Shop Vac Suction at Hydraulic Fill Port?

   / Shop Vac Suction at Hydraulic Fill Port? #1  

Rhino35

Bronze Member
Joined
May 28, 2013
Messages
91
Location
Independence, KY
Tractor
Kioti DK 40 SE Hydro
Hey Folks,

Stopped by my local tractor dealer to pick up some items and mentioned to a sales guy, who I've been impressed with as pretty sharp in the past, that I was considering changing my Kioti DK40SE's two hydraulic filters. I mentioned reading here about the loss of fluid and he said I could use my shop vac (I'm thinking here that if I do this I remove the bag and the other canister filters - just have a plastic tub) to help stop fluid loss. He said to insert the hose tip (or around, or duct tape it) into the hydraulic fill port. He said the suction would hold the fluid - to some degree - and help stop loss.

It is a play on ensuring the fill hole rubber plug is tight - only perhaps better.

Or, it's a shop vac disaster in the making!

Thoughts?

Best,

Rhino
 
   / Shop Vac Suction at Hydraulic Fill Port? #2  
I had a second person just hold the shop vac to the fill port and very little fluid came out(read as just drops). Yes, the filter was removed from the shop vac as if using it for wet pickup.
 
   / Shop Vac Suction at Hydraulic Fill Port? #3  
IMHO it will require very powerful suction of a shop vacuum to suck oil from hyd reservoir on a tractor unless oil level is way above reservoir full mark especially if the drain plug is absent IE removed
 
   / Shop Vac Suction at Hydraulic Fill Port? #4  
I've thought of doing this. I can see a Holy disaster. I'm all by myself out here. Beyond a disaster - the potential for a fire or ruin the shop vac. I'll just do it the old way and be safe.
 
   / Shop Vac Suction at Hydraulic Fill Port? #5  
As long as vacuum hose is kept above oil level very little chance of drawing any oil out of the reservoir
 
   / Shop Vac Suction at Hydraulic Fill Port? #6  
I just did the vacuum trick on my ls and it worked very good. I lost zero oil from the transmission, only needed two quarts to top off the tranny. About what oil that was in the filters that were removed.

Faller/bunchers have a similar system to prevent loss of oil.

I ground down a piece of 3/4 pvc pipe to fit in the dipstick fitting on the tractor. Then with some electric tape adapted the pvc to the shop vac and all worked very good, till I dropped the filter on the edge of the oil pan knocking pan one direction and filter another and oil from the filter on the floor anyhow.....
 
   / Shop Vac Suction at Hydraulic Fill Port? #7  
I've heard of the shop vac trick but never tried it myself.

One thing to think about is that the trans/hydraulic reservoirs is probably vented to the atmosphere - most of them are if not all. So that venting will limit the vacuum that the shop vac can pull. It's one one more thing making it difficult to suck oil into the vac.
rScotty
 
   / Shop Vac Suction at Hydraulic Fill Port? #8  
On my Kubota's, I have changed the trans and Hydro filters using the shop vac trick. Works great, just use a rag if needed to make the hose end fit the fill port, turn the vac on, take my time with the filters. On my small B tractor, had my wife hold the vac hose to the fill port as it was smaller than the hose. No way will you suck oil into the shop vac, the oil is several inches below the fill port and most shop vac's do not have enough power to lift the oil out (at least not mine).

I know on my L45, the first time I changed the filters without the shop vac trick, I lost about 2 gals of oil before I could get the filter back on. Big mess in the shop floor as I did not expect that much and had a small pan under the tractor... went to the the dealer and asked a tech and they told me that is how they do it.
 
   / Shop Vac Suction at Hydraulic Fill Port? #9  
A lot of people use this trick without problems. It's not going to suck up oil as long as there is an air gap.

All I ever do is block the breather vents on the hydraulic system. That is enough to minimize fluid loss on my Kubotas. No shop vac needed.
 
   / Shop Vac Suction at Hydraulic Fill Port? #10  
I would worry about the shop vac overheating but that is apparently not a problem. Would think that no cooling air moving thru the vac would build heat?
 
 
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