Oil change

[eddystone]

My Pela used to take forever to extract oil from VP2002 (and even longer to extract oil from Discovery 3 V6). I think problem was it couldn't maintain a vacuum. Built in extractor on Beta replacement engine is magic so Pela now strictly for sampling fuel at bottom of tank.

 

[Rappey]

this the sort of thing you are all talking about

Yes. They all appear the same regardless who is selling other than different colours so buy the cheapest..
Ive had mine quite a while and pumped a lot of oil in and out including thicker gearbox and different oils . It's a little leaky now and not really repairable so I just keep it in a plastic box.
When it dies I will move from the £12 version and try the more powerful £25 version.

 

[Plum]

I should have asked this decades ago.

What do other people use to pump the oil out of a Diesel engine prior to changing the filters and replenishing the oil.

I have used a pump, a bit like a short bicycle pump, with two tubes, one sucks the oil out the other pumps that same oil into a receptacle for disposal. The device seems designed for someone with at least 3 hands and is desperately slow (and messy) even with the oil warm. One tube is pushed down through the dip stick hole, though there is a separate hole with a rubber cap that can be used (Volvo MD2020). The discharge pipe is a bit bigger, and much shorter and pumps into whatever plastic container with a screw top I have to hand, large milk bottle.

I note the professionals use a big version that seems to have the discharge incorporated within the device. I'm sure these are expensive.

I'm looking for a cheap option, or do I have what everyone uses and there is no better.

I ask as I have 2 engines to service - and its not a task I look forward to - simply because its messy, takes so long (and I'm losing the flexibility I used to have of a young and agile monkey).

Thanks.

Jonathan

As an alternative to the existing suggestions, if you already have a cordless drill, I have been using one of these for the past 6 years. Axminster Drill Pump

www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk

 

[Spirit (of Glenans)]

My not-at-all-a-chinese-pela-copy is as happy sucking vile sludge out of the bilge as it is sucking sump oil; try that with your leccy pump.

I used the my Pela to get seawater out from under a moulded inner lining. Unfortunately The metal reinforcement in the tube then rusted and punctured the outer lining. I was able to get a replacement, but I now use a Lidl 12v pump. I have seen similar ones for sale online at prices not much more than Lidl.

 

[Adios]

is desperately slow (and messy) even with the oil warm.

Make the oil warmer. Its like water when hot.

The hassle with the suction method is what to do with the long suction tubes. It takes ages before they stop dripping oil. I stand them up over something for a day to catch the oil then plug the ends with tissue paper. Its all quite a faff. But since I stripped a sump plug thread once I prefer this risk free method

 

[ithet]

I use the small Pela. Pump a few times to create vacuum then get on with something else. Usually have to do a bit more pumping to re-pressure before all oil is out. The thing with the Pela is that the pump is just a simple air pump, no oil goes through it so no chance of the pump leaking over you. The oil is just drawn out a tube by vacuum pressure into the built in container. The oil is then in the container ready for tipping away.

 

[ithet]

Make the oil warmer. Its like water when hot.

The hassle with the suction method is what to do with the long suction tubes. It takes ages before they stop dripping oil. I stand them up over something for a day to catch the oil then plug the ends with tissue paper. Its all quite a faff. But since I stripped a sump plug thread once I prefer this risk free method

I just coil them up with the two ends pointing upwards, and put the coils upright in the original box beside the Pela (3l).

 

[Moodysailor]

I worked as a marine engineer for many, many years. The electric pumps are handy, but always end up making a mess or failing at some point. My favourite was always the Pela extractor - not a knock-off though - the genuine one last years, and is largely mess-free.

The key is to make sure you run the engines until the oil is warm enough to flow well - this will have the added benefit of suspending and small particles in the oil also. Bear in mind, that warm on the coolant gauge is unlikely to be warm for the oil as it takes a lot longer to warm up that the coolant. With our engine (6 cyl Perkins), depending on the time of year it's a good 20-40 mins under load at the pontoon.

You have a cat, so this won't be so easy, but a dedicated oil extraction pump, permanently plumbed into the engines and gearboxes would be a good idea if you are serious about maintenance. It will make life so much easier in the long run, and you can even have a spare "roving hose" for things like bilge extraction, etc. Something like the below would be easy enough to put together. A tip on this is to have isolating valves at the engine/gearbox as well as the pump inlet - that way you can't inadvertently drain the wrong one, and if a hose were to fail it won't dump the oil in the bilge.

For added bonus you can rig a 2-way switch to reverse the pump so it can be used to fill as well as drain.

 

[Adios]

I just coil them up with the two ends pointing upwards, and put the coils upright in the original box beside the Pela (3l).

Then its storage space. Once I've drained and plugged mine I hang it on the wall. The suction method isn't without its downside anyway, either space or hassle

 

[Moodysailor]

I just coil them up with the two ends pointing upwards, and put the coils upright in the original box beside the Pela (3l).

