Draining ZF V Drives with a vaccum evacuater

S

steveadil

Member
Aug 2, 2014
34
Mystic, CT
Boat Info
1990 420 Sundancer
Engines
Caterpillar 3208TA
I have a maintenance question on draining my ZF Vdrives. I can't get my hand all the way down to the drain plug (and it's too close to the bulkhead) so I sucked the oil out from the dipstick/fill hole. However I only got about a liter and a half out and the manual says capacity is 7 liters. Any trick to using an oil evacuater that I'm missing?
 
I have found that using a vacuum pump to change the transmission fluid never removes all of the old fluid. Here is an approach that will drain all of the fluid and one in which you only have to access t he transmission drain plug one more time!


transdrain.jpg


It requires some commonly available hardware store fittings, an aluminum bracket and a short custom hydraulic hose you can source from most agricultural stores or a shop that makes custom hydraulic hoses.
 
I found I can get almost all of the fluid out by pulling out from the filter access location down through the filter suction tube; that is the low point in the case.
ZF Filter.jpg
 
ttmott said:
I found I can get almost all of the fluid out by pulling out from the filter access location down through the filter suction tube; that is the low point in the case.
View attachment 49876
Click to expand...

In addition, I've found this process to take a long time (not quick like engine oil draining). I've found it to "stop" at a couple of quarts, then I come back 10 minutes later and another couple of quarts will drain, etc.


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Nice Frank! I'm jealous of the amount of room you have between the drive and the bulkhead. I had the chance when the drive was out because of a transmission replacement.
 
Last edited:
Just serviced a twin with the vac pump and 5 qts came out, 5 qts went is and it was at the full hot mark.
 
Thanks for the input - my evacuater is a lot like the ones you use - it comes down to being able to get the hose down far enough to remove as much as the oil as possible. Mine has a 1/4 inch and an 1/8 inch hose and I use the small one to try to get down there but it seems to be blocked. Maybe it's just a matter of playing with it more to try to get past the gears and bearings.

Bt Doctur - you removed 5 quarts and added 5 quarts but are you sure you got all of the oil out?
 
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