The suck bucket

[typ4]

We built several of these after finding your thread a while back.
I must say thank you from all my friends and myself, !!!!!!!!!

 

[willie59]

Wow, that cheers me typ4, glad it's been a help to you. I've used my improved suck bucket 2.0 several times now and I really like it

 

[hookedondiesel]

Thank you willie and whomever brought this thread back up to life. here's another use for the suckbucket...Is your fuel line clogged from your tank, (maybe), well disconnect it at the pump and " suckitup.

 

[willie59]

Thank you willie and whomever brought this thread back up to life. here's another use for the suckbucket...Is your fuel line clogged from your tank, (maybe), well disconnect it at the pump and " suckitup.

Yes, just avoid doing this to a gasoline line, that stuff scares me. I've also used it to pull water from the bottom of a fuel tank that either doesn't have a drain petcock or is difficult to get to by putting a length of straight copper tubing on the end of my vinyl tubing, stick it to the bottom of the tank and suck up the water until fuel flows through tubing.

 

[DoyleX]

I've super sized this idea with a 55gal drum. Used it to pull rear gearcase/trans oil from a dozer as I didnt want to drain 40gal bucket by bucket. Not a drop spilled and I was productave taking it apart.

 

[kshansen]

I've super sized this idea with a 55gal drum. Used it to pull rear gearcase/trans oil from a dozer as I didnt want to drain 40gal bucket by bucket. Not a drop spilled and I was productave taking it apart.

I had thought about doing something like that but never had the need or opportunity while still at the quarry. Now days not really anything around the house that would even come close to filling the five gallon version!

If you have a clean empty drum handy it would be a great way to save the oil for reuse it it had not been contaminated from a failure.

 

[FarmWrench]

The Suck Bucket and Fluid Film, two ancient history posts that have been so very useful.

 

[emmett518]

That is pretty good.

This idea sucks. Really.
So glad I saved an oil bucket. Thanks for sharing!

 

[oceanobob]

Had to add the following inquiry to the concept; Yes indeed, the idea for liquids is quite sound and is a valued tool in me shop; have shown the idea to many whilst crediting the forum.

Here is the issue: have been enlisted (drafted?) to assist in a project involving a piece of heavy equipment disassembly and bearing (aluminum bronze) rebuild etc. The piece is indeed heavy but doesnt move much dirt. Has gearboxes filled with 'tacky' grease.

Any tricks that will help the suck bucket cope with this task?

Or just get bags of rags, and get to wiping.

 

[crane operator]

You might be able to fill the gearboxes with diesel, it will dilute the grease and make it come off easier. I don't know that the suck bucket will be able to pick it up. But it will come off everything easier with the diesel.

 

[willie59]

The suck bucket won't do heavy oils very well, and the bigger the vinyl tubing the better. The problem is the vacuum required to move heavy fluids simply implodes the plastic bucket. Works best with water, diesel fuel and light oils.

 

[Legdoc]

I made a 5 gal suck bucket out of a 5 gal plastic pail several years ago to evacuate the oil from the wave runners. I used a vacuum pump from the lab which imploded the pail. I hate to admit it but the solution was a metal tank for that purpose found at HF. It also has a large hole on top for dumping. I think it was less than $50.00

 

[willie59]

I made a 5 gal suck bucket out of a 5 gal plastic pail several years ago to evacuate the oil from the wave runners. I used a vacuum pump from the lab which imploded the pail. I hate to admit it but the solution was a metal tank for that purpose found at HF. It also has a large hole on top for dumping. I think it was less than $50.00

Hey, I'm all good with inquisitive folks coming up with improved variations of the concept.

 

[Delmer]

A steel air compressor tank, or propane tank will stand the heavier vacuum, you could try a water heater, but that's iffy. A vacuum cleaner will not develop much suction, but any gas engine is a good source for higher vacuum, even some diesel pickups will have a vacuum pump for the brakes. Or a refrigeration service vacuum pump, intake of air compressor, junk fridge compressor. Not much volume is needed, as you're not pumping air , you're only building the vacuum and then the volume of grease is relatively low.

The next part would be a hose that could stand the vacuum, spiral PVC suction hoses, wire reinforced hoses, possibly hydraulic hose?

If the gearbox has seals on the shafts, it may be possible to pressurize it with air to pump the grease out. In that case the hose wouldn't have to stand vacuum, or very much pressure either, 10-20 psi would be more than the force of vacuum.

Either way, heat would help a lot.

 

[ahart]

If using a steel tank, you could always build or buy an air-vac transducer like the one pictured below, uses compressed air flow to create a vacuum on the p- port. Cat PN: 5P-0306

 

[JD955SC]

I’ve been experimenting with one using a tee fitting to generate the vacuum. Still fine tuning it in my spare moments. First shot imploded the bucket immediately

 

[ahart]

I’ve got a home made one around somewhere. I’ll see if I can find it and post.

 

[Legdoc]

A empty refrigerant bottle should work. Already has handles on it.

 

[walkerv]

Had to add the following inquiry to the concept; Yes indeed, the idea for liquids is quite sound and is a valued tool in me shop; have shown the idea to many whilst crediting the forum.

Here is the issue: have been enlisted (drafted?) to assist in a project involving a piece of heavy equipment disassembly and bearing (aluminum bronze) rebuild etc. The piece is indeed heavy but doesnt move much dirt. Has gearboxes filled with 'tacky' grease.

Any tricks that will help the suck bucket cope with this task?

Or just get bags of rags, and get to wiping.

if its huge putty knife and a box to put grease in if its just big enough for a hand to get in probably rags, once majority is gone maybe wash it out with diesel and a cleaning brush then suck bucket the resulting residue