changing base plug w/ wife's vacuum cleaner

[mainer]

I've got to replace the drain plug in the base of the JD 6081 in my boat. I don't know why, but the previous owner removed the valve operated drain, and I want to hook it up a permanent pump for removing the base oil and pumping back in the new oil. Unless you want an illegal bilge, the old oil has to pumped out into a bucket. Anyway, a few fellas have told me of the good luck they had by hooking a vac. hose to the oil fill and running the vac. in order to prevent spilling any oil during removal of old plug and installation of new valve. Just hoping for 2 things NOT to occur: 1. a power failure; and 2. I hope my wife doesn't catch me w/ her vacuum cleaner!

 

[PHX ATC]

Well... did she?

 

[mainer]

Haven't done it yet... . waiting for her to go shopping!

 

[John - K5AWO]

I used a shop vac to pull rusty sludge from a fuel tank. Then poured in a gallon of CLR to dissolve the rest of the rust. Flushed with lots of water and then the shop vac again.



works great.

 

[nickleinonen]

i've seen a big shopvac at work to hold back 17,000 liters of diesel fuel in a fuel tank so a 2" pipe plug could be removed and fitted with a drain valve. was rather interesting to see a wall of fuel when the plug was taken off... [made sure that fuel caps sealed real well and vacuum was hooked to vent...

 

[Deezul1]

I changed my drain plug right after a fresh oil change by hooking the shop vac to the fill hole, never spilled a drop.