Oil Extractors

[Polestar]

:Ponder:Have any of you used a Pela oil extractor to change your transmission oil? (An oil extractor works by sucking the fluid out of the top, through the level indicator tube. It works for crankcase and transmission.)

I switched out my tranny oil about 6 months ago and used a Non-Mercedes fluid. I want to switch back to Mercedes AT fluid, but don't need to change the filter. Internals are clean. Since this is the case, it seems reasonable to simplify the job by just sucking out the old fluid and replacing with MB fluid.

Two concerns: Do the extractors, such as Pela 6000, provide tubing the right diameter and length to accomplish the job? Is one able to remove the same amount of fluid by extraction as standard method, i.e. under car?

[rollinrealbig]

me personally ... its not hard to drain the oil, pop the pan and replace the filter, put it all back together w/new tranny service kit and add the oil, of coarse I have easy access to a lift, drain barrel, all the tools and 1 hour parts delivery for almost half price, not to mention all the time in the world!

doing this in a garage w/out a lift is just suicide.

make this short - No i wouldnt use any oil extracters. besides ... how do YOU know if its clean on the inside ? better to be safe then sorry!

[Polestar]

how do YOU know if its clean on the inside ?

I hear what you're saying, and agree, however, I had the transmission oil changed the proper way just 6 months ago. This is the only reason I'd consider doing it the extractor method-besides the fact that I don't have the helps you do.
Still don't recommend it?
On a regular basis I was going to change my engine oil with the extractor. No good?

[rollinrealbig]

Ive never tried that extractor so I cant say if it works good or not. but when I think about it - when you unscrew the oil plug, all the oil just gushes out - carrying any small metal particles along, but when you have something that tries to pull the oil upwards it wont be as effective ... IMO.

ive asked my dad about this and heres what he told me, "the oil extracting tool is good for some cars EX. Ford since some of them dont have tranny oil drain plugs - so when a car comes in for a tranny service, the pan is opened up and you get 5-6quarts of hot oil everywhere, the tool is good for that sort of purpose because you extract most of the oil, then pop the pan and wont have oil spilling all over you, then complete the service be replacing the filter, gasket and assembling everything after its been cleaned".

so since our 202s have drain plugs, replacing just the oil and not the filter is not the best idea since you already used it for 6months, then when you put new oil in their ... how long are you going to keep that before your next service ? well just imagine your filter being 6months too old! money does play a role here since you have to pay for a service kit + oil + labor.

[rollinrealbig]

another thing id like to add, why would you want to spend money on this tool when you can unscrew the drain plug, let the oil out, put it back in and add the oil.

[jnenad16]

the extractor is very efficient for the motor oil, but if you want to replace the trans fluid, it wont suck out the fluid out of the converter, which holds the half of the system fluid. so you would have to get down and dirty if you want to get all of the fluid out. :D

nenad

[martattack]

Originally posted by jnenad16
the extractor is very efficient for the motor oil, but if you want to replace the trans fluid, it wont suck out the fluid out of the converter, which holds the half of the system fluid. so you would have to get down and dirty if you want to get all of the fluid out. :D

nenad

I agree with nenad. I use the oil extractor on my motor oil. Gets just about every drop out. However using it on the tranny won't cut it. I tried it just to see how much I could get out before I drained the pan, and it was only about half of the whole capacity

[rollinrealbig]

is it that hard for you guys to unscrew the drain plug and just let the oil out of the engine instead of buying an extractor ? LoL :rolleyes:

[benzaddict]

Originally posted by rollinrealbig
is it that hard for you guys to unscrew the drain plug and just let the oil out of the engine instead of buying an extractor ? LoL :rolleyes:
Ever heard of working smarter not harder? I have an extractor that I use every day at work, and it's so convenient that I bought one for home use as well. Granted, I most likely work on more cars at home than most, but an oil extractor is very useful for our cars. For those who don't know, MB's are engineered to have the oil extracted from the engine, that is why the dipstick tube meets nearly flush with the bottom of the sump. However using an extractor for the trans is not as effective, like the other guys said.

Anyone looking for a good extractor for cheap, check out Harbor Freight Tools. They have a green 15 gallon capacity unit that is perfect for our cars. The fitting fits perfectly into our dipstick tubes and it's only $130.

[jnenad16]

Originally posted by benzaddict

Anyone looking for a good extractor for cheap, check out Harbor Freight Tools. They have a green 15 gallon capacity unit that is perfect for our cars. The fitting fits perfectly into our dipstick tubes and it's only $130.
I got a 12V marine pump from harbor freight for about $35, then I bought the 1/2" NPT nippled adapters and few different sizes of tubing for different applications, works great. the pump comes with large power clips that you can connect to the battery or a power pack(which I prefer). I use oil change boxes for collection of fluid. everything works out well.

nenad

[benzaddict]

Originally posted by jnenad16
I got a 12V marine pump from harbor freight for about $35, then I bought the 1/2" NPT nippled adapters and few different sizes of tubing for different applications, works great. the pump comes with large power clips that you can connect to the battery or a power pack(which I prefer).

nenad
Yeah, come to think of it, the electric type pump might work better for most people. I forgot to mention that the $130 extractor is powered by compressed air, so if you don't have an air compressor forget about it.

