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Homemade Oil Extractor

I rigged an oil extractor from an old chemistry lab vacuum pump, a 5 gallon pail with a gasketed lid and suitable lengths of hose. One hose connected the pump's suction port to the pail and the other was a length of 1/4" hose which reached down the dipstick tube.

It ran slowly and when I closed the throttling orifice to increase the suction, the sides of the pail collapsed so I know the system was quite free of air leakage.
15 torturous minutes of extraction yielded barely a pint (16 oz.) of oil. I was stumped.

The oil I had collected resembled semi-dissolved jam. 'Twas all shifty and wavy, not like plain, familiar oil sloshing in the bottom of a pail.
I had a heart attack.

Pulling the drain plug saw the oil drain normally.
The pail I had used for my extractor was clean. It had been 1/4 full of floor cleaner but rinsed out perfectly.

I must try this extractor again as I need it for another car. This was an experimental run.

Perhaps the 1/16" inner diameter is simply not big enough for effective oil suction.
I'm still wondering about the appearance of the "drawn pint" because it was from a dealership's oil change. They used a Volvo filter alright but heaven only knows what kind of oil. Some kind of "motor honey" quieting agent came to mind.

Cheers and Happy August!








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    Any updates on the homemade oil extractor? Were you able to use it for another car?



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      No updates. I've just been unscrewing the drain plugs in the few vehicles I service.

      I did just take a look at it during a garage straightening. Perhaps I'll try it again.

      As suggested above, warm oil is necessary but so might a thin walled, harder tubing be. Where to source that kind of item without paying 7X the cost for shipping?

      Again, now that you got me thinking about it, that's where I bailed on it. Unscrewing a drain plug beats being raped by some "scientific supply company".



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    BMW and Mercedes guys swear by the pump extraction. They claim that removing the drain plug does not get all of the oil out. After a lot of reading, I have to agree with them, there are low spots in the sump and the 'sludge' collects there. Perhaps what you managed to dredge up was a bit of sludge. Had you pulled up on your hose a little bit, it might have pumped out the oil faster and better.

    Yes, a larger diameter hose is called for, along with a warm engine block.

    I like your extractor set up!
    --
    Keeping it running is better than buying new



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    I use a Topsider oil extractor. The poly dipstick tube is .250" O.D. (1/4), and the I.D. is .1875" (3/16). I think 5/16 O.D. might work, or it might not. I'm sure I would get a faster drain with the larger diameter tubing.
    Maybe the smaller tube contributed to the end result you experienced. I don't know. Hope my limited experience helps.

    Andrew



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