easy Emptying Our 15-Liter Professional Pneumatic Oil Extractor Adds Pro-Level upgrades to our largest...
www.extoil.us
 
If I had to do it allover again, I definitely would opt for Extoil extractor as @gsxr and @ace10 showing for 2 reasons:

Capacity (8.5L of Mityvac get really really maxed out by the time to you get to the very end of extraction)
Pneumatic (plug into the air hose and forget about it)

Still, for what this Mityvac is, it performs exactly as it should. Warm oil, 15-20 pumps, walk away, and let it do it's thing!

Regards,
D
 
I just couldn't get comfortable with the plastic aspect of these things, MityVac or otherwise. While I know our typical use is far below what something in Jono's shop would encounter, I wanted something that would be substantial and not be at risk for damage or breakage.

The HF extractor, while larger, holds over 6 gallons, too. That means fewer trips to the oil drop-off. Yes, it does require an air source, but just to "charge" it, which takes a few seconds, if that.

Dan
 
I'm finally biting the bullet and shopping for one. Needing a minimum 8 quart capacity narrows the options substantially. I was leaning towards the 10-quart MityVac which can also pump the dirty oil out, no need to tip / pour into containers (which always comes with the risk of making a mess):

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002SR7TC/

Then, I stumbled across this 6-gallon wheeled unit from JohnDow. Note it comes with metal adapters that might fit into Mercedes dipstick tube necks, without having to slide a nylon tube down to the bottom of the oil pan. This unit also can pump dirty oil out for (theoretically) mess-free emptying. I like the extra features vs the cheaper Harbor Fright 6-gallon roller (link).

https://johndow.com/product/6-gallon-fluid-evacuator/

https://www.amazon.com/JohnDow-Industries-JDI-6EV-Gallon-Evacuator/dp/B000P6WQ6A/

The big unit is kinda overkill, but OTOH it appears more functional and more robust than the smaller plastic versions.

Anyone have experience with the JohnDow? I know Jono has a bunch of the PIttsburghs but I don't want to mess with emptying that beast.

:apl:

71LVN70GZbL._AC_SL1500_.jpg 81rBedh-GtL._AC_SL1500_.jpg
 
gsxr said:
I'm finally biting the bullet and shopping for one. Needing a minimum 8 quart capacity narrows the options substantially. I was leaning towards the 10-quart MityVac which can also pump the dirty oil out, no need to tip / pour into containers (which always comes with the risk of making a mess):

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002SR7TC/

Then, I stumbled across this 6-gallon wheeled unit from JohnDow. Note it comes with metal adapters that might fit into Mercedes dipstick tube necks, without having to slide a nylon tube down to the bottom of the oil pan. This unit also can pump dirty oil out for (theoretically) mess-free emptying. I like the extra features vs the cheaper Harbor Fright 6-gallon roller (link).

https://johndow.com/product/6-gallon-fluid-evacuator/

https://www.amazon.com/JohnDow-Industries-JDI-6EV-Gallon-Evacuator/dp/B000P6WQ6A/

The big unit is kinda overkill, but OTOH it appears more functional and more robust than the smaller plastic versions.

Anyone have experience with the JohnDow? I know Jono has a bunch of the PIttsburghs but I don't want to mess with emptying that beast.

:apl:

View attachment 169386 View attachment 169387
Click to expand...
For what it’s worth, the John Dow extractor looks a lot like the HF extractor, with just a few more ports.

I’m sure I could easily drill and tap the bottom of the HF extractor to put a valve in, but if I’m not forcing the oil out under pressure it’s going to take a lot longer to drain than just opening up the lid on the HF and pouring it out using the 2” opening.

Dan
 
Almost 5 years of 7201, what a great useful tool, thank you @Jlaa for this "little" gem.

This morning, changed oil in both W211s and R129 (before we get into mid 90's). all in about 1.5 hours, was done with cleaning and oil disposal (into these 5 Gal Hedpak Jugs ).

Definitely one of the best "tools" in the garage!
 
