built my own topsider!!
 

well- i finally made my own unit-
i used a pressure tank from an under sink RO water purifier system, and use my veggy sucker /window A/C unit to pull vac. it works great, but is kinda slow. I am using 1/4" vinyl from icemaker for a pickup tube. all free parts.

i pulled the bladder out of tank, and removed the schrader valve. i will install a needle valve, to keep things clean if it gets knocked over. i thought of using a 20 lb propane tank, that would be easy, but i stumbled opun this, and it works great.

what is the OD on a real topsider tube?

well, no more getting under the car in the middle of winter to do an oil change:D :D

all i can say is LAZY:D

I still prefer to crawl under my car and get ALL the oil out of the pan. :)

It's been argued till blue in the face that using either method, topsider or drain plug, will NOT get all of the oil out of the engine. Some tests have shown that the topsider, the method which the MB dealers have used since 1972 when MB designed the engine's oil dipstick tube to go all the way to the bottom of the sump with this oil change method in mind, gets 200-500ml more oil out of a level oil pan than the drain plug method.

Even still. I have my pride. I would get laughed out of the shop if I were to use one of those for something as simple as an oil change.

Window A/C unit to pull vac.?? How does that work?

I use a topsider for the generator oil changes, the plug is nearly on the floor. :rolleyes: Same goes for small engine with hard to reach or messy output plugs.

Multi Use Pump at Big Lots $5.99
 

Just bought a multi use pump (including oil and gas) from Big Lots for only $5.99.
Just wanted to pass this along to anyone who might be thinking of buying one.

I'm switching over on the SD. Topsiders rule! No need to get under a dirty oily car, priceless.:cool:


They get enough oil out, did it on the S320. Manual said took almost 8 quarts, thats what came out and thats what went back in.

well, it took a little more oil to get the mark up where it usually is when i change the oil, so i must be getting more out. i do not think it is worth the danger of loosening the cooler lines to get that oil out.


when you need to lay on sub zero concrete to change your oil, you may tend to put it off... not me anymore.

the first pic is my wvo sucker





http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...z/DSCN0021.jpg

next, the tube down the dipstick hole(wifes car, its raining outside on the benz)


http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...z/DSCN0651.jpg

this is the AC compressor- one line sucks, the other blows
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...z/DSCN0649.jpg

heres the topsider- easy build. i can attach the other line from the compressor to the schrader valve and push the oil out. right now i need to turn it upsidedown to empty it, but i plan on adding a draw tube to the bottom. an old gas grill tank would work as well.

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...z/DSCN0648.jpg

Compressor Lube?
 

Does the AC compressor need oil added periodically? Just thought there was normally oil in the system. That is what stopped me from trying to use a frig compressor.

who cares- they are free.

The idea is appealing, but for me I just gotta drain the oil. If nothing else it gets me under the car to check other things......and I have found other things.

Yowzer
 

Why in the world would anyone risk loosening the oil cooler lines just to change the bloody oil? :eek: :confused:

Wow. There is maintenance, over-maintenance, and obsession! :D :D

I don't see getting a few extra ounces of oil out of there as worth the trouble or risk. Even if there's some oil left in there (of course, there is) it's soon to be diluted with eight quarts of fresh stuff.

Very cool!

I had wanted to buy a pela (http://www.pelaproducts.com/) when i read about tdiclub memebers using it. Because it isnt easy changing oil in the passat:mad:

Plus these things are more efficent in draining more oil then letting it drip out from the drain in the oil pan.

I use a topsider myself, but I have a hard time believing they actually get more (unless by 'efficient' you're just talking about the time it takes) oil out than using the drain plug would. I've always figured it's the same, or that at worst the topsider would get about 100 ml less out.

How would they get more? I guess I could picture a very thin layer of oil that maybe wouldn't drain, but it would have to be a pretty miniscule amount, I would think.

I typically guesstimate that I have about 400 ml left in the oil cooler lines (based on the dipstick reading), which seems consistent with what others have said they think they have.

There were tests on the tdiclub, comparison of the old fashion drain from the plug at the bottom. And compared that to sucking out the oil with the pela. If i remember correctly or if i can find the thread it was said that the pela can take out more oil due to the fact that you can suck out oil from the oil filter housing and the oil cooler which gets out more oil.

Otherwise it would be no different just easier, but i would like to get one for the passat. That car is a nightmare to change oil, the MB's are simple.

I don't think it possible that topsiders get out more oil. And I don't think many dealers do it. In my experience it's not easier, it's more difficult all things considered. (Of course I discard belly pans.) I have been trying to get my hands on this study for many years with no luck. It's quoted over and over again but no one seems to have a copy of it. I suspect it's being badly misquoted if it exists at all.

