Air leak WEST MARINE Manual Oil Changer - 6.9 Quart

[jwnall]

This oil changer is supposed to work by means of a vacuum, and after pumping it about 15 or 20 times it is supposed to sit there quietly and suck the oil out of the engine without needing any more pumping.

And it used to do that, but I think that there is an air leak now so that it does not produce a vacuum anymore. They say do not turn it upside down or it will cause a leak, but I did not turn it any more than sideways. Guess I still caused a leak, though.

And the question (finally!) is: Does anyone happen to know whether or not there is a way to stop the leak? That is, has it happened to you and how did you fix it?

 

[sunnie000]

John,

I work at West Marine and asked my Category Manager what might be the problem. He suggests you look at the following things to diagnose a potential air leak and loss of vacuum:

• Is the rubber stopper that holds the extraction hose on the oil changer in tight?
• Are the extraction hoses properly connected to avoid vacuum loss?
• Although we have not had feedback, it is possible that the canister housing is cracked or perhaps the piston assembly on the handle is leaking air.
• Lastly, if the hose is not inserted in oil, it will only suck air and will lose it’s vacuum quickly.

Let me know if that helps. If not, we will certainly replace it for you at no charge.

 

[jwnall]

Sunnie000 -- many thanks for the reply. The user manual for the unit says that if it is "tipped too far" it will leak. In order to pour the used oil out it has to be tipped some, but perhaps I tipped it too far. So my question was whether or not there is a way to fix that leak, assuming that was what caused it to begin with.

That said, I am going to the boat tomorrow and attempt to change the oil in the starboard engine (already did the port) and will check all of the bullets that you have listed.

Most certainly would not quarrel with a replacement if I cannot locate the problem, although the unit is over a year old (but just used it for the first time the other day).

 

[D.M.D.]

I would try to return it first.....if not, it is simple to pull apart. Remove screws in top, and pull top off. It can be difficult, but it will remove. The piston assembly needs to be removed, and can be stubborn, but just lift out. Underneath, you will find a leather washer that creates the suction. It's held on with a large fender washer and a screw. Note how the parts are put together and in what order. I had to clean out the tube, clean off the washer and remove any small debris inside. I put everything back together, and all works well. My vacuum release valve rotted out, and you can't buy spare parts. I just work around it. Good Luck!

 

[jwnall]

I would try to return it first.....if not, it is simple to pull apart. Remove screws in top, and pull top off. It can be difficult, but it will remove. The piston assembly needs to be removed, and can be stubborn, but just lift out. Underneath, you will find a leather washer that creates the suction. It's held on with a large fender washer and a screw. Note how the parts are put together and in what order. I had to clean out the tube, clean off the washer and remove any small debris inside. I put everything back together, and all works well. My vacuum release valve rotted out, and you can't buy spare parts. I just work around it. Good Luck!

Thank you. That is just exactly the information that I was looking for!
Which is kind of ironic, because I went down today and carefully did the checks that Sunnie000 (post # 2) recommended. Everything seemed to be OK so far as I could tell, so I used it to change oil in the starboard engine and it worked like a charm. So obviously cockpit error on my part somewhere along the line. I still am glad to have your info for down the line, though. Thanks.

 

[FF]

Underneath, you will find a leather washer that creates the suction.

The hassle is the pump is versatile and folks use it for other minor jobs.

BUT the leather washer does not want to be wet with water at any time , and will need to be cleaned and dried if it happens.