griots oil extractor worth it?

[lemming]

i was thinking about it and i keep holding off thinking i could get a gizmo (somewhere, anywhere) locally that would fit the bill and do the same....but i have not.

just wanted some feedback. it isn't that much money for a lot of convenience, but i wonder how well it works in real life.

[ayn]

I know a few who has oil extractors, and they said it worked well. I'm not sure if you have to get it from Griot's though, might find it for cheaper elsewhere.

--Andrew

[JST]

i was thinking about it and i keep holding off thinking i could get a gizmo (somewhere, anywhere) locally that would fit the bill and do the same....but i have not.

just wanted some feedback. it isn't that much money for a lot of convenience, but i wonder how well it works in real life.


Go to a marine supply store--extractors are often used by boat owners. I got mine (a Topsider) for less than Griot's wanted, and it holds more, too.

[lemming]

i was thinking about it and i keep holding off thinking i could get a gizmo (somewhere, anywhere) locally that would fit the bill and do the same....but i have not.

just wanted some feedback. it isn't that much money for a lot of convenience, but i wonder how well it works in real life.


Go to a marine supply store--extractors are often used by boat owners. I got mine (a Topsider) for less than Griot's wanted, and it holds more, too.

thanks, JST. i'll look into it.

[Rob]

If you give me a minute, I will try and find the site where I bought mine. I think I decided not to go with Griot's b/c of size, but I don't remember for sure.

I recommend them highly to anyone who drives a BMW with the oil filter up top. If you keep your car clean, you really can change the oil without any fuss and without getting dirty in the slightest.

They don't offer as much convenience for cars with the oil filter underneath - you have to get under the car and spill oil anyway.

[The HACK]

It's the same as the MityVac units sold from www.thetoolwarehouse.net.

And it's a heck of a lot cheaper.

[Rob]

Hack beat me to it. That's where I got mine from to. I seem to remember the larger size being different from the one that Griot's had as well, but I don't remember for sure.

[SteveM]

I got the 8.8 quart Mityvac from Eastwood (www.eastwoodco.com) and have been happy with it. I haven't used it on the 330i yet, but it worked fine on my wife's 4Runner.

[The HACK]

Hack beat me to it. That's where I got mine from to. I seem to remember the larger size being different from the one that Griot's had as well, but I don't remember for sure.

Only difference is that the larger 8.8 quart unit can go from suck to blow.

Problem is, the mechanism that switches tend to LEAK if you store the oil in the Extractor.

[lemming]

thanks for the info. and the link, hacker-naut.

[Rob]

Hack beat me to it. That's where I got mine from to. I seem to remember the larger size being different from the one that Griot's had as well, but I don't remember for sure.

Only difference is that the larger 8.8 quart unit can go from suck to blow.

Problem is, the mechanism that switches tend to LEAK if you store the oil in the Extractor.

I have never managed to use the blow feature without getting oil all over the floor. The quick connects are easy to use, but they really don't work very well. Fortunately I have an epoxy floor, so spilled oil just wipes right up. It was the size that I decided I wanted for some reason. I don't remember the details, but I am sure it was a fabulous rationalization. :lol:

[operknockity]

Hack beat me to it. That's where I got mine from to. I seem to remember the larger size being different from the one that Griot's had as well, but I don't remember for sure.

Only difference is that the larger 8.8 quart unit can go from suck to blow.

Problem is, the mechanism that switches tend to LEAK if you store the oil in the Extractor.
Well, there is one other difference... The larger unit is LARGER! Which means that you only have to go through one cycle to extract all of the oil. The smaller units are sometimes too small to take all the oil out in one go, so you gotta drain the extractor and then do it again to get the rest of the oil out.

[The HACK]

Also the couplings tend to leak oil, especially the synthetic kind when you go from suck to blow. I had to keep a dirty rag on the top coupling to keep from making a big mess.

[Masskrug]

Doesn't anyone change oil the old fashioned way anymore?

[lip277]

Doesn't anyone change oil the old fashioned way anymore?

I do. It's free too!
It takes me about 20 minutes to change the oil in any of my cars. I can actually do a full tune-up on the 2002 (oil, filter, plugs, cap, rotor, adj valves) in about 45 minutes. That's what I get for having worked on the same car for 20 years. :D

[Rob]

Doesn't anyone change oil the old fashioned way anymore?

Yeah, I do it both ways. The volvo has the filter canister on the bottom of the block, next to the oil pan. Since I have to lift the car anyway, I don't bother with the extractor.

