Tried a fluid evacuator vs a standard drain plug last week and wow

I've always been a drain plug guy for oil changes on the big rigs. But my shop got one of those vacuum style evacuators on sale for $80 and I figured why not. Tried it on a '97 Freightliner with a notoriously stuck plug and had the oil out in 4 minutes flat. No mess, no fighting with a seized bolt. Anyone else made the switch and not looked back?

2 comments

2 Comments

jasonallen1mo ago

That Pete of yours sounds like it fought you hard. I spent 20 minutes under my stepdad's old '81 Dodge D150 once with a breaker bar and a lot of bad words before I just gave up and drilled a hole in the pan. The $80 for the evacuator feels like a steal when I think about how much grease I used to have in my hair. I still keep the plug in my toolbox too, mostly as a reminder of my dumb youth and the time I nearly yanked the whole pan off. But honestly, the vacuum thing is so clean I feel like I'm cheating at my own job.

betty_kelly91mo ago

My '03 Pete with a seized drain plug was the final straw. Tried the vacuum method last month and cut the job down to five minutes flat. Still keep the plug around for peace of mind though. Less mess, less cussing, I'll take it.