Hey guys. Been looking over the previous posts, and around the net, about Mityvacs. It looks like the Mityvac 7201 is a good choice. I have a handful of cars, including the kids', and am looking for a pump that I can use for the trannys, diffys, P/S pumps, and a brake bleeder. Would this be the one I need? Any other attachments I'd need to go with it? If anyone has any advice or experiences, I'd love to hear it. Also, where is the best place to purchase a Mityvac? I've checked out E-bay, and they run about 90 to 100 bucks. Thanks all.
Which Mityvac to get?????
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IIRC - I picked mine up via Amazon and am now a happy camper. One suggestion though... I haven't been able to get my smallest included tube down the 3800's circuitous oil dip-stick tube; which is no big deal as I prefer my Sure-Drain anyway - just be aware you may have similar issues.
I also squared off the end of the tube that connects to the adapter on the cover; fewer spills that way... always a good thing!
I also squared off the end of the tube that connects to the adapter on the cover; fewer spills that way... always a good thing!
Yep, another very happy 7201 owner here. I can't get it to work on my Buick's 3800 V6 either. Other than that, it makes fluid changes ridiculously easy. I've done PSF and ATF changes with it, and 1 oil change on the Honda. Pump it a few times then grab a cup of coffee and read the paper while it's draining. Keep it pumped up.
Ditto on squaring the hose ends that go into the fittings. Otherwise you will have leaks.
I haven't used the brake bleeder attachment, and have heard it is merely okay. I might get it since there are a few brake bleedings coming up on our cars.
Ditto on squaring the hose ends that go into the fittings. Otherwise you will have leaks.
I haven't used the brake bleeder attachment, and have heard it is merely okay. I might get it since there are a few brake bleedings coming up on our cars.
I had 7201 for more than 7 years, I paid around $60 for it back then, and still working good to siphon fluids of my cars. I used it to extract oil, PSF, ATF ... and brake flushes.
My brother in-law used to borrow my Mityvac for some years, he has 5 cars to maintain so he decided to buy one for himself from Amazon a couple years ago.
No, you don't need to buy anything else beside the 7201 to do fluid extraction and brake flush.
You need to square-off the main tube that connects to the pump's cover and push in hard until you hear a click to have a good seal. Also, tighten the 6-7 screws on top of the cover once in a while or when you don't a good vacuum.
Read the manual before use, if you have more questions when you use it you will get answers by then. Fluid extractor is one the best tools to do maintenance for any vehicle, you will not regret buying one.
My brother in-law used to borrow my Mityvac for some years, he has 5 cars to maintain so he decided to buy one for himself from Amazon a couple years ago.
No, you don't need to buy anything else beside the 7201 to do fluid extraction and brake flush.
You need to square-off the main tube that connects to the pump's cover and push in hard until you hear a click to have a good seal. Also, tighten the 6-7 screws on top of the cover once in a while or when you don't a good vacuum.
Read the manual before use, if you have more questions when you use it you will get answers by then. Fluid extractor is one the best tools to do maintenance for any vehicle, you will not regret buying one.
Ok. I found this one from Tooltopia.com, if anyone is interested. I'll probably pick one up. It came to $76.98 for me. That was the total, shipped.
MityVac 7201
MityVac 7201
Another vote for the 7201. It paid for itself after the second use. I use it for transmission fluid exchanges instead of taking a tranny line off that looks like it could create problems. In fact now I don't disconnect tranny lines at all to do exchanges. It was well worth the price.
Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
I had 7201 for more than 7 years, I paid around $60 for it back then, and still working good to siphon fluids of my cars. I used it to extract oil, PSF, ATF ... and brake flushes.
My brother in-law used to borrow my Mityvac for some years, he has 5 cars to maintain so he decided to buy one for himself from Amazon a couple years ago.
No, you don't need to buy anything else beside the 7201 to do fluid extraction and brake flush.
You need to square-off the main tube that connects to the pump's cover and push in hard until you hear a click to have a good seal. Also, tighten the 6-7 screws on top of the cover once in a while or when you don't a good vacuum.
Read the manual before use, if you have more questions when you use it you will get answers by then. Fluid extractor is one the best tools to do maintenance for any vehicle, you will not regret buying one.
So you don't need the brake flush adapter?
This would be great for the G5 but I would still have to get under the 6 for the filter. Would like something for the brakes and tranny though.
I had 7201 for more than 7 years, I paid around $60 for it back then, and still working good to siphon fluids of my cars. I used it to extract oil, PSF, ATF ... and brake flushes.
My brother in-law used to borrow my Mityvac for some years, he has 5 cars to maintain so he decided to buy one for himself from Amazon a couple years ago.
No, you don't need to buy anything else beside the 7201 to do fluid extraction and brake flush.
You need to square-off the main tube that connects to the pump's cover and push in hard until you hear a click to have a good seal. Also, tighten the 6-7 screws on top of the cover once in a while or when you don't a good vacuum.
Read the manual before use, if you have more questions when you use it you will get answers by then. Fluid extractor is one the best tools to do maintenance for any vehicle, you will not regret buying one.
