Mityvac MV8510 Silverline Elite Brake and Clutch Vacuum/Pressure Hand Pump for Performance Diagnostics, Brake Bleeding, Fluid Transfer, Evacuation, Windshield Repair, 2" Compound Gauge, Dual Converter

I purchased this hand vacuum pump kit in order to vacuum and pressure test a chainsaw I am building. I had compared other options such as the widely sold sheet metal hand vacuum pump as well as other metal and plastic designs. I did not really want to pay a lot of money for something I only need to use for a few minutes at the moment so had some reservations about purchasing this pump kit, but after looking into the quality and reviews of comparable products I had serious doubts as to whether the generic sheet metal type would work at all and while I saw some good reviews of other Mityvac products I did not want to spend the extra money only to have a plastic model. For a slightly larger investment I decided to purchase this kit and am glad I spent the extra money. It seems to be well made, pulls and holds a good vacuum, appears to be accurate and I expect it will be something that will work for many years to come. In addition the kit includes a variety of block off plates, silicone (I think) rubber adapters and block off plugs and a number of hose fittings and (2) ~16inch long sections of tubing. Due to the cast alloy material I would be somewhat hesitant to use this with anything corrosive to Zinc alloys as I suspect it would damage the metal. I have seen a number of scientific companies relabeling this product and selling it for a significantly higher price which is why I mentioned corrosive chemicals. Zinc alloys can reacts with both acids and bases so I would certainly avoid use with such chemicals. The included users manual details a wide range of automotive uses which I will certainly try out in the future. I have not used it beyond playing around with it to test it and attempting to vacuum test my Chainsaw case after installing new crank seals. I seem to have a major leak where I attempted to block off the intake manifold so I have not yet been able to successfully use it for its intended use. I do however believe it will work ideally for this use. It has a valve which allows you to switch between pressurization and vacuum action and the dial reads in both negative and positive ranges. It also has a pressure/vacuum release located under the selector valve. I am glad I made the extra investment in this product versus other makes and models of similar tools and believe it will be a good tool to have around for a variety of uses for a long time to come. If I were buying for scientific/lab use I would however consider the plastic version due to my previously stated suspicion that corrosives might seriously damage the item.

Paid for itself the first time I used it — at least in terms of saved aggravation if not outright prevented equipment damage. I replaced a cylinder on my chainsaw and (per the manual) did a quick pressure test and found a small leak in one of the fuel input channels. Which would have made the saw run lean and hotter, and quite possibly have eventually destroyed it. Fixed the leak, re-tested the pressure and now the saw runs like new.This kit is well worth the money. Great assortment of accessories and a decent (plastic) storage case. Easy to use for testing pressure and/or vacuum. Wish I would have purchased one years ago. I actually did buy a Mityvac vacuum tester (I think before the dual pressure/vacuum model was available) which still works great, so I am fairly certain the newer model will be just as reliable.

Work well, Price okay. Thanks

Great tool and best value for a very tried and tested brand. Fits well on all fittings and attachments . Test vacuum and supplies . Able to pressurize as well . Would recommend buying this over the knock offs due to them being prone to leaking and not holding vacuum or pressure .

The tool is robust, all metal. I accidentally dropped it onto concrete and it was not damaged. It pressurizes or creates a vacuum, at the 'flick of a switch'. The gauge read either. I does have one flaw, the collection cup, it does not have a gasket to seal the lid. I read about this complaint prior to purchase. I suspect there is a 'work around' but I used the tool in the pressure mode so I did not have to deal with that issue.

This review is about how I used the MityVac in combination with the Motive Power Bleeder to do a brake fluid job and be able to handle a contingency needing vacuum pressure. This thng works. Made bleeding brakes and replacing brake fluid easy for one person to do. I did not use the Motive Power Bleeder pump container to store the brake fluid. Instead I used the brake fluid reservoir as the fluid supply, and this kept the Power Bleeder bottle clean. When doing it this way you must be carefui to fill the brake fluid reservoir before doing each wheel so as not to accidently empty the master cylinder and introduce air into it, like I did when doing the last wheel which is closest to the master cylnder (oops). When doing the closest wheel you need to keep a closer eye on the fluid level in the reservoir because it empties faster than when doing the other lines (rear passenger side flows slowest since it's the longest line and the front driver side flows the fastest due to being the shortest line). If needed, a tip for a better seal on the master cylinder brake reservoir cap is to put a light coat of silicone grease on the rubber washer (silicone is compatible with rubber whereas petroleum based lubes are not).I fixed the problem of accidently emptying the master cylinder and was able to (I prepared ahead of time for this just in case) bleed the master cylnder of all air without having to disconnect any brake lines:1. Tool used - Mityvac MV8510 Silverline Elite Hand Pump2. Rubber stopper for the brake fluid reservoir was a solid 1-1/8 inch rubber sink stopper (size the 2010 Dodge Dakota takes and is equivalent to a #6 or #6.5 lab stopper). Drilled a small hole in it for a barb hose connector. You'll need to get a stopper that fits your vehicle.3. Connect the hose from the barb of the MityVac to the barb of the stopper.4. Put a light coat of silicone grease around the edge of the stopper and place the stopper into the opening of the master cylinder brake reservoir opening. May have to use hand pressure to hold down the stopper until a vacuum is established, depending on how hard/soft the stopper is.5. Using the MityVaC pump a vacuum of 15 to 20 psi, repeatedly until all the air is sucked out. You'll know when all the air is sucked out when the gage holds a vacuum without dropping. The gage may drop slowly if the seals are not tight at the barbs, and if you have leaky connections you can use a gasket type sealant to make them airtight. When air bubbles in the master cylinder are extracted by the vacuum pressure, the gage will 'pop' to a less negative pressure, requiring another hand-pumping.6. All air is out. Test brakes. Firm braking again - done.So, with the combination of the Motive Power Bleeder and Mityvac MV8510 Silverline Elite Hand Pump (in case), you can do a brake fluid job easy and neat, all the while keeping the equipment clean.