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The suck bucket

dirtmonkey

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Joined
Dec 21, 2009
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342
Location
norman oklahoma
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dozer monkey , self employed
Hey gravel doctor ! You the same ericscher on the M14 Forum ?

Not trying to hijack you thread Willie !
 

wrwtexan

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Feb 5, 2011
Messages
558
Location
Cooper, Texas
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Indy Farm Wrench, heavy land clearing, rancher
074.jpg
If I get nothing else from this site which definitely isn't the case, hats off to the inventor of this handy little device. I have used it to clean out several diesel fuel tanks which I otherwise couldn't get cleaned out.
 

willie59

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Dec 21, 2008
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13,361
Location
Knoxville TN
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Service Manager
Well fiddlesticks, oil filled the threaded bolt holes when I pulled that swivel fitting.



suck bucket 8-15 001.jpg



No worries...suck bucket! Even used it to suck out the brake cleaner used to clean the holes of oil. :cool:



suck bucket 8-15 002.jpg
 

willie59

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Knoxville TN
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Ok, time for an update. When I first made the suck bucket I basically threw it together in a hurry, really basic stuff. Well, it's been in use now for many years and a bunch of times. As we all know clear vinyl tubing has memory, you can't make that stuff stay straight, and oils/fuel will make it get stiff over time. Well, this past week, with the combination of those two things, I was sucking some oil out of a housing and, unknown to me, the vinyl tube with its bend inside the suck bucket was curled and pointing to, you guessed it, the spout where I had the shop vac hose connected. I think y'all can deduct what the result was. Slime-A-Vac!

That does it, it's time to upgrade! So here it is, the Suck Bucket 2.0

20171205_144720.jpg

I fitted a discharge pipe inside the bucket with thin wall 3/4" PVC pipe and a 45 degree elbow at the bottom of the pipe with a tailpiece cut on an angle. I rotated the tailpiece so it's pointing to the side of the bucket. I'm thinking this will help minimize splatter effect inside the bucket as it will direct liquids into a swirl when it enters the bucket and to make oils go straight to the side of the bucket to then flow down to the bottom of the bucket.

20171205_144830.jpg

On the top of the bucket I fitted a ball valve to control how much vacuum is applied to the bucket as too much vacuum can collapse the bucket. 90 degree barb fitting for the tubing will help keep the tubing from getting kinked, and I didn't tighten the threads so it can swivel around. Already have a project lined out tomorrow to try out 2.0

20171205_144924.jpg
 

crane operator

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 27, 2009
Messages
8,273
Location
sw missouri
I still need to build one of these, I saved having to build the first edition, maybe I'll get around to the second.

By the way, your sticker on the back of your truck gave me my laugh for the day.

upload_2017-12-5_19-14-39.jpeg
 

dirty4fun

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 29, 2010
Messages
1,188
Location
N. IL
I built one after reading about them, it is still around the shop. Works so good on many different things, thank for sharing your great idea.
 

willie59

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Dec 21, 2008
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Knoxville TN
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Service Manager
I built one after reading about them, it is still around the shop. Works so good on many different things, thank for sharing your great idea.

Heck yeah dirty4fun, they do work well on many things, I even used it when I went to replace the toilet at my home with a new toilet. That last little bit of water left in the bowl after flush, the suck bucket to care of that in short order so I could pull the old toilet and carry it outside without spilling water through the house.
 

willie59

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Knoxville TN
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Service Manager
Now you're just getting fancy to show off! :p

I even built a 1 gallon version.

Showing off??? Naa, necessity is the mother of invention. After my episode of the vinyl tube was pointed right at the bucket spout where I connect the shop vac and totally slimmed my shop vac, that does it, I've got to make this better.
 

kshansen

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Joined
Mar 11, 2012
Messages
11,127
Location
Central New York, USA
Occupation
Retired Mechanic in Stone Quarry
Willie59,

Just thought I would boost this thread back to the top for any of the new guys and to mention what I used mine for today!

Probably one of the smallest job a "Suck Bucket" has ever been used on!