I have the big green HF extractor at the shop but figured that I needed another one at the house for the small jobs so I bought this one from HF
www.harborfreight.com

2.3 gallon Manual Fluid Extractor

Amazing deals on this Manual Fluid Extractor at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.
www.harborfreight.com www.harborfreight.com

They also have an air powered version in that size. The reason I picked the manual is because I figured it was more portable, and even though I have a 60 gallon compressor at the house. After one use, I regret it. If I wanted that kind of workout, I would have bought a shake weight.
 
:update:

While procrastinating about which Vac-U-Suck to buy, the price on the MityVac shot way up in late June. It had been around $106 but then spiked to $150-$160. Nope. So, I pulled the trigger on the JohnDow 6-gallon unit (link) for $235 delivered. The MityVac has since dropped back to $122.

I used the JohnDoe for the first time in mid-July, to vacuum oil out of the LR4 Land Rover. The LR4 has a Jaguar AJ133 engine with a metal pipe below the oil fill cap, that is meant for vacuuming oil out. I had to use a 2" length of 1/4" ID rubber hose to connect the JD sucker tube to the LR4 metal pipe, as there's no dipstick or dipstick tube to slide a plastic probe into.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that when the tank was charged to the max vacuum my compressor would provide, it retained that level of vacuum through the entire ~7 quarts extracted, only dropping once the tube started sucking air. No need to recharge part way through the evacuation process. Cool! Took about 5-7 minutes to evacuate - I forgot to time it, but it was kinda slow due to the 4mm ID of the tube. I didn't have time to pull the drain plug and confirm the pan was empty, maybe next oil change, but the amount evacuated matched what I expected.

There are some metal adapter fittings included, and one fits into the top of the dipstick tube of an M119 engine. I'll probably try that and see if anything comes out the drain plug after vacuuming out the M119. Otherwise you slide one of the plastic tubes down the dipstick tubes, which may suck out a bit more. I'm impressed with the JD design & build quality, it appears to be a notch up from the HF unit, maybe 2 notches better. I haven't used the power-empty function yet, I have another oil change to do first (the M119 E420), then I'll see how it does pushing out 3.5 gallons of used oil. Also will be interesting to try evacuating ATF, it should make pulling the 722 pan a lot less messy. @LWB250 says it is wunderbar for ATF work, which is a bonus.

Pro tip: If you want to know exactly how much oil was extracted, the side measuring tube is kinda useless... graduations begin at over 6 quarts. I weigh the evacuator before and after on my refrigerant scale to measure the weight of the oil extracted. Divide that number by the weight per quart / gallon of new stuff and you get a close estimate of quarts evacuated. Ballpark is 1.85 pounds per quart, excluding container weight.

In other news, the factory JLR oil filter media separated from the mesh pleating in one small area, allowing unfiltered oil to circulate for an unknown time / miles. GREAT. I need to get some photos of that. Not happy about the OE / Genuine filter failure... they are made in China, but I can't find anything better, and aftermarket filters could just be the factory rejects. Spendy buggers too, $20-$30 each at discount, grrrr. Oil analysis came in a couple days ago, thankfully there were no red flags, all looked normal despite the filter failure.

I'll post again after sucking out the M119 sump, and using pressure to empty the JohnDoe tank into plastic jugs.

:banana2:
 
I used the JD sucker to change the oil on the beater E420, with the adapter which uses the dipstick tube, instead of inserting one of the flexible tubes down the hole. Photo below. This worked ok, but resulted in a lot of gurgling after the first few quarts were evacuated... and then I had to recharge the vacuum in the tank a few times to try and gurgle out a few more ounces when the pan was nearly empty.

I didn't have time to jack up the car afterwards and pull the drain plug, to see how much (if anything) would drain out the bottom. I might try this ONE more time, along with pulling the drain plug, to see if it evacuates as much (or more) vs inserting a skinny tube. After that I'll probably switch to the skinny tube, which should evacuate everything without having to recharge the tank, or gurgle. Using the skinny tube will evacuate more than draining out the bottom, possibly as much as 0.5 quart more.