But on the BMWs with the filter canister up top, I don't see any reason to lift the car.

[clyde]

I haven't changed the oil in the RX-8 yet, but apparently, you can only change about half the oil at a time whether you drain it the old fashioned way or use an extractor. Apparently only about half the oil sits in the pan and the rest won't move without the engine running. Or something like that...I need to look into it more.

[Masskrug]

But on the BMWs with the filter canister up top, I don't see any reason to lift the car.

Don't you like to look under your car? I guess I am an upskirt man at heart.

Seriously though, I picked up a bent control arm that I would've never found otherwise unless I looked. Stuff like that makes me feel it is worthwhile to jack/ramp up every 7000 or so.

[Rob]

But on the BMWs with the filter canister up top, I don't see any reason to lift the car.

Don't you like to look under your car? I guess I am an upskirt man at heart.

Seriously though, I picked up a bent control arm that I would've never found otherwise unless I looked. Stuff like that makes me feel it is worthwhile to jack/ramp up every 7000 or so.

Well, yeah. I take the wheels off to wax them. Sometimes I clean some of the suspension parts when I have the wheels off. I crawl under it for diy inspections. I put it on the lifts at B&M every so often to do (or watch the LA experts do) mod stuff. But if it's just a quick oil change midway down the service indicator bar, I don't see the need to lift it up or get underneath it. Now that I think about it, when I do diy inspection stuff, I still use the extractor just to avoid dripping oil on the floor.

[Masskrug]

But on the BMWs with the filter canister up top, I don't see any reason to lift the car.

Don't you like to look under your car? I guess I am an upskirt man at heart.

Seriously though, I picked up a bent control arm that I would've never found otherwise unless I looked. Stuff like that makes me feel it is worthwhile to jack/ramp up every 7000 or so.

Well, yeah. I take the wheels off to wax them. Sometimes I clean some of the suspension parts when I have the wheels off. I crawl under it for diy inspections. I put it on the lifts at B&M every so often to do (or watch the LA experts do) mod stuff. But if it's just a quick oil change midway down the service indicator bar, I don't see the need to lift it up or get underneath it. Now that I think about it, when I do diy inspection stuff, I still use the extractor just to avoid dripping oil on the floor.

Yikes.

You win.

[Rob]

But on the BMWs with the filter canister up top, I don't see any reason to lift the car.

Don't you like to look under your car? I guess I am an upskirt man at heart.

Seriously though, I picked up a bent control arm that I would've never found otherwise unless I looked. Stuff like that makes me feel it is worthwhile to jack/ramp up every 7000 or so.

Well, yeah. I take the wheels off to wax them. Sometimes I clean some of the suspension parts when I have the wheels off. I crawl under it for diy inspections. I put it on the lifts at B&M every so often to do (or watch the LA experts do) mod stuff. But if it's just a quick oil change midway down the service indicator bar, I don't see the need to lift it up or get underneath it. Now that I think about it, when I do diy inspection stuff, I still use the extractor just to avoid dripping oil on the floor.

Yikes.

You win.

HA!! I don't think so - I am not certain I would recognize a bent control arm no matter how long I was under the car.

Time spent under the car - winner = rwg (maybe)

Actually noticed a defect that required maintenance - winner = Masskrug

[JetBlack330i]

I haven't changed the oil in the RX-8 yet, but apparently, you can only change about half the oil at a time whether you drain it the old fashioned way or use an extractor. Apparently only about half the oil sits in the pan and the rest won't move without the engine running. Or something like that...I need to look into it more.That is absolutely not true. After I extract all the oil, I can fill in a bit over 6 quarts of new oil. That's the amount specified in the manual. I agree that may not be 100%, but it's definitely not 50%.
With the extractor I change oil and don't even get my hands dirty.

[clyde]

I haven't changed the oil in the RX-8 yet, but apparently, you can only change about half the oil at a time whether you drain it the old fashioned way or use an extractor. Apparently only about half the oil sits in the pan and the rest won't move without the engine running. Or something like that...I need to look into it more.That is absolutely not true. After I extract all the oil, I can fill in a bit over 6 quarts of new oil. That's the amount specified in the manual. I agree that may not be 100%, but it's definitely not 50%.
With the extractor I change oil and don't even get my hands dirty.

You absolutely did not read what I wrote. Reread it. You can probably stop after "RX-8" in the first sentence. :roll:

[Nick M3]

You know, the more I hear, the less sense these extractors seem to make...

