Has anyone used a Top Sider or other style of pump to remove motor oil? The idea of a cleaner oil change appeals to me. I have a '97 Outback and as far as I can tell the tube would hit the bottom of the oil pan when inserted through the dipstick. Pros, cons? As always, thanks for any advice.

Buy a fumoto valve at http://www.fumotovalve.com/

 

It makes oil changing simple. And it can't be that clean anyway, you still have to take off the filter.

 

I wear latex gloves when I work on my cars. It makes for much easier cleanup.

Yep, latex gloves are my cure against oily hands for a week after an oil change.

 

Also, torque the oil pan bolt to the recommend 40Nm (30lb/ft), that way it will come off easily. Same with the filter, hand tight only, don't force it. It's much easier to control the oil spillage when you're not fighting to undo stuff.

If you punch a hole in the bottom of the oil filter before removing it, it will be less messy. Put your drain pan under it first, of course. I use a screwdriver and hammer to punch the hole. This technique is easy on Subarus because of the location and orientation of the filter.

I use that method of draining the oil filter, it works well. That Fumotovalve looks interesting, I think the Outbacks have enought clearance to use the tube fitting version. Somebody had a quick disconnect hose version of that a while back, this one looks a lot more reliable. My concearn of mess was more for the driveway than my hands, but latex gloves are a good idea. I also think after I poke a hole in my Pure One filter and let it drain I'm going to get a plastic grocery bag ( no holes) and hold it around the filter after I break it loose with the filter wrench. One last thought on the top drain method. I thought I'd read somewhere a number of years ago something about the swirling action of the suction being able to get the junk off the bottom of the pan better than just a gravity drain. Not really sure either way on that one.

Well, I do love to sound arrogant, so here we go:

 

 

"Gunk"? What gunk? I left that stuff behind when I switched to Mobil 1 !

I really don't think you could get "swirling action" from a drain tube that's small enough to go down on the dipstick tube, so to speak...

anyone tried useing one of these on a transmission? raditor maybe....anything else to use it on?

I installed a Fumoto valve in my 00 OB with the tube attach extension. Works great and doesn't hang below the guard.

 

Now I went and put Amsoil synthetic in so won't be using the valve much:)