Inexpensive oil extractor

[JASinIL2006]

I?ve been looking for a new oil extractot ever since my Moeller hand pump model fell apart after only a few uses. I recalled that someone here had used a shop vac so I thought I?d give it a try.

I bought a $28 three gallon wet-dry vac at WallyWorld and duct-taped section of garden hose (with a female connector on the end) to the vacuum cleaner hose. The two hoses together were long enough to reach from the threaded dipstick tube to the ground, where I sat the vac. (Not having done this before, I was a little bit worried about some of the oil possibly misting and getting exhausted out of the vacuum cleaner, so I did not want to vacuum cleaner inside the boat.) After running the engine to get the oil good and warm, I hooked up the hose and fired up the vac.

The contraption worked extremely well. After about 12-15 minutes, the hose started jumping a bit as the last bits of oil were extracted and some air was sucked into the dipstick tube.

I won?t be using the vac for anything else, but for less than $30, I can?t complain. The only thing I might change is to swap out the section of garden hose for a piece of similarly sized clear tubing, so there is some visual indicator of when all the oil has been extracted.

Just wanted the share with you all, in case anyone else wants to try it. I wish I could remember the name the iboats member who gave me the idea so I could say thanks.

 

[Chris1956]

Gee, I wasted all those years removing the plug in the oil pan.....

 

[boatman37]

Gee, I wasted all those years removing the plug in the oil pan.....

:lol:

Pretty good idea. Shop vacs have come down in price quite a bit. i bought my first one around the late 80's early 90's and threw it out a year or two ago but it still worked. i went and bought a bigger one to use with my CNC machine and a smaller more portable one. i think i spent about $80 for both. hard to beat those prices. last year i spent $90 at west marine for a suction pump but it works great too

 

[alldodge]

Not bad idea

Can get one of these for $4 and will last a good while so long as you prime it with some oil before starting.
https://www.harborfreight.com/all-purpose-drill-powered-pump-390-gph-62783.html

 

[JASinIL2006]

Gee, I wasted all those years removing the plug in the oil pan.....

If I had six foot long arms with double jointed elbows, I could reach my drain plug. Of course, I don ?t really want to drain my engine oil into the bilge...

Is that what you do?

 

[Scott Danforth]

Not bad idea

Can get one of these for $4 and will last a good while so long as you prime it with some oil before starting.
https://www.harborfreight.com/all-purpose-drill-powered-pump-390-gph-62783.html

I have a few of those I used. I can also attest that you must prime it with oil or burn it up.

 

[tpenfield]

I have done something similar, but used an intermediary tank between the dipstick tubing and the vacuum, so as not to mess up the shop vac.

Lately, I?ve been using a small hand pump instead

 

[Chris1956]

I never had an issue reaching the drain plug on my SeaRay 19 footer w/a MerCruiser 4.3LX V6. The oil would drain immediately out the garboard fitting into a container. Two pumps of purple stuff and a wipe, and the bilge was clean. Heck, I needed to clean the bilge anyway.

They also have oil pan plugs with valves and drain tubes as well. I have never used one, but it sounds like it would work. Simply put the tube thru the garboard drain and turn the valve..... It has got to be better than all that sucking...

 

[southkogs]

My Bayliner has a drain tube that you just pull out of the garboard drain, but my old Silverline had to be sucked out. I used a pump real similar to this: http://www.iboats.com/Fluid-Oil-Ext...211713--session_id.015829106--view_id.1093303

 

[JASinIL2006]

I never had an issue reaching the drain plug on my SeaRay 19 footer w/a MerCruiser 4.3LX V6. The oil would drain immediately out the garboard fitting into a container. Two pumps of purple stuff and a wipe, and the bilge was clean. Heck, I needed to clean the bilge anyway.

They also have oil pan plugs with valves and drain tubes as well. I have never used one, but it sounds like it would work. Simply put the tube thru the garboard drain and turn the valve..... It has got to be better than all that sucking...

I really don't want to drain my oil into the bilge... I'm don't want to get my bilge pumps all oily and the bilge isn't all that dirty after a season anyway.

I had a chance to add the drain tube a couple of years ago when I had the engine out. I read a number of reviews, positive and negative, about the drain tubes, and I eventually decided against it. Every Fall I kick myself for not installing one! If I ever pull the engine again, I certainly will add one.

I don't think pulling the oil through the dipstick tube is really all that difficult, though, especially with my wonderful cheapo wet-dry vac. Draining water from the engine block, circulating pump and power steering cooler is much more of a pain, at least on my boat.

 

[SDSeville]

I bought this one for $18.50 and seems to work fine. https://www.ebay.com/itm/12v-5A-Mot...257069&hash=item4d57222334:g:K0QAAOSwA29Y5GBF

 

[alstar]

Just run a oil line directly from your sump is easier if you can empty it easily.

 

[garbageguy]

Just run a oil line directly from your sump is easier if you can empty it easily.

I like easier. Please explain in more detail. Thanks

 

[alstar]

Make a pump out of some pressure poly water pipe, The thick stuff. Two caps or ends to seal it. Bottom end, cap it and glue it with pipe cement. With the top end use a screw type so u can fix the washer or rubber now and then. A push/ pull length of rod which has to be threaded at both ends. The end where the rubber and plates go so u can have a bolt both sides of the washer and plates. The same on the other end for the handle u are about to make. To make a push pull handle with a timber dowel or grab the broomstick and make it a bit shorter. Then for inside the pipe to draw the oil use a piece of rubber thong and two pieces of say 1/8" plate aluminium for both sides of the rubber (Japanese electrical safety scuffs) or there are heaps of things around. Plates have to be a bit or 3/16 " shorter in circumference each side of the rubber washer.

Once you have built the pipe etc and sealed both ends so it looks like a pump drill or tap a hole top and bottom of the pipe. This is for your hose into the engine and then one for the top to expel the oil. you can put one way valves into the unit which will guarantee it works. Most boat chandeliers. We have used them for oil. water and just about everything else. Depending on pipe size etc they work better then most pumps you buy. I don't know whether you have yabby pumps over there but they have most of the parts inside of them that work well. Some good pumps can draw up to 1 or 2 litres of oil in 1 pull. Plus they last way longer.
All the best.

 

[alstar]

Most Mercruiser engines have a adaptor which is just like an open drain plug with a hose permanently on it. The other end of the line has a plug in it to stop the oil from coming out. It is permanently on them so when u need to change your oil you just unscrew the plug at the back of the oil line usually out the back of the transom through the bung holes and the oil just runs out. If you are permanently anchored then just run the oil line to the easiest place where you can drain it to. once the oil has drained just put the plug back and refill with new oil.