> from around 10 years ago. The filters are pattern ones. On the other hand,
> at least they weren't sucking the oil out through the dipstick tube last
> time I went...
>>> Have now decided to stop changing the engine oil myself (toyota
>>> corolla) and will pay for a garage to do it.
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> dipstick hole because of bad experiences with stripped threads in
> sump plugs holes.
Usually due to ham-fistedness.
> Its not what I'd do, but what's wrong with the dipstick method anyway?
> If you are not going to remove the sump to clean it out, might as
> well leave sleeping dogs lie.
Letting the oil drain through the sump plug hole allows the force of the
emptying oil to force more of crap that builds up in the sump to escape and
leaves less old oil in the sump galleries to cause problems - and I would be
rather annoyed if I saw a garage sucking the stuff out through the dipstick
hole!
BTW, on many vehicles you have to carry out major works to remove the sump -
and in some vehicles, the sump is actually the gearbox case.
Unbeliever
Mrcheerful - 22 Jul 2009 19:14 GMT
>>>> Have now decided to stop changing the engine oil myself (toyota
>>>> corolla) and will pay for a garage to do it.
[quoted text clipped - 23 lines]
>
> Unbeliever
It can't be so bad a system since some cars can only be drained via the
dipstick hole (such as Mercedes Smart cars)
Unbeliever - 22 Jul 2009 19:23 GMT
>>>>> Have now decided to stop changing the engine oil myself (toyota
>>>>> corolla) and will pay for a garage to do it.
[quoted text clipped - 26 lines]
> It can't be so bad a system since some cars can only be drained via
> the dipstick hole (such as Mercedes Smart cars)
Bloody hell Mrcheerful, you must have been reading my mind to reply that
fast! LOL
But I'm not rich enough to own a Merc (and got more sense to anyway) and not
small enough to own a Smart car (nor do I want to) - and I believe that
'modern' is not always best in the car market.
Unbeliever
A.Clews@DENTURESsussex.ac.uk - 27 Jul 2009 13:36 GMT
> It can't be so bad a system since some cars can only be drained via the
> dipstick hole (such as Mercedes Smart cars)
Think yourself lucky you don't have to tip the vehicle upside down to drain
the oil out (through the filler plug), as is the case with my lawnmower ;-)

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Duncan Wood - 22 Jul 2009 19:30 GMT
>>>> Have now decided to stop changing the engine oil myself (toyota
>>>> corolla) and will pay for a garage to do it.
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
>
> Usually due to ham-fistedness.
Snag is it's normally the person who did it up who was ham fisted, you
only find out when you undo it & the thread comes with it :-(.
Although it's an excuse to own another size of helicoil :-)
>> Its not what I'd do, but what's wrong with the dipstick method anyway?
>> If you are not going to remove the sump to clean it out, might as
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> and
> leaves less old oil in the sump galleries to cause problems
Why would that work better than (or differently from) the vacuum on the
end of the pipe?
> - and I would be
> rather annoyed if I saw a garage sucking the stuff out through the
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
>
> Unbeliever
Harry Bloomfield - 22 Jul 2009 21:45 GMT
It happens that Duncan Wood formulated :
> Why would that work better than (or differently from) the vacuum on the end
> of the pipe?
Well, the pipe which goes down through the dip stick hole would have to
be much narrower than the bore of the drain plug. The drain plug will
more likely be at a low point of the sump, aiding the oil dragging out
the rubbish with it. The sucker pipe will only work while ever it's tip
is well covered and the viscosity of the oil will break the suction a
few mm before it is genuininly all drained out - whereas a sump plug
can be left out until it all stops dripping.

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Duncan Wood - 22 Jul 2009 21:55 GMT
> It happens that Duncan Wood formulated :
>> Why would that work better than (or differently from) the vacuum on the
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> few mm before it is genuininly all drained out - whereas a sump plug can
> be left out until it all stops dripping.
You can touch the bottom on most sumps & if you've got bits bigger than
the end of the tube floating about in your oil then it's far too &
they're not going to come out with the oil anyway. You don't need to have
the end well covered, it's a pump not a syphon.
Harry Bloomfield - 22 Jul 2009 22:01 GMT
Duncan Wood wrote :
> You can touch the bottom on most sumps & if you've got bits bigger than the
> end of the tube floating about in your oil then it's far too & they're not
> going to come out with the oil anyway. You don't need to have the end well
> covered, it's a pump not a syphon.
Pump or syphon it will cause a localised dip in the oil level around
it's tip and start to suck air, leaving quite a bit of oil it cannot
suck out. Try draining a wide based glass of water via a straw without
tipping the glass, to get the idea.

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Duncan Wood - 22 Jul 2009 22:06 GMT
> Duncan Wood wrote :
>> You can touch the bottom on most sumps & if you've got bits bigger than
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> suck out. Try draining a wide based glass of water via a straw without
> tipping the glass, to get the idea.
The same applies to the sump plug. If you're actually that worried about
cross contamination you'd run flushing oil through it anyway.
Harry Bloomfield - 22 Jul 2009 22:10 GMT
Duncan Wood used his keyboard to write :
>> Duncan Wood wrote :
>>> You can touch the bottom on most sumps & if you've got bits bigger than
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
> The same applies to the sump plug. If you're actually that worried about
> cross contamination you'd run flushing oil through it anyway.
True but not quite to the same extent as would apply to suction,
because gravity is working with you, rather than against you.

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http://www.ukradioamateur.co.uk
Dave Plowman (News) - 22 Jul 2009 23:09 GMT
> > Pump or syphon it will cause a localised dip in the oil level around
> > it's tip and start to suck air, leaving quite a bit of oil it cannot
> > suck out. Try draining a wide based glass of water via a straw without
> > tipping the glass, to get the idea.
> The same applies to the sump plug. If you're actually that worried about
> cross contamination you'd run flushing oil through it anyway.
But what do you flush the remnants of the flushing oil out with?

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Duncan Wood - 23 Jul 2009 00:24 GMT
>> > Pump or syphon it will cause a localised dip in the oil level around
>> > it's tip and start to suck air, leaving quite a bit of oil it cannot
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
>
> But what do you flush the remnants of the flushing oil out with?
Triche :-)
Blah - 22 Jul 2009 19:39 GMT
>>>> Have now decided to stop changing the engine oil myself (toyota
>>>> corolla) and will pay for a garage to do it.
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
> Letting the oil drain through the sump plug hole allows the force of the
> emptying oil to force more of crap that builds up in the sump
Isn't 'eradicating crap' the job of the oil filter, rather than a
function of how fast oil swirls out of a hole..
Been a long while since I changed car oil but there never was much crap
in the oil, BUT a look at the magnetic plug theoretically gave warning
of problems if swarf appeared.
Dave Plowman (News) - 22 Jul 2009 23:07 GMT
> Letting the oil drain through the sump plug hole allows the force of the
> emptying oil to force more of crap that builds up in the sump to escape
> and leaves less old oil in the sump galleries to cause problems - and I
> would be rather annoyed if I saw a garage sucking the stuff out through
> the dipstick hole!
I've been changing my own oil for more years than I care to admit to - and
have never seen any 'crap' come out with the last few drops. Or at least
not on a car which has been regularly serviced.

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Conor - 22 Jul 2009 23:33 GMT
> I've been changing my own oil for more years than I care to admit to - and
> have never seen any 'crap' come out with the last few drops. Or at least
> not on a car which has been regularly serviced.
<aol>
Me neither and I've done some real high milers
</aol>

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