Using pressure to empty the JohnDoe tank into plastic jugs went pretty smoothly, using the supplied drain hose (not pictured here). I think this would be much easier than trying to lift & pour a tank like the Harbor Fright evacuator, MityVac, or Topsider.

The JD evacuator has increased in price at some vendors, and is OOS at others, but is still available at Home Depot (link) or Walmart (link) for $235 delivered.

:approved:

1699378978977.png
 
Looks like the big 20-gallon unit has very few reviews, because so few people buy the Big Boy. The one 4-star review was griping about the lack of adapters, no JLR adapter (in JD's defence, no other extractor includes this either - it's a factory JLR tool/adapter). The lone 1-star review could have been user error, there are a bunch of valves which must be set properly for the unit to work. The claim of no customer support could also be user error, I'm not sure.

The smaller 6-gallon unit has almost 200 reviews, overall they are positive, 4.4 out of 5 stars:

https://www.amazon.com/JohnDow-Industries-JDI-6EV-Gallon-Evacuator/dp/B000P6WQ6A#customerReviews

1699541258967.png
 
That looks almost the same as the HF one that I've owned for more than 10 years and not had any problems with.

www.harborfreight.com

6.25 gallon Oil Extractor

Amazing deals on this 6-1/4Gal Oil Extractor at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.
www.harborfreight.com www.harborfreight.com
 
you know whats interesting.. i actually bought a mityvac recently and returned it as there was something wrong w/ it and didnt feel like trouble shooting it, then remembered i had my little Topsider laying around somewhere and just used that! it would be really cool to have some air tools one day
 
alabbasi said:
That looks almost the same as the HF one that I've owned for more than 10 years and not had any problems with.

www.harborfreight.com

6.25 gallon Oil Extractor

Amazing deals on this 6-1/4Gal Oil Extractor at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.
www.harborfreight.com www.harborfreight.com
Click to expand...
The HF extractor is NOT the same... similar concept, yes, but the JD is a better overall unit.

Also, you have to tilt a heavy unit full of oil to empty the HF, while the JD has a second/separate hose for easy emptying - no tilting, no mess.

:hornets:


1699626524933.png 1699626572922.png
 
Just wanted you all to know this. I bought the Mityvac on Amazon about three years ago. It was never great for extraction. Would have to draw a vacuum several times when new to extract the seven or so quarts from the w211 E500. I went to use it last weekend, and no go. I could hear the vacuum leaking at the pump mechanism.

Looked at the tubing and fittings. Determined it was 8mm metric tubing at the valve to the suck side of the reservoir. Went to Amazon, and bought 8mm check valve and placed it into the line from the switchover valve to the top of the fluid chamber.


IMG_20240330_134449252_HDR.jpg


Sucked out seven plus quarts in minutes. Works better than when new. The pump pulls a nice vacuum, but will not hold it. Works very well now. Less than $20 on Amazon. Money well spent. I was about to throw this thing in the dumpster, and buy something new.

Keeping it now!

Shaun
 
disrupted said:
Just wanted you all to know this. I bought the Mityvac on Amazon about three years ago. It was never great for extraction. Would have to draw a vacuum several times when new to extract the seven or so quarts from the w211 E500. I went to use it last weekend, and no go. I could hear the vacuum leaking at the pump mechanism.

Looked at the tubing and fittings. Determined it was 8mm metric tubing at the valve to the suck side of the reservoir. Went to Amazon, and bought 8mm check valve and placed it into the line from the switchover valve to the top of the fluid chamber.


View attachment 187412


Sucked out seven plus quarts in minutes. Works better than when new. The pump pulls a nice vacuum, but will not hold it. Works very well now. Less than $20 on Amazon. Money well spent. I was about to throw this thing in the dumpster, and buy something new.

Keeping it now!

Shaun
Click to expand...
Awesome! Can you share the link for the 8mm check valve? I don’t have this issue at all (except when I forgot to close the locking rubber cap thing 100% tightly 🤦‍♂️) but maybe in the future?

I have used this thing to suck out both ATF and motor oil.
 
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