Study?

A topsider is pretty easy. And you don't have to worry about stripping anything on the oil pan.

Man! I don't know if it's because I used to change the oil on my w115 300d, but changing the oil on a w123 or w126 is so easy its almost fun! I never spend more than a minute on the ground, and I can reach the plug without having to get all the way underneath the car. I guess if you have cold weather and snow a topsider makes sense.

well, I got the idea from a friend which works in a marina- changing oil on boats is a PITA, and anmore you cant just let it go in the bilge, so they have a unit that they paid upwards of $400 for. i said well i can build one cheaper-or free. i already have one for grease. searched around a bit and found topsiders, pretty cool.

more or less, it gets all the oil out. push the tube in, start the vac, walk away. same as crawling under, except you dont. as one gets older, you dont find the joy of squirming around under a car. although the 123 drain plug is extremly easy to get at.

Well if we want to talk boats now...:D

Smaller engines like gas 454, 502 and down you suck it out of the dipstick, since you just can't get to the oil pan drain plug. Doesn't seem to affect the life span of these engines in any way. New oil stays clear for a long time, and you usualy get whatever the crank capacity is out.

Now if you want to talk about larger engines most of them have an oil change system built in. Mostly this consists of pumps, usualy they draw off the bottom of the oil pan. Its somewhat automatic, ie you pump the crankcase empty and then pump it full. Filling up an engine that holds 10 gallons of oil a quart at a time is well, not happening.:D

But anyway I cannot see any negative affect of sucking oil out of the dipstick. I have never run across a negative, doesn't seem to affect engine life.

every day america gets lazier.

AMEN!


"every day america gets lazier"
That can be debated but as for top siders... just another tool to do a job. I suppose you'ld prefer a shovel to a back hoe?

That's not lazy. Lazy is when you don't even change the oil because you don't feel like it and end up destroying the engine.

You mean like my grandpa did to his ford pick up truck back in the 80's :D

yup, when planting a tree:D

as far as never changing the oil goes, that sounds like a blue ranger thought:rolleyes:

Heres a post I made on a sailing website a few months back. It involves a Topsider, which I consider to be one of the largest POS I have ever used. Enjoy.

Yesterday I rowed out to the E38 with my little crappy fiberglass tub as the Achilles is in for repair. Loaded to the gunwhales with oil, tools and a borrowed electric oil changing bucket sucker thingy. Warmed up the engine, removed all the access panels and inserted the suction tube into the dipstick hole. Attached to the house batteries and hit the switch. The pump comes on, oil starts to flow up the tube, away we go. I went and fiddled with the mooring pendants, etc. to keep myself busy. A couple of minutes later I check and no oil is being pumped. Hmmmm, everything looks okay. Fiddle with the damned thing for almost an hour to finally diagnose that the electric vane pump is shot. Not pumping. Only got out maybe two quarts. Sigh, load up the tub and row back to shore.

On way home stop at Boaters World to purchase a Topsider vacuum oil pump as I have heard they work great.

Today, load up crappy dinghy and row out to the E38 again. Warm up engine again. Assemble Topsider, insert dipstick suction tube, and the thing starts sucking out the oil. I went and fiddled with something else for a while. When I returned, no oil in the Topsider. Hmmmm, I can hear a faint hissing when the pump is pumped up. Close inspection shows the little fitting where the hose enters the Topsider has been crimped on off-center and it leaks air. Since air moves through even small holes pretty quickly the Topsider will not hold a vacuum for more than 15seconds or so and then it needs to be pumped up again. Great. Well at least its sucking oil out so now I just resign myself to working that damned hand pump continuously so the oil keeps sucking out. About 5 minutes into this ordeal the handle for the pump pops off in my hand! Great! Fantastic! Fetch vicegrips and lock on to stub sticking out of pump and keep on pumping.

About 45minutes later the suction tube starts making that "bottom of the milkshake" noise so I can collapse and stop the upper body workout of keeping that pump moving. Change oil filter, get oil EVERYWHERE, refill crankcase and test run. All is good. Load up tub and row back to shore. Dump Topsider contents in used oil barrel.

Return to Boaters World. I paid cash for the silly Topsider and after that ordeal I don't want it. Boaters World wouldn't give me cash back as they said they can't return the Topsider to the manufacturer as there is some residual oil in it. Hazardous Material that used oil is, donachaknow.... Had to take a store credit. Complete BS IMHO.

Will be making an oil change pumpout pump with a manual barrel pump and some reducer fittings so I can hook directly to the sump hose and pump it that way.

Must it always be so difficult? Kinda funny looking back at it. RT