Oil And Fluids Replacement Using A Pump Through Dipstick Pipe

[Wallybally]

Hi,

Has anybody had any experience with getting the oil and transmission fluid out from the car by using the dipstick pipe and an electric pump ?

I have done this with my old Volvo, and works beautiful.

This saves me from having to get under My '91 LS without a lift.

Suggestions, anyone ?

Thanks.

[VBdenny]

Probably not as great as draining but with the new oils, can't see how it would hurt much. Probably a way all new cars will be going anyway since I think it is already the only way to change some transmissions fluids. Either way, better than not doing an oil change.

[Wallybally]

OK, thanks!

I'll be doing that.

Walter

[VBdenny]

Yeah Walter, Impossible to change oil on your car without ramps or a lift. I know because I have tried. Do it maybe a little more often but on a 91? you're good.

Denny

[Exhaustgases]

Marine supply places also have a hand vacuum pump with container that is designed to do what you say. I got one for around 80 they have cheaper ones too. This text box is not working right.

[Wallybally]

@ Denny : well it's the first time changing fluids now, since I got the car, so wish me luck...

@ Bob :

I got an electric pump that runs on the car battery. It's slow but steady. It will suck out 1 liter every 5 minutes.

The only thing I am concerned about is viscosity.

Engine oil needs to be somewhat warm ro get out with it, but not too hot or else it will destroy the pump.

Me thinks viscosity-wide, the transmission fluid should be cold to be at the same level ?

Walter

[1990LS400]

I don't understand the benefit of using a pump to remove the engine oil since the oil filter must be changed from below. I've changed engine oil and filter over 60 times on LS400's over a 24 year period and only had to raise the right sides of the cars a few inches to have enough room to drain the oil and replace the filter.

[Wallybally]

I understand where you're coming from.

But actually draining it from above saves me a lot of physical discomfort.

I don't want to be getting under there if I don't have to, my knees won't take it, my back will be aching for days...

And when it's drained, I can get a friend to get under it just to change the filter.

Does the transmission have a filter too ? Or is it just the magnets at the bottom of the pan ?

Thanks.

Walter

[VBdenny]

Leave the transmission alone for now, no filter just a screen inside. There IS a drain plug so when you are so motivated you can do a drain-fill-drive thing several times. I will promise you aches and pains from that one.

Run the engine up to temperature prior to changing oil. The pump isn't as good as the drain but far better than NOT changing the oil. Engine normally takes 5 3.4 qts but using a pump, maybe slightly less.

[billydpowell]

I'm just glad I'm old..... I just run down to the local garage and for 26 bucks they change my oil & filter.... I do it once a year, but we only put 4 to 5k on at our age..... a bargain for me

[Exhaustgases]

You need some good ramps, they are very handy and a nice floor jack helps too since there is no way to use the normal jack stands at the jack points on these cars I have a couple of little oak pieces with a small slot to fit the pinch weld the cuts are only about 1 mm deep and then I put that on top of other blocks, that is my ls jack stand system. To use jack stands you need good hard points if you try to use them on the pinch weld they will bend or cut into the floor. Unless there is a special hard plastic or wood on the top of them designed for holding the pinch weld.

[1990LS400]

... there is no way to use the normal jack stands at the jack points on these cars I have a couple of little oak pieces with a small slot to fit the pinch weld ...

My newest set of jack stands - labeled "MVP Pro-Lift 3 Ton" - has slots in the "saddles" for the pitch welds. I don't remember where I bought them but it was probably at a local chain store five or ten years ago.

I'm just glad I'm old..... I just run down to the local garage and for 26 bucks they change my oil & filter.... I do it once a year, but we only put 4 to 5k on at our age..... a bargain for me

I'm not nearly as old as you (!!!) but I'm thinking that my new Medicare card gives me license to start letting others change my oil.

It was easy to change engine oil and filters on our 90 and 00 LS400's and our 98 Camry but it's gotten much more difficult on recent vehicles made by Toyota due to the replaceable paper filters and oil filter housings that have their own drain plugs. It may even be impossible to change the oil in our Prius wagon without putting the car on a lift or on some super-high jack stands due to the length of the hinged access panel.

Two of the last three oil changes at Toyota dealerships have not gone well. A Toyota dealer dramatically overfilled the engine oil in our Prius (especially bad for an Atkinson cycle engine). A different Toyota dealer tightened the oil filter housing drain plug on our Sienna so tightly that I can't remove the plug even after removing the housing from the engine - same dealer that rotated my tires and tightened all the lug nuts to way over 150 ft. lbs.!

I've tried to avoid dealerships as much as possible. I've had quite a bit of minor damage done at dealerships - particularly by porters and cleanup people - over the years with my "favorite" being a Lexus dealership cleanup crew removing and misplacing the rear seat headrests from my 90 LS400 and then telling me that my LS400 didn't come with rear headrests. Duh!

[Exhaustgases]

I've always said if you want to keep a car nice, you have to keep other people away from it. Wow dealer removes head rests and lost em? Or did someone else need some? And yes isn't that something that people at the dealer that are suppose to know how to torque a bolt or what ever just grab the impact and hammer it down way past the proper torque. Maybe the manual should reflect the new values, when an impact is used.

[Wallybally]

Yeah. Dealerships suck...

First car I ever got was a Volvo 940, present from mom. The dealer was doing a full service each year on my old Volvo, charging about 1100, then when I started checking, they only did an oilcchange and the filter to go with that. Everything I checked, air filter, fuel filter, plugs, wires, belts, EVERYTHING had been in there from the factory. And the car was 10 years old...

Not going to a dealer for sure.

Only for the timing belt next year a have a little guy that does the work for a lot less.

He used to work at a Toyota dealership and knows what to do.

Thanks all.

Walter

[Exhaustgases]

Any shop can do that crooked stuff of saying they did it and really didn't touch it. Even the medical profession pads the bills.

And not only can they lie, but goof things up too both on purpose and not caring and rushing the job. Too many stories on the net about good running cars coming out of a shop that run crappy and or the engine or transmission is destroyed. And the out fit that can mess things up good is auto glass installers the one that everyone trusts and has no idea what is going on.