Pela extractor problems

[Ex-SolentBoy]

Help please.

My Pela 650 is playing up. It does suck, but slowly, and the vacuum seems to die off in less than a minute, so effectively you have to pump full-time.

I have opened it up and checked everything obvious, but to no avail.

I guess I have missed something. Suggestions as to where to focus my attentions would be most appreciated.

 

[Cloven]

Mine is the same and always has been. Just assumed they were always like that. Took me around 20-30 mins almost continuous pumping to get 2 litres of oil out.

I gather it helps if you remove the very narrow diameter wire probe and use the plastic part straight into the dipstick hole. Going to try that next year.

 

[Ex-SolentBoy]

Mine is the same and always has been. Just assumed they were always like that. Took me around 20-30 mins almost continuous pumping to get 2 litres of oil out.

I gather it helps if you remove the very narrow diameter wire probe and use the plastic part straight into the dipstick hole. Going to try that next year.

Thanks. Mine was much better before. 20 pumps and then leave it alone and it would suck out 6 litres in a couple of minutes. Something has changed.

 

[Poignard]

Cold oil?

 

[Ex-SolentBoy]

Cold oil?

No, it is the same with water and fuel. It's not that it doesn't suck, it just looses its vacuum and stops far too quickly.

 

[Salty John]

My thought, too. I once made the mistake of trying to suck out cold oil with a hand pump, just about impossible. Then I wised up and ran the engine for a bit and then it was easy.

 

[colvic987]

have a look at this post, might solve your problem..

http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?t=249433&highlight=pela+vacuum+extractor#

 

[Bosun Higgs]

air leak somewhere. there are only a few places it could be so just test them one by one

 

[Ex-SolentBoy]

air leak somewhere. there are only a few places it could be so just test them one by one

I guess so, but what are these places?
Could be around the top, at the base, the pressure relief valve, the air outlet in the base, the washer in the pressure tube, the sleeve that holds the handle shaft etc. Not easy to track down. I dismantled the whole thing and cleaned it and refitted it, but the problem is still there.

I guess I was hoping that someone would say "Happened to me, tighten the xxx and all will be well!"

I will probably just buy another and have one for spares.

 

[FullCircle]

Don't do that - find the air leak. Try greasing the top seal, and ensure the pump seal is working. You should be able to check the pump suction on your hand.

 

[Steve Clayton]

It is probably a minor blockage in the narrow pipe. Remove it and go to a pet shop, yes, a pet shop!!! (cos it's miles cheaper than Halfords) and buy some similar sized plastic pipe used for airiating fish tanks and try that.

Also I find that "suck, but slowly", works for me

 

[savageseadog]

Not a blockage perhaps but a small split in the sheathing of the nozzle tube? Pressurise it in a bucket of water and look for the bubbles.

 

[vertford]

I found that holding the pump onto the reservoir seemed to make things flow a bit better. Maybe that is where the weak point is? Might try the petshop trick next year.

 

[Ex-SolentBoy]

It is probably a minor blockage in the narrow pipe. Remove it and go to a pet shop, yes, a pet shop!!! (cos it's miles cheaper than Halfords) and buy some similar sized plastic pipe used for airiating fish tanks and try that.

Also I find that "suck, but slowly", works for me

Nice one, but I have already tried that. I keep tropical fish so have lots of tube. It's definitely a suck problem.

 

[Ex-SolentBoy]

Not a blockage perhaps but a small split in the sheathing of the nozzle tube? Pressurise it in a bucket of water and look for the bubbles.

I like this concept, but surely if the problem is loss of low pressure in the pump then the bubbles will be going in, rather than out. Will I still see them?

 

[Twister_Ken]

I managed to split the black spiral-wound part of the tube (my fault, not Pela's). The price of a replacement was eye-watering, so just cleaned up the pipe and put a coupe of wraps of self-amalgamanting tape around it. Works.

And there is a big difference between warm and cold oil.

 

[Steve Clayton]

There are 3 parts to the Pela; the tank, the lift pump, and the siphon tube - all with their individual components; rubbers. etc

Find some local who has got a working one; (yours appears to be the tube model) and substitute and locate the offending part and then the component (if possible leave the other guy with the bit that don't work!!)

 

[DavidMcMullan]

Mine developed a leak in the black outer coating that fits down the dip-stick hole. After trying to fix it unsuccessfully, I cut the damaged section off and it cured the problem. They also sell replacement tubes at Craythorne and de Tessier (http://www.cdet.co.uk/).

 

[Stork_III]

I like this concept, but surely if the problem is loss of low pressure in the pump then the bubbles will be going in, rather than out. Will I still see them?

savageseadog Said "pressurise" not depressurise. IE block end of tube and blow down it.

 

[Dave100456]

There is a small black, thin plastic washer that acts as a one-way valve; it is a push fit over a rivet shaped plastic projection at the top of the reservoir beneath the pump unit. Check to see if its split/leaking. Mine had a split and exhibited the same symptoms of yours. Let me know if you find a source of spare ones as I could not. I made a replacement from similar material.
Cheers
Dave