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ITT Jabsco portable oil changer question

jon_allen

Regular Contributor
Hi Guys,

I have a ITT Jabsco portable oil changer. It is reversible has a bronze pump and can hold 3.5 gals of oil. I'm sure some of you are familiar with it.

I tried to remove oil from a motor today with no luck. The ambient temp was 50 deg.F. and the oil (probably 40 wt was cold) . I can not run the motor to get the oil warm. The oil changer is ten years old and will pull 30 wt Rotella straight from the bottle. My question: Is my pump failing or is the oil in this motor too cold to be pumped out? I have never pumped cold oil, but I figured this pump could handle it.

Thanks,
Jon Allen
 
Hi Guys,

I have a ITT Jabsco portable oil changer. It is reversible has a bronze pump and can hold 3.5 gals of oil. I'm sure some of you are familiar with it.

I tried to remove oil from a motor today with no luck. The ambient temp was 50 deg.F. and the oil (probably 40 wt was cold) . I can not run the motor to get the oil warm. The oil changer is ten years old and will pull 30 wt Rotella straight from the bottle. My question: Is my pump failing or is the oil in this motor too cold to be pumped out? I have never pumped cold oil, but I figured this pump could handle it.

Thanks,
Jon Allen


Hi Jon,

The oil being pulled out of the bottle, (30wt), is brand new and the key word here is "clean"....and "light". The oil you are trying to get out of the engine is no doubt "dirty" and being "cold" and 40 wt, (heavy) would be hard for the pump to get any suction on. As well, (I do not know your setup), but I would assume you are trying to get the oil up and out the narrow dip stick entry port.

In that case there is probably little room for fresh air to go down the pipe and replace the oil being sucked out ......but I am sure you removed an oil filler cap to allow air in prior to trying the withdrawel of the oil..

If you did that, I can only assume that because the oil is "heavy" "cold" and "dirty", the pump doesn't have enough suction to get a grip on the oil....the operative word probably being "cold".

I have peramanent pumps mounted for each engine and the oil comes out the oil pan drain hole via a fitting and hose to the pump but if the oil is "cold"....well mine doesn't work either.

The only thing I can suggest is to get the pump and line filled with oil and see if a well primed pump can suck up the oil if you have no means of warming the oil.

PS...I have heard of a fellow who put a 60-100watt bulb under the pan to generate some heat for about an hour, (always being monitored), and he eventually got the oil out.

Good luck.
 
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Hi Joe,
I have had mine for about 10 years also, pump mounted on a white bucket, 3.5 gals sounds about right.
No problem pulling 40wt Delo at 50 deg.f , I pull from the tranny first to make sure it gets a good prime if I am changing oil on cold engines

mike
 
Never used one of them but have used a Jabsco Hand Pump before. It wouldn't move cold (~40 deg F) but did manage to get lukewarm (~ 75-80 deg F) oil out but it was slow going.

Changing it warm (hot) is always easier than cold but i think I'm preaching to the choir here.

Best thing would be to get a heat gun and try to warm the oil in the pan...a 150W light bulb sitting under it overnight should help too - not the best but better than nothing.
 
jon,

Try removing the cover plate on the motor/pump and check that the impeller is in good shape. I believe they are designed to run in both directions for pumping the oil out of the container and in doing so can cause the impeller fins to crack and break off. If the impeller looks good, then I would say the problem is with the cold oil.

Erich
 
Those small 300 - 500 watt portable lights can put out decent amount of heat. If you can get it close to the oil pan. A couple hours of that and the pan would be warmed up.

I use a topside oil changer hand pump. Takes a lot of pumps but it gets it out slowly.
I also own a AC charge vacuum pump which might be adaptable. I wonder. Have to take care that oil would not be sucked into that pump.
 
Check the hose connections they must be air tight.Remember your pumping air not oil at this point.
Keep the pump as low as possible too reduce lift
Give the pump a shot of oil to lubricate and seal the impeller
Be sure to allow enough run time to allow the pump to lower the atmospheric pressure enough to allow the oil to flow up the hose to the pump. Cold oil moves slow but it will move
 
You guys are putting the extraction hose OVER the dipstick steel tube, correct? That is, NOT using a diptube. It's much better/easier for the Crusader motors, that have the steel tube going all the way to the bottom of the pan.
 
Hi Guys,
I found the hose from the pump deteriorating with small cracks over its length so I replaced it. Also I dropped down the fitting at the pump from 5/8 to 1/2 inch OD to increase the suction.I also replaced the garden hose fitting on the end. All is good as I just emptied a motor of 40wt oil today. The oil was cold and the ambient temp was 53F.

Thanks All,
Jon Allen
 
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