[stevers314]

Picked up a topsider to do my first non-dealer oil change. I chose this route based on recommendations in a few other threads and that my ramps are currently in a storage container traveling across the country.

Got it all set up as it says to do and it only pulled about 1 gallon of oil. This seemed strange to me because i could not believe it was that low. Prior to the change i checked the level and it was 2/3 between min & max.

It took 5 quarts to top it off so I know another 3 was hidden somewhere the topsider couldn't reach. I tried messing with various insertion depths and it did not draw any more oil out. Anyone else had this happen?

Obviously i now have a partial oil change and basically wasted 5qts of oil due to something stupid on my part.

My suspicion is that when i felt it bump the bottom of the oil pan it was actually the line flexing along the bottom and curving upwards again.

[kbsilver]

That bump you felt was a lip inside the engine. You did not reach the bottom. I had to use an extra thin suction tube to get past that bump and be sure I could also get the tube out. What I ended up using was plastic ice cube maker water supply hose which was easily adapted to a spare fitting included with my harbor freight 6 gallon compressed air driven topsider (as the included thin suction pipe was not long enough). I've changed the oil in the 335D at least 3 times with this setup and always got all the oil out. Not sure which topsider you purchased but the Motive and Mityvac are junk.

[montr]

I put a piece of black tape on my extractor flexible tube to mark when I reach the bottom of the pan. The distance from top of dipstick tube and bottom of oil pan is 30". If you insert more than that, it is likely that the flexible tube curl back up.

[stevers314]

Awesome, thanks guys!

It was the blue metal topsider brand one that i purchased. I'll look at getting the ice maker tubing and re-measure the lengths.

[Quasimodem]

I usually repressure the topsider and move the tube back and forth on the bottom of the pan a few times. Never had a problem fitting 8 quarts in with a filter change.

[kbsilver]

Originally Posted by stevers314

Awesome, thanks guys!

It was the blue metal topsider brand one that i purchased. I'll look at getting the ice maker tubing and re-measure the lengths.

Remember to cut the bottom of the tubing that goes into the crankcase on an angle so it cannot suck it self to the oil pan.