1-5-3-6-2-4

proven. for any one interested, or thinks it won't hold the oil in the oil pan while you change the pan plug.




Take one very ordinary shopvac


One very ordinary Drawworks


containing 600L of oil


Have to remove and reseal a 2" & 3" pipe plug without draining oil


No problem............


lost zero oil from the 2" hole but did slurp a few times from the 3" hole

2500CTD

So the shop vac puts the crankcase under vacuum? So then no oil will flow out as ots trying to pull air in?

wannadiesel

Gotta plug the breather first, though.

XLR8R

Gotta love the laws of physics!

chaikwa

THAT'S what I was doin' wrong! I tried the same thing on an oil tank, but I ended up with 200 gallons of oil all over the cellar floor! So after I got the oil back in the tank and cleaned up the mess, I tried it again, and it STILL ended up coming out that drain plug! After I lost all that oil the second time, I gave up and just replaced the tank.

chaikwa.

infidel

I've never experienced this and hope never to but have heard if you try this trick on a gasser there is a chance your vacuum cleaner will blow up. Gas fumes in the oil, especially used oil, can come in contact with a spark from the vacuum cleaner motor and ca-boom.

OutlawStorm

That trick does work,,, I have seen my local Hydraulic shop do it lots of times when the tank dont have a shutoff valve. Have seen them do it with 200 gallons of oil in the tank and spilled none

Dr. Evil

That is slick.....Infidel to the rescue once again....

1-5-3-6-2-4

Just for the record. I didn't learn that here. I've been doing that on tanks for years. I was just proving it for doubters.

Jim Lane

This is true.
For some reason some of the older big block Chevy engines would have pan explosions from the leaking rings or maybe ruptured fuel pumps.

I also have seen a person blow up their garage and boat when they thought it was a good idea to siphon the gas from his boat with a shop vac.

lost zero oil from the 2" hole but did slurp a few times from the 3" hole
Was the vacuum sucking air through the drain plug or just holding back the oil?

Dr. Evil

Ok....LOL.

Hard to believe but when you see the pics its kind of hard to argue...thanks for posting them.

Totallyrad

Neat trick! Sounds like a new thread emerging, "Crazy things I've done with a shop vac, don't try this at home!"

XLR8R

I can see that thread getting locked down within 12 hours!

... maybe y'all could just lock out the BCS guys?

Totallyrad

1-5-3-6-2-4

Pulling copius amounts of air back through the hole. got the shopvac on the breather hole, which is 1" NPT bung. the rest of the tank is sealed. turn it on before you pull the plug, it puts a good vaccume on top of the oil then pull the plug. and it draws lots of air through the oil.