Same here. I squirt a little bit of cleaner down them to remove the worst of the oil, wrap the ends in a rag and put them in a heavy-duty large ziploc bag until they are next needed. Takes 5 mins during the rest of the cleanup.

 

[dankilb]

If you have other vehicles to maintain, a workshop (or shed) to store it, or difficult to access areas requiring 'extraction' on the boat - the Pela is still well worth it. I've only given mine a basic clean with brake cleaner (probably not very kind to it!) and it still works 'like new'.

What's great about the Pela is it can be modified simply to do a range of other things (such as bleed brakes) and it will suck cold, viscous, fluids - such as gear oil - if you need to (which I reckon would break those eBay leccy pumps).

OTOH, the leccy pumps are also great! And cheap enough to be disposable. I'd always have one on board now. A huge advantage is that they can also shift diesel and we've found it'll do this relatively quickly (gallon a minute maybe) and keep going continuously through large quantities (even though the instructions included do say to give it a rest every X minutes). If you break it, throw it (or gut it for parts) and get another one.

 

[jwilson]

I have had a cheap fake Pela football-shaped one, worked but annoyngly the pump kept coming off the top, so you had to use one hand to hold it one. Now have a tubular genuine Pela - much better.

 

[emandvee44]

The vote seems to lean, quite heavily, toward a 12v pump.

I've just had a look. They seem as cheap as chips (so I don't understand why I did not buy one 20 years ago!)

Is this the sort of thing you are all talking about

Car Engine Oil Pump 12V Electric Auto Oil Fluid Sump Extractor Scavenge Pump AU 676458810111 | eBay

Jonathan

I bought the same from Ebay/china. My first one was from Lidl, but I destroyed it. Note: Do not use it for pumping Rydlime!
With hot oil it can shift 10L in 10 - 15 mins.
M.

 

[Channel Sailor]

Small pela good on a swinging mooring, no power required.

 

[Oily Rag]

I should have asked this decades ago.

What do other people use to pump the oil out of a Diesel engine prior to changing the filters and replenishing the oil.

I have used a pump, a bit like a short bicycle pump, with two tubes, one sucks the oil out the other pumps that same oil into a receptacle for disposal. The device seems designed for someone with at least 3 hands and is desperately slow (and messy) even with the oil warm. One tube is pushed down through the dip stick hole, though there is a separate hole with a rubber cap that can be used (Volvo MD2020). The discharge pipe is a bit bigger, and much shorter and pumps into whatever plastic container with a screw top I have to hand, large milk bottle.

I note the professionals use a big version that seems to have the discharge incorporated within the device. I'm sure these are expensive.

I'm looking for a cheap option, or do I have what everyone uses and there is no better.

I ask as I have 2 engines to service - and its not a task I look forward to - simply because its messy, takes so long (and I'm losing the flexibility I used to have of a young and agile monkey).

Thanks.

Jonathan

If you look at the Beta website you will see that in marinising their engine, they have added a simple plunger-type pump. It takes suction from the bottom of the sump, has an isolating valve and discharges to a standard size nipple that takes a piece of hose.

Changing the oil takes as long as connecting the hose, opening the valve and pumping into last year's empty container. I can do the whole thing, filter included in 15 minutes, with no mess at all. Apart from what I spill when I fill the new filter with oil!

 

[madabouttheboat]

Ignore all the other advice. Just pay my travel costs and I'll come and do it for free. In fact i'll even supply the oil and filters. Given the distance, I might need putting up. I think two weeks should do it.

 

[Norman_E]

I used a genuine Pela 6000, and it was always fine for the job. The only issue is that its slow because the oil has to come through what is just like plastic covered spring curtain wire. It loses vacuum slowly, but just pump it every few minutes and the job gets done.

 

[pandos]

Genuine pella ...have it more than 20 years used for all sorts...keep it in a fertilizer bag no mess. I also have one of those cheap pumps from Lifl but never really liked it ...always managed to make a mess with it, but to be fair it is a great way to pump in the new oil.

 

[mattonthesea]

Thanks to Neeves for starting this thread and all the rest for the info. Just bought one of these:
Electric 60W 12V Transfer Pump Extractor Oil Fluid Diesel Car Motorbik
£9.89
and used it for the first time. Wow! Less than 30s to empty the 2l and that maybe because I didn't realise that it had done it so fast. The tube to the Penta 2020 extraction pipe collapsed so I thought it had blocked. No, it was clear; just empty. Now I feel cheated that I've spent a tenner on something I'll only use every 100 hours ?

One step closer to our summer cruise.

 

[bluerm166]

Used my well designed and robust 6L Pela to extract engine oil and last year to extract diesel from my fuel tank when it needed a thorough clean .
Its very easy to decant from and handling can be as easy as adding oil to the filler cap.
Always wash it and whatever variety of tubing employed through with water and detergent and its ready for the next deployment.
Great product.