Had the little project today of flushing the brake fluid out of my wife's 2013 Vespa scooter. As I did not want to chance dripping brake fluid on the paint work I was looking around for an old turkey baster or syringe of some kind to suck the old fluid out of the master cylinders before putting fresh in. I could have just pumped the old stuff right through but thought starting with a mostly empty master would save some time.

Then I hit me why not use the good old "Suck Bucket"? Did not have to worry about over filling the five gallon pail on this job as each master cylinder holds at the most a couple table spoons of fluid.

Chalk up one more potentially messy job to a fast and neat one thanks the the "Suck Bucket".

Thanks again for sharing, willie59
 

willie59

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Dec 21, 2008
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13,361
Location
Knoxville TN
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Service Manager
Willie59,

Just thought I would boost this thread back to the top for any of the new guys and to mention what I used mine for today!

Probably one of the smallest job a "Suck Bucket" has ever been used on!

Had the little project today of flushing the brake fluid out of my wife's 2013 Vespa scooter. As I did not want to chance dripping brake fluid on the paint work I was looking around for an old turkey baster or syringe of some kind to suck the old fluid out of the master cylinders before putting fresh in. I could have just pumped the old stuff right through but thought starting with a mostly empty master would save some time.

Then I hit me why not use the good old "Suck Bucket"? Did not have to worry about over filling the five gallon pail on this job as each master cylinder holds at the most a couple table spoons of fluid.

Chalk up one more potentially messy job to a fast and neat one thanks the the "Suck Bucket".

Thanks again for sharing, willie59

It is amazing how many projects one finds to use it on. Only thing I avoid is volatile liquids like gasoline, that stuff makes me nervous. I've used it removing oil from threaded holes before re-fitting parts, sucking the fuel and oil that drops on top of pistons when changing HEUI injectors, I've even used it to suck the remaining water from a toilet when removing a toilet or tank from it's mounting. Good to hear it did the task for ya!
 

walkerv

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Joined
Jan 21, 2016
Messages
1,125
Location
wingate nc
glad this post got revived i had not seen it before now , will keep it in my mind now for just the right occasion although i do have a small plastic hose fit to a camlock fitting on my service trucks oil evac diaphram pump, sometimes it dont suck so good .
 

kshansen

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Mar 11, 2012
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Location
Central New York, USA
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Retired Mechanic in Stone Quarry
glad this post got revived i had not seen it before now , will keep it in my mind now for just the right occasion although i do have a small plastic hose fit to a camlock fitting on my service trucks oil evac diaphram pump, sometimes it dont suck so good .
I would strongly suggest making one of these "Suck Buckets" up just for fun. Takes all of ten minutes to round up the parts and once you have one you are sure to find an application for it.

Not sure if I described somewhere up in this thread how for mine I used for the suction hose some 3/8 inch clear hose then to be able to get down in the corners of a small oil tank taped a length of coat hanger to it. Lets me maneuver it all around very accurately.
 

digger doug

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Nov 2, 2011
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1,368
Location
NW Pennsylvania
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Thrash-A-Matic designer
I have used a similar set-up, a shop vac on a bucket.

Cleaning out all the grass & twigs that get down in a skid steers
innards (after flipping up the cab). Once they get oil soaked,
they really pack down in between all the hydros, and hoses.

I keep some 1" pvc, and some smaller pieces around to quickly
stuff on the end of the hose, to get in smaller crevices.

I have used it to retrieve hardware as well.
 

Tones

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Mar 15, 2009
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Ubique
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Ex land clearing contractor, part-time retired
Hey Willie, I've just shared the Suck Bucket with a mate of mine who is in the hydraulic game and does alot of work on fishing trawlers. Because he doesn't always have access to mains power to run the vac so I suggested he makes a Venturi and hook to an air compressor.
You have come up with a brilliant idea btw. :)
 

willie59

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Dec 21, 2008
Messages
13,361
Location
Knoxville TN
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Service Manager
Hey Willie, I've just shared the Suck Bucket with a mate of mine who is in the hydraulic game and does alot of work on fishing trawlers. Because he doesn't always have access to mains power to run the vac so I suggested he makes a Venturi and hook to an air compressor.
You have come up with a brilliant idea btw. :)

Ya never know, your buddy may come up with something just as creative. As they say, necessity is the mother of invention. ;)
 
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