So you don't need the brake flush adapter?
This would be great for the G5 but I would still have to get under the 6 for the filter. Would like something for the brakes and tranny though.
No, the brake flush adapter is not needed. The connection is folow:
Bleeder screw --> flexible hose --> connector --> main hose --> pump's cover.
Pump the 7201 3-4 times before crack open bleeder screw, pump few more if needed.
Bleeder screw --> flexible hose --> connector --> main hose --> pump's cover.
Pump the 7201 3-4 times before crack open bleeder screw, pump few more if needed.
That is really cool. I will have to look into one of these. Thanx
The main reason I bought the Mityva 7201 was to do oil change in my '00 E430. It had 4 years 50k miles free maintenance, the dealer charged $200 for oil change (8.5 quarts M1 0W40 and OEM cartridge filter) in 2004 and $250 now.
Bought oil on sale and with rebate the cost was about $25-35 for 8.5 quarts and about $8-12 for filter so the total cost was less than $50. I paid about $60 for Mityvac back in 2004-2005, which paid for itself with one use.
My brother in-law and I used the Mityvac at least 40-50 times from 2004 until 2010 when he bought one for himself, the cost per usage so far about $1-1.20. If it's lasted another 5-6 years, which I think it will, the cost per usage will be less than $1.
Oil change with a fluid extractor for many German engines is so easy, it siphons most, if not all, the oil via dipstick tube and cartridge filter is on top of the engine, so that changing oil and filter doesn't require a a person get under the car.
Other than oil change, Mityvac can be used to siphon any liquid and do brake flush. One of the most usefull tools I have, and even the initial cost is high the cost per usage is fairly low.
Bought oil on sale and with rebate the cost was about $25-35 for 8.5 quarts and about $8-12 for filter so the total cost was less than $50. I paid about $60 for Mityvac back in 2004-2005, which paid for itself with one use.
My brother in-law and I used the Mityvac at least 40-50 times from 2004 until 2010 when he bought one for himself, the cost per usage so far about $1-1.20. If it's lasted another 5-6 years, which I think it will, the cost per usage will be less than $1.
Oil change with a fluid extractor for many German engines is so easy, it siphons most, if not all, the oil via dipstick tube and cartridge filter is on top of the engine, so that changing oil and filter doesn't require a a person get under the car.
Other than oil change, Mityvac can be used to siphon any liquid and do brake flush. One of the most usefull tools I have, and even the initial cost is high the cost per usage is fairly low.
Originally Posted By: RnR
IIRC - I picked mine up via Amazon and am now a happy camper. One suggestion though... I haven't been able to get my smallest included tube down the 3800's circuitous oil dip-stick tube; which is no big deal as I prefer my Sure-Drain anyway - just be aware you may have similar issues.
I also squared off the end of the tube that connects to the adapter on the cover; fewer spills that way... always a good thing!
I bought mine for doing OC on the BMW. Also works well on small engines that don't have drain plugs.
I do have a word of caution though. I attempted to change oil on my mom's '87 Buick (3.8 L) and almost couldn't remove the tube from the dipstick tube. There must be a sharp edge at the end of the dipstick tube that will bite into the plastic drain tube, and that combined with the forced bending when the drain tube bottoms out acts like a sharkbite fitting. For a few minutes I was in a panic until I finally worked the drain tube out (had to rotate and wiggle to get it free).
IIRC - I picked mine up via Amazon and am now a happy camper. One suggestion though... I haven't been able to get my smallest included tube down the 3800's circuitous oil dip-stick tube; which is no big deal as I prefer my Sure-Drain anyway - just be aware you may have similar issues.
I also squared off the end of the tube that connects to the adapter on the cover; fewer spills that way... always a good thing!
I bought mine for doing OC on the BMW. Also works well on small engines that don't have drain plugs.
I do have a word of caution though. I attempted to change oil on my mom's '87 Buick (3.8 L) and almost couldn't remove the tube from the dipstick tube. There must be a sharp edge at the end of the dipstick tube that will bite into the plastic drain tube, and that combined with the forced bending when the drain tube bottoms out acts like a sharkbite fitting. For a few minutes I was in a panic until I finally worked the drain tube out (had to rotate and wiggle to get it free).
That same dipstick tube works very well for draining/filling PSF and ATF on a 3800-equipped GM vehicle. I did an ATF drain/fill on my Buick in 20 minutes today from getting out the Mity-Vac 7201 to disposing of my used gloves in the trash. It also will do an oil and ATF change on our Honda just fine. The oil change leaves a little bit of oil in the drain pan, but the ATF change removes more than the pan drain bolt does.
It's also great for draining/filling coolant while doing cooling system work. It does need to be cleaned very thoroughly beforehand.
It's also great for draining/filling coolant while doing cooling system work. It does need to be cleaned very thoroughly beforehand.
Have you guys read the reviews from Amazon? They make it sound like this product is nothing but a piece of trash. The concept is very appealing. What has prevented from somebody to put a real electric pump on this type of contraption and selling it under $100 rather than a fancy shop equipment which retails for $9999?