It's SO easy to put the car on ramps and drain it that way... And it seems that you avoid a lot of mess. (Incidents at TD's place notwithstanding.)

[TD]

You know, the more I hear, the less sense these extractors seem to make...

It's SO easy to put the car on ramps and drain it that way... And it seems that you avoid a lot of mess. (Incidents at TD's place notwithstanding.)

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

(What a fiasco. :oops: )

[Plaz]

You know, the more I hear, the less sense these extractors seem to make...

It's SO easy to put the car on ramps and drain it that way... And it seems that you avoid a lot of mess. (Incidents at TD's place notwithstanding.)

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

(What a fiasco. :oops: )

Uh-oh... garage floor still stained? :lol:

[TD]

You know, the more I hear, the less sense these extractors seem to make...

It's SO easy to put the car on ramps and drain it that way... And it seems that you avoid a lot of mess. (Incidents at TD's place notwithstanding.)

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

(What a fiasco. :oops: )

Uh-oh... garage floor still stained? :lol:

Strangely, no.

But we managed to put motor oil, brake fluid AND transmission fluid on it (in large quantities) in the same afternoon.

[Plaz]

You know, the more I hear, the less sense these extractors seem to make...

It's SO easy to put the car on ramps and drain it that way... And it seems that you avoid a lot of mess. (Incidents at TD's place notwithstanding.)

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

(What a fiasco. :oops: )

Uh-oh... garage floor still stained? :lol:

Strangely, no.

But we managed to put motor oil, brake fluid AND transmission fluid on it (in large quantities) in the same afternoon.

:awe:

Well, good work on the cleanup, then. Did your wife ever find out?

At the very first "Tech Session" we had over at B&M, someone, somehow managed to upset an extractor or drum that quickly and steadily leaked a large amount of used oil, creating an expanding lake across the floor... they finally dammed it in using a levee of some absorbent stuff they had for such an occasion.

And they invited us back, even!

[TD]

:awe:

Well, good work on the cleanup, then. Did your wife ever find out?



She just did as I typed that post.

As it was cleaned up, it doesn't matter now. And I'm not the type to not celan up after myself. Hell, I'm the type usually cleaning up after the rest of my family.

[Plaz]

:awe:

Well, good work on the cleanup, then. Did your wife ever find out?



She just did as I typed that post.

:lol:

[The HACK]

At the very first "Tech Session" we had over at B&M, someone, somehow managed to upset an extractor or drum that quickly and steadily leaked a large amount of used oil, creating an expanding lake across the floor... they finally dammed it in using a levee of some absorbent stuff they had for such an occasion.

And they invited us back, even!

:paranoid:

Gee, I wonder who. :dunno:

In my own defense, I believe the drum that they had weren't designed to hold synthetic oils. Old dyno oil for some reason, stays in a container that may have minor cracks. Synthetics will find the smallest crack and leak out of it.

That's why I no longer leave used oil in the extractor too. I discovered a small puddle after using the extractor to suck out the oil in the Red Ci, left town for three days, and came back to a bio-hazard brewing in the garage.

Good thing the cars were in the garage to cover the oil stain up, otherwise I don't think the buyer would've ever purchased our house.

[Plaz]

Good thing the cars were in the garage to cover the oil stain up, otherwise I don't think the buyer would've ever purchased our house.

:lol: :lol:

[clyde]

Good thing the cars were in the garage to cover the oil stain up, otherwise I don't think the buyer would've ever purchased our house.

So, have you moved yet? Where did you wind up?

[The HACK]

Good thing the cars were in the garage to cover the oil stain up, otherwise I don't think the buyer would've ever purchased our house.

So, have you moved yet? Where did you wind up?

About 2 miles north of where I was. We moved from Temple City (South of Pasadena) to Arcadia (just barely South of Pasadena).

I'm still putting stuff away, if I manage to unpack everything and put everything away by Friday, I'm having the house warming on Sunday.

[clyde]

Cool. Congrats. :)

We're still not completley unpacked and we've been in our house for 2.5 years. Of course, the unpacked stuff is mostly stuff that was never unpacked in our 3 years in Los Feliz too. :D

[The HACK]

Cool. Congrats. :)

We're still not completley unpacked and we've been in our house for 2.5 years. Of course, the unpacked stuff is mostly stuff that was never unpacked in our 3 years in Los Feliz too. :D

I got one box just like that. :D

I'm thinking of tossing everything that's not unpacked into the attic and pretend like I'm done just so i can throw the party on Sunday.