Go Back   The Ford Barn > General Discussion > Early V8 (1932-53)

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 03-07-2021, 09:40 AM   #1
Mart
Senior Member
 
Mart's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Solihull, England.
Posts: 8,732
Default Oil level. Is your dipstick lying? Make sure you know what you've got.

I wanted to fill the Ol' 59 Flatty with oil for the first time, so what better opportunity to check the correlation between the dipstick marks and the actual quantity in the pan. Over the years parts can get swapped out and mismatched. Do this check so you know exactly where you are and can make allowances accordingly.
Just a quick tech short, recorded on the fly.
Take care and I'll catch you next time.
Mart.
https://youtu.be/CoissekFJrY
Mart is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-07-2021, 11:31 AM   #2
drolston
Senior Member
 
drolston's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Williamsburg, VA
Posts: 1,622
Default Re: Oil level. Is your dipstick lying? Make sure you know what you've got.

Bought a pretty chrome dipstick for my rebuilt 59. At five quarts it showed nearly an inch above the full line. I put a section of rubber tube that long over the dipstick, so that it now reads full with 5 quarts in the pan. Could have just notched or scribed the stick at the right level, but this way, anybody that looks at the oil level has an unambiguous indication.
drolston is offline   Reply With Quote
Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)
Old 03-07-2021, 01:59 PM   #3
Mart
Senior Member
 
Mart's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Solihull, England.
Posts: 8,732
Default Re: Oil level. Is your dipstick lying? Make sure you know what you've got.

Funny enough, I just went out and added a little more oil, straightened the slight bend in the stick and tested it again. I was about 1/4" above the mark. I, too, cut a piece of hose and put it over the dipstick. The level now reads about 1/16" below the mark. I'm happy with that.
Good point about there being an unambiguous reading.
Mart.
Mart is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-07-2021, 06:09 PM   #4
47Monarch
Senior Member
 
47Monarch's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Sydney Nova Scotia
Posts: 125
Default Re: Oil level. Is your dipstick lying? Make sure you know what you've got.

I have a ford manual and remember something about distick readings will try and find it and post info
47Monarch is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-07-2021, 06:59 PM   #5
miniceptor86
Senior Member
 
miniceptor86's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: McGregor, IA
Posts: 230
Default Re: Oil level. Is your dipstick lying? Make sure you know what you've got.

Five quarts w/o filter change?
__________________
Cheers,
Jim&Sandy
McGregor, IA
miniceptor86 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-08-2021, 12:13 PM   #6
drolston
Senior Member
 
drolston's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Williamsburg, VA
Posts: 1,622
Default Re: Oil level. Is your dipstick lying? Make sure you know what you've got.

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)
Quote:
Originally Posted by miniceptor86 View Post
Five quarts w/o filter change?
Am I wrong or does the stock oil filter canister not drain by gravity back into the oil pan when the engine is shut down. If so, the only additional oil needed for the oil filter is the small amount that would stay in the filter paper?
drolston is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-08-2021, 06:15 PM   #7
JayChicago
Senior Member
 
JayChicago's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Chicago
Posts: 711
Default Re: Oil level. Is your dipstick lying? Make sure you know what you've got.

I believe you are right. Oil return out of the filter canister is through two small holes high up on the canister's interior tube, so only maybe an inch of gravity drain-down out of the filter canister.
JayChicago is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-08-2021, 06:31 PM   #8
JayChicago
Senior Member
 
JayChicago's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Chicago
Posts: 711
Default Re: Oil level. Is your dipstick lying? Make sure you know what you've got.

Bigger question to me is: should it take 4 quarts or 5 quarts? Mart filled with 4 ltrs/qts and I have seen that elsewhere, but I have seen at least one manual say capacity is 5 without filter. I marked the replacement dipstick after 5 qts, on an engine with a dipstick tube S-bent to clear headers.

I guess it would depend on the pan on each particular engine. I don't want it over-filled and have the oil frothing from being beaten by the crank throws. Is there a standard we should be using?

Last edited by JayChicago; 03-08-2021 at 06:51 PM.
JayChicago is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-08-2021, 07:13 PM   #9
VeryTangled
Senior Member
 
VeryTangled's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: (Not far enough...) Outside of DC
Posts: 3,386
Default Re: Oil level. Is your dipstick lying? Make sure you know what you've got.

Quote:
Originally Posted by JayChicago View Post
Bigger question to me is: should it take 4 quarts or 5 quarts?
Hi Everyone, JayChicago the answer has been the same for a hundred and ten years. Whatever the manufacturer recommends. Deviate at your own discretion.

{adding} In 2014 Don Rogers encouraed me to pick up this book and I immediately took his advice.

Documents delivered with a 1936 car are attached to be used as an example because I have it handy. Page 30 is where oil pan capacity is addressed.

A mechanic should consider if the engine interior condition is known or unknown. Prof. Mart began with a clean engine.

