Oil change with the right tools

kingfisher

kingfisher

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Right. Untill last weekend I had a Volv* penta 2001 and a silly little hand pump to pump out the oil. For those who don't know: the only way to get the oil out of a VP 2001 is through the miniscule hole of the dip stick. Minor design flaw, and it is not as if people regularly need to change their oil *duh*.
Untill last week I needed four hands to change the oil:
1. to hold the pump
2. to pump
3. to stabilise the container
4. to keep the tube in the dip stick hole

Either way, an oil change usually ended up in more oil on my clothes and floorboards than in the container.

All that changed. I bought a PELA 6000 oil extractor. Just slide the tube in the hole and pump a vacuum in the reservoir. Wait a few minutes and bob's your uncle.

No connection with PELA whatsoever, just wanted to point out a piece of kit that actually does what it says on the packaging.

My engine is now purring with fresh oil. Two weeks to go 'till the sailing season starts!
 
The Pela pump is also great for emptying Diesel tanks for a clean out. I do not know how most serious owners can do without one.
Best thing I bought for ages.
PS: I have no connections to Pela, just agree an excellant product
 
Me too. I bought one last autumn for the oil change and wondered why I took so long to get one. Since then I have used it to speed up draining the fuel tank, although it took a lot of cycles of draining and emptying as I only have the 5 litre model.

I got mine from that "fresh breeze" chandlery and expected a Pela, but it was a Seago type that came. Seems to work OK though.
 
Quite a coincidence, yesterday I used my brand new Pela 6000 for an oil change and I was very disappointed! But it was my first time. Here's my version...
Warm up engine for 5-10mins. Outside temp 25C. Oil becomes warm but not hot. The extraction hose is about 60cm plastic and 60cm flexible metal tube like a bicycle brake cable outer. My motor is a Volvo D2-55 which holds 10lt of oil. It has a separate oil extraction tube but only slightly larger than the dip stick tube.

I put the pump snout/tube into the extraction tube and pump the suggested 10-20 times but nothing much happens. after a minute or 2 a lazy flow of oil goes into the 6000 reservoir. I pump a few more times but it is very slow. It took at least 10 mins for the first litre so I pumped a bit more, there seemed plenty of pressure/vacuum by the resistance to the pumping. Not much further action and no sound/or sign of extracting air.

I quit with the 6000 and pulled out the old hand pump. It worked better but did pull a bit of air from time to time so I sealed the gap between the extraction pipe and the pipe from the pump and it went much quicker until it couldn't reach the oil anymore, probably because of the diameter of the pump pipe. As I figured there was still about 2lt left in there somewhere I went back to the 6000 and stuck it in the dipstick hole and could hear the metal part of the hose hit the bottom of the sump pan. Pumped up again and then went off to do other jobs. After about half an hour I found it had finally pulled almost all the rest of the oil out and just need a few more strokes.

Leaving the boat I was disappointed in the 6000 thinking it would lay at rest in my garage at home but the thin ended hose was perfect for getting into the bottom of the sump so I figured it has a life. However I really expected it to do the whole extraction job in say 15mins, not 1hr.

Am I asking too much? Is the handy flexible metal part of the pump pipe too small and therefore too much resistance? Have I done something wrong. Are there other secrets?

Ah just thought of something! When first using the 6000, the dip stick was still in (it has a pretty good seal) and the rocker-cover filler cap lid was on. Is it possible I was trying to suck oil out and creating a negative pressure - but there was clearance around the 6000 tube in the extraction point that air could get back to the sump as evidenced later when using the hand pump, so I doubt that was an issue.

All hints entertained. Right now it looks like the money spent on the Pela would have been better spent on a mechanic with an electric pump.
 
I have found my smaller PELA (I forget the number it has) to be excellent, as long as the engine is warm. I see that Nauticalia is doing them for just under £20 at the moment. As well as lots of oil changes, I've used it to suck up diesel and water from the bilge and it's never failed. (I'm not a shareholder or anything, just find it a useful bit of kit).

If your new one is not doing its stuff, have you checked that it is developing a vacuum when you pump it? Try it with a bucket of water. Typically with mine when it has sucked out all the oil you then hear air rushing into the pipe as the vacuum discharges. It may be that your new one has a defective seal?

Martin
 
It does take a while for the oil to be sucked through the little tube, that's true. That's the bad news. The good news is you can do other stuff while it sucks away. So put in the tube, create a vacuum and then go off and do other stuff (beer!).
 
GYPSY
I had the same exactly the experience when I was laying up. Couldn't get all the oil out. I have had the pump for a few years and it has worked perfectly before. I think the problem is the oil is not getting hot enough. Like you I let it warm up for 10 mins or so at tick over speed whereas previously the engine had been working hard for a while. I suggest you give it another go because when it works it is a great tool.

Martin
 
Sounds like I nearly got it right, I went away and did other stuff but it was too early for a beer (an Aussie said that!!!!). From other comments, it seems I should get the oild hotter and thinner if I want a speedy result.

Thanks for the input from yourself and others.
 
Ray - I do not use the Pela unit but on the D2-55 it is best to use a larger diameter pipe which fits OVER the extraction tube and you do need to have the oil filler cap removed to get the oil out properly.
Richard
 
[ QUOTE ]
Ray - I do not use the Pela unit but on the D2-55 it is best to use a larger diameter pipe which fits OVER the extraction tube and you do need to have the oil filler cap removed to get the oil out properly.
Richard

[/ QUOTE ]

I have the D1-30 which has the same (I assume) oil extraction tube: how do you get the cap off? Is it push fit, screw on or what? I used the Pela, actually (worked fine, needed a quick trip at cruisng revs to get to temperature) through the dip-stick hole but it would be nice to know...

MD
 
My D2-55 extraction tube has a push fit black plastic cap. It took a bit of getting off, even pressure under the edges.

Thanks for the note about success with hotter oil. I think that was a key factor for my initial disappointment.

One thing I noticed was the extraction tube goes to what is probably the original drain plug in the sump pan with a side entry whats-it. The trouble is this is on a shelf of the pan which is about 25mm higher than the lowest point so there will inevitably be some oil left, possibly a litre or so. The dipstick tube goes down into the area where the pan is at its deepest so I did the final suck from there and I know it was empty after that.

In the end, it looks like a larger diameter tube with the extraction pipe then the "anteater" nose through the dipstick tube if you want to get all of the oil out (on the D2-55 anyway).
 
[ QUOTE ]
Is it possible I was trying to suck oil out and creating a negative pressure

[/ QUOTE ] The crankcase breather will allow the air in. I've not removed a filler cap when draining oil from a car engine yet!
 
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