[jnolte]

Originally posted by rollinrealbig
is it that hard for you guys to unscrew the drain plug and just let the oil out of the engine instead of buying an extractor ? LoL :rolleyes:

I also use a extractor, mine is a hand pressure system, not high tech at all but it gets all the old oil out. The first time i was skeptical so I crawled under and unbolted the drain plug, little to no oil at all came out.

[Polestar]

Thanks guys. Good info.
Extractor OK for engine oil. Not for use with tranny.
BTW, when to a transmission oil change -the standard method- is it possible to remove the oil from the torque converter?

[benzaddict]

Yup, there's a drain plug on the torques convertor just like the pan. You 'll have to turn the engine over by hand slowly until you see it through the access hole.

[irieite]

Originally posted by benzaddict
Yup, there's a drain plug on the torques convertor just like the pan. You 'll have to turn the engine over by hand slowly until you see it through the access hole.

Unfortunatey, they deleted the torque convertor drain plug starting with models produced in late 1999. :( Probably figured it was no longer needed because of the "filled for life" fluid. :rolleyes:

[jnolte]

Originally posted by irieite
Unfortunatey, they deleted the torque convertor drain plug starting with models produced in late 1999. :( Probably figured it was no longer needed because of the "filled for life" fluid. :rolleyes:

are you sure, i dont think you are right, a buddy of mine changes the fluid in his 1999 C43 all the time.....

[Polestar]

Unfortunatey, they deleted the torque convertor drain plug starting with models produced in late 1999

Irieite could be right; which explains someting to me. Six months ago I had the A/T fluid changed by a trusted mech. When I noticed he'd only used 6.5 quarts, I asked if he'd drained the torque converter. He claimed there was no drain plug. I didn't believe him and thought he'd missed it. Perhaps I was wrong?
BTW, the build dt. on mine is 2/99.

[jnolte]

Originally posted by Polestar
Irieite could be right; which explains someting to me. Six months ago I had the A/T fluid changed by a trusted mech. When I noticed he'd only used 6.5 quarts, I asked if he'd drained the torque converter. He claimed there was no drain plug. I didn't believe him and thought he'd missed it. Perhaps I was wrong?
BTW, the build dt. on mine is 2/99.


the drain is on one side of the converter, you have to manually spin the engine by hand and look into a little hole with a flashlight till you see the plug, he could of very well missed it. Is he a Mercedes tech?

[Polestar]

Is he a Mercedes tech?

Yes. He's an old time Mercedes mech from Germany. Works almost exclusively on MBs
In fact, you may go to him-cause he's up around your area.
Ernie Schmidt of Automeister II. He recently move from Kirkland to up off Hwy 18.

I'm going to check with the dealer about my car. Certainly if I give them the vin, they s/b able to tell me if I have a plug for the torque conver.

[benzaddict]

Originally posted by irieite
Unfortunatey, they deleted the torque convertor drain plug starting with models produced in late 1999. :( Probably figured it was no longer needed because of the "filled for life" fluid. :rolleyes:

This is actually true guys. I didn't think it was as early as 1999, I was thinking more ike 2002, but yes MB has stopped putting drain plugs in the convertors. It's kind of hit and miss as far as which cars have it and which don't.

Polestar, if Ernie said yours doesn't have a drain plug believe him, he's been around for a quite a while and knows these cars well.

[jnolte]

Originally posted by benzaddict
This is actually true guys. I didn't think it was as early as 1999, I was thinking more ike 2002, but yes MB has stopped putting drain plugs in the convertors. It's kind of hit and miss as far as which cars have it and which don't.

Polestar, if Ernie said yours doesn't have a drain plug believe him, he's been around for a quite a while and knows these cars well.


wow, dident know that, dident paul change his fluid completley and his c43 is a 99

[benzaddict]

Originally posted by jnolte
wow, didn't know that, dident paul change his fluid completley and his c43 is a 99

Yup, Paul's C43 has a drain. Like I said I remember it being more like 2002 when they started disappearing, but the years kind of blend together as I get older.:)

[Polestar]

if Ernie ....... been around for a quite a while and knows these cars well.

That's my impression, and why I drive up from the south sound to have Ernie service my car. Still, he may have assumed it didn't have one, so didn't check for it.? My feeling is if the torque converter does have a plug, that’s great-if not-great. I may do this oil change myself (I have access to a lift) to get a definitive answer.

[Polestar]

Here's a copy from the repair manual for my car. Guess what-Ernie goofed-my torque converter has a drain plug.

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c358/Instruktor/Tranny722.jpg