mityvac, MB diesel owners hero.

[whunter]

We all know how much you need one of these.
Many have asked why it did not come standard with the car.

Can you live without it, or an off brand one like it?

Our hero:
http://www.mityvac.com/

To those who asked "Many have asked why it did not come
standard with the car."

As with all manufactures they expect you to have the car
serviced and repaired by the dealerships maintenance department.
This is especially true when the car is still under waranty.
Unless you could prove that you where a mechanic yourself
dealerships rarely agreed to let a customer perform his/her
own maintenance.

Also dealerships won't encourage, in any way, customers
performing their own maintenance, since this takes away
income for the dealership.
And this also keeps you vehicle closer to stock.
The use of OEM parts(which usually are of higher quality)
will ensure that your vehicle performs to the best of its ablilty.

Of course they didn't know that 20 years later they wouldn't have
a mechanic capable of servicing an old vehicle.

Louis.

[Hatterasguy]

Couldn't fix the SDL without one!

Whunter, What's a reasonable price on the MiniVac's?

[whunter]

Originally Posted by 300SDLTOM

Whunter, What's a reasonable price on the MiniVac's?

I have no idea, my mityvac is over twenty years old and working great.

For prices contact:
Lincoln Customer Service
One Lincoln Way
St. Louis, MO 63120
Phone: (314) 679-4200
Fax: (314) 679-4359
email: custserv@lincolnindustrial.com

[PatrickW]

Originally Posted by whunter

my mityvac is over twenty years old and working great.

MB mityvac...?



- Patrick

Originally Posted by whunter

I have no idea, my mityvac is over twenty years old and working great.

For prices contact:
Lincoln Customer Service
One Lincoln Way
St. Louis, MO 63120
Phone: (314) 679-4200
Fax: (314) 679-4359
email: custserv@lincolnindustrial.com

I'd say that was a good investment if it's lasted that long.

[conroe4]

"Also dealerships won't encourage, in any way, customers
performing their own maintenance, since this takes away
income for the dealership."

I picked my car up in Stuttgart and asked the little German guy about oil changes. He threw his nose up into the sky and said in a most French accent, "Sir, that is for your local dealership to perform"

Sheesh

[JamesStein]

Originally Posted by 300SDLTOM

Whunter, What's a reasonable price on the MiniVac's?

I paid $25 for mine. Its a cheap plastic model. First thing I did was fill the chamber with brake fluid sucking the brake fluid out of the master cylinder and not paying attention to my collection cup. Then I stepped on it, broke the cover for the pressure gage and bent the indicator pin. Bent it right back, still works just fine.

Seriously though, the cheapo plastic ones work fine if you don't break them.

[rmmagow]

Wife's getting me one for Christmas!!

[whunter]

Originally Posted by rmmagow

Wife's getting me one for Christmas!!

Did you get it???

[rmmagow]

Yup. Too damn cold to do anything with it yet. I am in prayer mode with my two diesels now as the cold killed my back-up gasser. One diesel has already been "off-road" in a snowstorm. It OK but now a little uglier. The other, a nice CD, is being terribly abused cause it's the only one with decent tires. Hoping for a little break at the end of the month when I'm taking a little time off.

Best$36.00 deal in town. Great for filling the battery as well as sorting out door lock and trani problems.

[Ben's Benz]

Vacuum bleeding tools like the Mity-Vac are also great for getting the air out of my 603's fuel system. Since there is no hand priming pump it saves a lot of wear and tear on the battery and starter. My first plastic Mity-Vac only lasted through a few brake services before it broke. I now have a brass and steel Craftsman version that seems to be much more durable.

Ben Sharrow
'87 300tdt

[Ganaraska]

I made my own vacuum pump. It's ten times better than a mityvac for one tenth the cost. I made it originally for bleeding brakes but it has many other uses, such as siphoning liquids and testing MB vacuum systems.

If you want to make your own electric vacuum pump here's how to do it. Start with a small refrigeration pump from a fridge or air conditioner. Mount it to a wooden board for a base. Add a tin can to hold the mayonnaise jar. The mayonnaise jar is your vacuum reservoir and catch can for liquids. Run a piece of 5/16 clear plastic tubing from the pump intake to the jar lid. Run another tube off the jar lid to whatever you want to vacuum. In order to do this, you will have to solder 2 tubes into the jar lid. So pick a jar with a metal lid, and save some of the tubing when you salvage the pump.

To wire it, take the fridge cord and wire it up. Get one of those lamp switches that goes in the cord, and put it on near the plug. This is your control switch.

Now when you need vacuum you can attach the hose, plug it in and flick the switch.

When bleeding brakes I put the pump on the floor near the master cylinder so I can hold the switch and top up the master cylinder at the same time. Connect the hose to the bleeder valve, and open it 1/4 turn. Then turn on the pump until the fluid comes up the clear plastic line. Once the brakes are bled I switch off the pump and go and close the bleeder. When I pull off the hose the residual vacuum prevents the fluid from spilling.

With this device it is possible to bleed the brakes in 1/2 hour, solo, and not get a drop of fluid on the floor.

Now if you want to use it to test vacuum systems it might be handy to add a T fitting and plug in a vacuum gauge. But this is not strictly necessary if all you want to do is find out if something is working or not.

If you have an old fridge or air conditioner, or can find one, and you have a tin can, a board and an old mayonnaise jar you should be able to build one of these for practically nothing.