I have both versions of the Topsider, both the blue gas-can style and the newer plastic green style.

If you are a diesel owner, you know how nasty used diesel oil is...what is the best way to clean the Topsider containers and more importantly, the hoses? I've swished Kerosene in the containers and that seems to work okay, but it never fails, the residual oil in the hoses always seem to leak out and make a mess in the garage.

After changing the oil yesterday, I ran hot water and Dawn through the hose best I could and hung the hose inside the storage locker. It appeared to be about 50% clean. Checked it this morning and it still ran down the door and settled into a box of cetane boost...now THAT was fun to clean up.

__________________
Lance Allison
Lance@LanceAllison.com

Current:
11 MB S550 4Matic, 55k miles, Designo Black/Black
14 Ford F150 XLT Lariat Crew, 73k miles, 5.0
Coyote V8 4x4. Black/tan.
09 GMC Envoy Denali, 5.3 V8, 4x4 SWB. 38k miles,
Jewel Red/Med Gray.

Gone:
87 MB 300SDL, 320k miles, Astral Silver/Blue.
98 VW Jetta TDI, 488k miles, Classic Green/Gray.
85 Olds 98 Brougham FWD, 4.3 DIESEL V6, 80k
miles, 3x Gray.

MBCA Member, Chicago Region

I never wash the hose or the container but hang the middle of the hose up high over night. The open end of the hose goes back to the blue can thru the big openning while the other end is still attached to the small openning. The inside of the hose will be very clean the next day. There is no massy cleanup.

David

My topsider collapsed the first time I used it. The vaccum was too strong or soething, I wasnt standing on it and I wasnt over pumping it, but at the handle it collapsed anyway.

Does anybody know if there is a warrenty for this? I have only used it two times.

I hang the hose ending on the garage door rafters and let the oil ooze over night. Then I just disassemble the hose from the can and wind the hose into 3 coils, sticking the smaller male end into the female end. No problems so far???

Sorry to here about the implosion, have you called the place you bought it from to see if they will swap it with a new one? Never know, they may have a great "Customer Service" policy.

I'm finding out Lance! You've probably read the posts here and I agree, the hang over night drain technique works.

My problem is that the LiqiVac design sometimes pulls up oil into the pump assembly. Ever tried to clean that? I've used my extractor three times now and had that happen twice.

Anyone know if there is a good technique for cleaning that out. I plan on avoiding the next one by draining in two phases, but I'm bummed to have to do so...

__________________
Ed "Don't Benz's just feel better..."

Current wives...
2000 ML430 Skyview "The Mel"
2000 CLK430 Cab "The Cab"
85 300D Turbo "The Diesel"

Past wives...
92 300E
85 190E

"One should as a rule respect public opinion in so far as is necessary to
avoid starvation and to keep out of prison, but anything that goes beyond
this is voluntary submission to an unnecessary tyranny, and is likely to
interfere with happiness in all kinds of ways."
Bertrand Russell

Brothers of The Benz
Should you want to do your oil changes from the top, log onto http://home.earthlink.net/~asherson/Don for an El Cheapo Topside Oil Changer.
I've used mine for many years and it is super.
Happy Trails Beep Beep from The Spiderman in Houston!!!

[Edited by dlswnfrd on 05-16-2001 at 12:12 PM]

Here's the best way to make your topsider AND your Benz last longer;

Clean the topsider thoroughly, seal it in a plastic bag and store it away carefully. Then every 3,000 miles or so, place a drain pan underneath your thoroughly warmed up engine and remove the drain plug. Do this on a Friday night or Saturday night and allow to drain overnight. The next day. Replace the drain plug, the oil filter and fill the engine with premium quality motor oil. Pour the used oil in the jugs that the oil came in and take it to your auto parts store that recycles oil.

This will make your topsider and more importantly, your Benz last virtually forever.

Good luck,
Change oil hot and change oil often,

Larry,

Have you used a Topsider? I am of the opinion, at least on W124s anyway, that a Topsider gets more oil out than an all-night draining. Heck, when I sucked the oil out of my Diesel it actually appeared clean on the dipstick for the first few hundred miles....virtually unheard of with a Diesel. And even better results in my M119 & M103 motors! Made a believer out of me...

Further, you can also suck the oil out of the filter housing and get even more out. And if you follow the advice offered here, clean-up's a no-brainer and all you have to do is to bring the Topsider container to the recycling point.

So with all due respect to Senor Bible, I suggest you keep using those Topsiders, folks, and change it lukewarm/change it often.

__________________
"If God had meant for us to walk, why did he give us feet that fit car pedals?" Sir Sterling Moss

Michael
2014 E63S Estate
2006 SLK55
1995 E500
1986 Porsche 944 turbo

Mike, I agree.