Originally Posted By: Vikas
Have you guys read the reviews from Amazon? They make it sound like this product is nothing but a piece of trash. The concept is very appealing. What has prevented from somebody to put a real electric pump on this type of contraption and selling it under $100 rather than a fancy shop equipment which retails for $9999?
Probably being able to market it as a "go-anywhere" extractor is worth not figuring out how to do that. I bet an electric pump can be rigged up if the unit's solely for garage use with an outlet nearby.
The reviews on Amazon were good and bad. Honestly, the reviews here were worth far more consideration since the folks with a Mityvac on here went into detail about the strengths/weaknesses of it, not just yelling "it doesn't work and I had to pay return shipping because I didn't order directly from Amazon". A lot of those folks dunned the 7201 since it didn't work perfectly out of the box, and they didn't take the time to learn how to use it. There's a learning curve to this tool. It isn't a hammer, it's a fairly complicated piece of equipment with a lot of points for leaks. Most of the problems reported on Amazon were "user error" problems that a little practice and 5 minutes of troubleshooting solved for good.
IIRC, there are other extractors that are powered.
Have you guys read the reviews from Amazon? They make it sound like this product is nothing but a piece of trash. The concept is very appealing. What has prevented from somebody to put a real electric pump on this type of contraption and selling it under $100 rather than a fancy shop equipment which retails for $9999?
Probably being able to market it as a "go-anywhere" extractor is worth not figuring out how to do that. I bet an electric pump can be rigged up if the unit's solely for garage use with an outlet nearby.
The reviews on Amazon were good and bad. Honestly, the reviews here were worth far more consideration since the folks with a Mityvac on here went into detail about the strengths/weaknesses of it, not just yelling "it doesn't work and I had to pay return shipping because I didn't order directly from Amazon". A lot of those folks dunned the 7201 since it didn't work perfectly out of the box, and they didn't take the time to learn how to use it. There's a learning curve to this tool. It isn't a hammer, it's a fairly complicated piece of equipment with a lot of points for leaks. Most of the problems reported on Amazon were "user error" problems that a little practice and 5 minutes of troubleshooting solved for good.
IIRC, there are other extractors that are powered.
Out of curiosity, does anyone know how much fluid is in the main reservoir compared to the lines?
I've always bled my brakes and lines every 2.5 years, but with fluid being relatively cheap ($4-5), I wonder about just sucking out the reservoir once a year or something like that.
I've always bled my brakes and lines every 2.5 years, but with fluid being relatively cheap ($4-5), I wonder about just sucking out the reservoir once a year or something like that.
I siphoned the brake fluid in reservoir once a year then do complete flush/bleed every 2-3 years. The reason I didn't do complete flush every year was raising the car, remove the tires(at least the rear tires), reinstall the tires and lower the car took too much time. The brake flush itself with Mityvac was very fast.
I found this on ebay; is this complete garbage? It is electric and lot cheaper too. Sure it could be messy with having to manage the dumping container but the concept is more appealing to me. Has anybody tried this?
This has to be very popular among the boaters. I am shocked at the price of this. Generally boaters need to brag how much they pay for their stuff and I suspect real boat owner would thumb their nose at this twenty five dollar thingy
This needs to be priced at least $500!
Electric Marine Boat Motor Oil Changer Extractor Pump
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Electric-...8887#vi-content
This has to be very popular among the boaters. I am shocked at the price of this. Generally boaters need to brag how much they pay for their stuff and I suspect real boat owner would thumb their nose at this twenty five dollar thingy
This needs to be priced at least $500!Electric Marine Boat Motor Oil Changer Extractor Pump
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Electric-...8887#vi-content
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Well, I pulled the trigger and ordered a mityvac 7201. It was $81.xx on Ebay, with free shipping. Got it 3 days after I ordered it! So far, I really, really like it. I've used it to siphon out master cylinders, PS fluid, and tranny fluid. On my 99 Blazer, with the 4.3, it worked great on the PS fluid. The reservoir has a funny shaped tube for the fill tube. The hose went down it slicker than snot! The only problem I've had with it, was when bleeding brakes on my ol pickup. Couldn't get all the air out for some reason.
I tightened up the screws on top of the tank, and cut the main tube flush, like some on here have recommended. I think it is going to be a very useful tool in my garage. Thank you all for your input!
I tightened up the screws on top of the tank, and cut the main tube flush, like some on here have recommended. I think it is going to be a very useful tool in my garage. Thank you all for your input!
Can some of your experienced Mityvac 7201 owners tell me how this is done: REMOVING THE RUBBER STOPPER?
I swear my thumbs hurt like [censored] trying to remove it even after greasing it up with oil to remove it. The seal is tight & wont let go.
I swear my thumbs hurt like [censored] trying to remove it even after greasing it up with oil to remove it. The seal is tight & wont let go.
I always switch the rubber stopper to off as soon as I finish dispensing old fluid to a recycle container, that way the rubber goes back to normal size and easy to pull up.
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