[Nerfbar]

Twice in my ownership of plastic oil pan 911's I've had new plastic drain plugs start leaking immediately after an oil change. Maybe this was my fault because I purchased a supply of cheap VW replacement plugs made by our friends in the far east. The first time it was replaced at no charge by my dealer when I was in for some other warranty work. They didn't charge me for any oil, and I was curious about how they were able to make a replacement without losing any oil. But free is free.

So, when it happened to me recently, I had to contemplate how to do the exchange without an oil gusher. I saw a trick on the interwebs using a vacuum inserted into the oil filler pipe and decided to try it. Not only did it work, but it was one of the most satisfying things I’ve tried for a long time. I used my garage vac hoping that it wouldn't ingest any oil. Nothing bad happened. When I removed the offending plug, the drain hole gently sucked air preventing a single drop from being lost. And the vacuum didn't suck up any oil. It was not necessary to attempt to perfectly seal the vacuum connection. It just worked.

This leads me to think that I'll do this trick on every oil change so I can remove the drain plug without any oil to wipe up. Remove the drain plug, get out of the way, and shut off the vacuum. Bob's your uncle!

[BlackTalon]

well dang, who woulda figured that? Great tip.

[Dr K]

Awesome! Thanks Barry!!