Siphon trans fluid ?

chopped · April 11, 2009, 07:52:02 AM

Is there any reason NOT to use a shop vac? Seems I could tape a small tube to it and stick it down the dipstick tube.

phat46 · April 11, 2009, 08:52:05 AM

Quote from: "chopped"Is there any reason NOT to use a shop vac? Seems I could tape a small tube to it and stick it down the dipstick tube.

Beides the mess in your shop vac and the hose? Some might be worried about blowing up the shop vac, but the Myth Buster guys had to work really hard to make one explode, doing things that no sane person would ever do. I just don't know how you'd ever get the hose and vac clean enough to ever use for anything else.

enjenjo · April 11, 2009, 10:12:49 AM

I would rig up another container and tube so you don't suck it into the regular hose and bucket, but it could be done. Vinyl tubing into a 5 gallon pail, then suck the air out of the pail. The fluid would go into the pail, the air would continue into the vac.

chopped · April 11, 2009, 11:23:49 AM

Beides the mess in your shop vac and the hose? Some might be worried about blowing up the shop vac, but the Myth Buster guys had to work really hard to make one explode, doing things that no sane person would ever do. I just don't know how you'd ever get the hose and vac clean enough to ever use for anything else.[/quote]

Seems I've done a lot of dumb things the last year or so,I guess I'll pass on this. The parts place should have something with a reasonable cost to do this shouldn't they?

Crosley.In.AZ · April 11, 2009, 12:29:34 PM

If the trans is over filled;

A jar ( with lid) with some rubber hose and tubes will work. Stick tubes through lid... use rubber hose to stick in the filler tube. Use vacuum of running engine to pull fluid out into the jar

purplepickup · April 11, 2009, 02:08:32 PM

Frank and Tony's ideas are the same principal as a Mityvac. If you've got one of those it would work for small amounts. Those cheap hand pumps from Harbor freight work pretty good too.

Is it overfilled or are you trying to change out some of the fluid?

purplepickup · April 11, 2009, 09:32:00 PM

chopped, I thought about this thread tonight. I changed the tranny fluid in my van (dropped pan and changed filter). When I do that I unhook the line that goes out of the radiator and put a hose on it. Then I start the van and pour more fluid in until the fluid coming out of the hose runs clear. That replaces all the fluid with new. Anyway, I hooked everything back up and checked the fluid level and it was overfull. I just unhooked the line again and ran another quart out of it.

I don't know if that's an option for you or not.

chopped · April 12, 2009, 08:08:12 AM

While you guys were posting some really good ideas I was out hunting a cheap hand pump. Advance had one for $10.99. It's mine now.

enjenjo · April 12, 2009, 09:43:26 AM

QuoteFrank and Tony's ideas are the same principal as a Mityvac

I don't know about Tony, but that's where I stole the idea.

My MightyVac needs a rebuild. :cry:

Crosley.In.AZ · April 12, 2009, 10:52:27 AM

Quote from: "enjenjo"
QuoteFrank and Tony's ideas are the same principal as a Mityvac

I don't know about Tony, but that's where I stole the idea.

My MightyVac needs a rebuild. :cry:

I learned the trick in the transmission business ...

there was always a container with tubes glued into the top and the small rubber hoses attached around the shops to pull some excess fluid out. When cars had carbs on them... that was the old daze when it was easier to use

DrJ · April 12, 2009, 11:16:47 AM

When I change trans fluid I'm usually curious enough about what kind of crud might be collecting in the bottom of the pan to pull it to have a look-see.
That's why few of the factory pans have drain plugs.

purplepickup · April 12, 2009, 11:53:32 AM

Quote from: "DrJ"When I change trans fluid I'm usually curious enough about what kind of crud might be collecting in the bottom of the pan to pull it to have a look-see.
That's why few of the factory pans have drain plugs.

My van had a magnet stuck to the bottom of the pan to collect metallic dust. I like that.

Crosley.In.AZ · April 12, 2009, 02:51:00 PM

Quote from: "DrJ"When I change trans fluid I'm usually curious enough about what kind of crud might be collecting in the bottom of the pan to pull it to have a look-see.
That's why few of the factory pans have drain plugs.

Do you break open the filter for a look see as what has been sucked inside?

Most folks do not open the filter.

the attached photos shows some friction material in the filter , when the pan was clean.

GPster · April 12, 2009, 09:41:57 PM

It's just out of curiosity that I finally checked this forum. When you started talking about siphoning transmission fluid I wasn't interested. When you suck too hard it's harder to spit out than gasoline. GPster

57larry · April 13, 2009, 07:36:31 PM

why change the fluid if you're not going to change the filter too ?