The real benefit to extraction is less mess! If Larry Bible and others really do change their oil often, then the cleaner approach has all the benefits.

Can't we just have a 2 1/2 gallon topsider for our large gullet Benz's???

__________________
Ed "Don't Benz's just feel better..."

Current wives...
2000 ML430 Skyview "The Mel"
2000 CLK430 Cab "The Cab"
85 300D Turbo "The Diesel"

Past wives...
92 300E
85 190E

"One should as a rule respect public opinion in so far as is necessary to
avoid starvation and to keep out of prison, but anything that goes beyond
this is voluntary submission to an unnecessary tyranny, and is likely to
interfere with happiness in all kinds of ways."
Bertrand Russell

Although I don't care for a topsider, they can be effective if the oil is changed frequently. However, I do take issue with the lukewarm.

If you remove the oil while the engine is at operating temperature, which typically takes about 17 miles of driving, the contaminants are as thoroughly suspended in the oil as they are going to get. If the engine is not at operating temperature, some of the contaminants are clinging to the internals of the engine, rather than churned up in the oil, and thus, do not get removed.

The main reason you're changing oil is that it's the only way to clean the crankcase. If you drain it while the engine is warm rather than at operating temperature, it's like taking a shower with no soap. You are cleaner than you were, but you could be so much cleaner if you used soap.

Even though I choose not to use a topsider and make jokes about it, it will get the job done IF you remove the oil from the engine at OPERATING TEMPERATURE.

As for using the topsider. You can probably get pretty close to the same effect as my overnight drain, if you will topside the engine (at operating temperature) then allow it to set overnight, then topside it again the next morning. The overnight step is what gets the dirtiest oil(crud) out of the engine. Those last few drops that come out are the dirtiest drops of all.

Change oil HOT and change oil often,

Brothers of The Benz
My "El Cheapo" Oil Sucker has a 2 1/2 gallon holding tank.
It doesn't experience the collapsing of the tank.
You don't have to pump for suction, just attach the clips to the battery and turn the pump ON.
It takes 1-2 minutes to suck out 6 quarts of HOT motor oil. I,ve never really timed it for while it sucks I am removing and replacing the oil filter.
It didn't cost $49.95. Not even $20.00.
It is OLD and still going strong.
Happy Trails Beep Beep from The Spiderman in Houston!!!

Oil that's too hot will melt the Topsider hoses....they then collapse very easily. The manufacturer recommends running the engine for about 15 minutes. It gets the oil pretty warm, but not hot.

Now, not being an engineer I can only apply some common sense here-if getting the oil completely up to temp, and thereby (per Larry's assertion) stirring up as much gunk as can be stirred up, will that very same gunk fail to circulate the next time you warm the engine? I'm inclined to think that if contaminants are going to be suspended in the oil, they will be floating around pretty soon after running up the car.

Please chime in if I'm off-base here.

__________________
"If God had meant for us to walk, why did he give us feet that fit car pedals?" Sir Sterling Moss

Michael
2014 E63S Estate
2006 SLK55
1995 E500
1986 Porsche 944 turbo

What happened the second time?

(joke)

__________________
JJ Rodger
2013 G350 Bluetec
1999 SL 500
1993 E300 diesel T
1990 190

Topsider and Liquivac are made by: Airpower America

Email: sales@airpoweramerica.com

Phone: 1-800-225-2224

Websites: http://www.airpoweramerica.com / http://www.liquivac.com

__________________

Scott Longston
Northern California Wine Country...
"Turbos whistle, grapes wine..."

Although I make admittedly opinionated comments, I don't mean to imply anything bad toward anyone who may hold a different opinion.

I was emailed this morning to tip me off that there was a bad post with my name, on the Roy Fields site. Before I saw that email, I had never seen, or even knew of the Roy Fields site. The post was written by someone besides myself, but had the appearance that I had written it.

The post indicated something like; if you don't use a topsider and don't change your oil every 100 miles you should go to h___, then there were three dots then Larry Bible.

It was followed by another post that I think indicated that I was an owner in Mercedesshop, except they used a profanity in the place of "shop". And that all I wanted to do was see mercedesshop pedal parts.

I suspect that whoever wrote those messages have read this thread.

I want to make it clear, that the only involvement that I have had in mercedesshop is posting and replying for over a year. I have no stake, or official involvement in mercedesshop in any way. But, if I did, I would be very proud to be associated.

Most of the time, I have thoroughly enjoyed reading and posting in mercedesshop. It's the only place where I can discuss one of my interests in life.

Soooo..... if you like using a topsider, just knock yourself out. It's great that you are changing your oil and taking care of your car. Because of that, we have much more in common than you may think.

I again apologize to anyone who may have been offended in any way by my comments. I personally would not have taken such an approach to refute someone else's opinion, but I suppose it takes all kinds to make up the world.

Have a great day,
Bye