Then remember that sludge could be a factor in displacing fluid and creating another reason that dipstick readings can be difficult or misleading to interpret.



Attached Images
File Type: jpg WIN_20210308_18_40_45_Pro.jpg (48.9 KB, 719 views)
File Type: jpg WIN_20210308_18_48_31_Pro.jpg (47.7 KB, 372 views)
File Type: jpg WIN_20210308_18_41_43_Pro.jpg (46.1 KB, 13 views)
File Type: jpg WIN_20210308_18_42_25_Pro.jpg (49.8 KB, 19 views)
File Type: jpg WIN_20210308_18_44_11_Pro.jpg (45.7 KB, 13 views)
File Type: jpg WIN_20210308_18_45_48_Pro.jpg (77.5 KB, 15 views)
__________________
-Jeff H

Have you thought about supporting the Early Ford V-8 Foundation Museum?

Last edited by VeryTangled; 03-08-2021 at 09:49 PM.
VeryTangled is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-08-2021, 09:04 PM   #10
Will D
Senior Member
 
Will D's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2020
Location: BC Canada
Posts: 573
Default Re: Oil level. Is your dipstick lying? Make sure you know what you've got.

Don't forget as well 4L for Mart converts to 4.25 quarts for usa. Just to muddy the waters a little more.

My '38 service book also calls for 5 quarts.
__________________
Sometimes, ingenuity gets in the way of sense and sanity.
Will D is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-09-2021, 07:31 AM   #11
Mart
Senior Member
 
Mart's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Solihull, England.
Posts: 8,732
Default Re: Oil level. Is your dipstick lying? Make sure you know what you've got.

Interesting discussion fellas. I'm not saying you should use 4 litres or quarts, I'm saying it's what I have been using. On reflection I might up my working volume closer to 5 us quarts. Will give it a go. 5 quarts (US) is approx 4.75 litres. Lars in Sweden says he has been using 4.5l so I will use that as a good recommendation and reset the stick to read full at 4.5l. 4.5l is 4.75 us quarts. 4.5l is also ~4 imperial quarts or 1 gallon imp. so it seems like a good number to go for.
Thanks for keeping the dialog going. I did say in the video to pick a value YOU were happy to run at. I was running much less that 4 quarts by accident, because I was once told not to run at the max but somewhere in between. Throw in a dipstick mismatch and that easily gets you into the danger territory. Mart.
Mart is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-09-2021, 09:18 AM   #12
Mart
Senior Member
 
Mart's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Solihull, England.
Posts: 8,732
Default Re: Oil level. Is your dipstick lying? Make sure you know what you've got.

I just went and revised the oil volume to 4.5 litres as stated above. It's just under an eighth above the full mark. I'll check it after the motor has run before making any adjustments.
Mart.
Mart is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-09-2021, 10:27 AM   #13
JayChicago
Senior Member
 
JayChicago's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Chicago
Posts: 711
Default Re: Oil level. Is your dipstick lying? Make sure you know what you've got.

Thanks to all for the advice. 5 quarts it is, for this nearly-new rebuilt engine.

With my '40, a 50,000 mile original engine with the original dip-stick, 4 quarts gets up to the full line on the stick. So I guess this speaks to the point of sludge build-up will reduce capacity.

Last edited by JayChicago; 03-09-2021 at 11:04 AM.
JayChicago is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-09-2021, 01:44 PM   #14
marko39
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: harpursville ny
Posts: 1,038
Default Re: Oil level. Is your dipstick lying? Make sure you know what you've got.

My 39 is at full mark with 4 quarts and a clean pan. The reference manual states 5 quarts. I added a oil filter and a quart more.
marko39 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-09-2021, 04:16 PM   #15
47Monarch
Senior Member
 
47Monarch's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Sydney Nova Scotia
Posts: 125
Default Re: Oil level. Is your dipstick lying? Make sure you know what you've got.

Found this in Canadian ford mercury monarch shop manual dated Jan 2 1947
Attached Images
File Type: jpg dipstick.jpg (57.3 KB, 33 views)
47Monarch is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-09-2021, 04:46 PM   #16
VeryTangled
Senior Member
 
VeryTangled's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: (Not far enough...) Outside of DC
Posts: 3,386
Default Re: Oil level. Is your dipstick lying? Make sure you know what you've got.

Rotated. (And enlarged. I find it nice when I use my non-pc devices.)

Attached Images
File Type: jpg Capture.jpg (34.7 KB, 293 views)
__________________
-Jeff H

Have you thought about supporting the Early Ford V-8 Foundation Museum?
VeryTangled is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-09-2021, 06:03 PM   #17
47Monarch
Senior Member
 
47Monarch's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Sydney Nova Scotia
Posts: 125
Default Re: Oil level. Is your dipstick lying? Make sure you know what you've got.

Thank you
47Monarch is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-09-2021, 09:57 PM   #18
Tinker
Senior Member
 
Tinker's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: MN
Posts: 7,053
Default Re: Oil level. Is your dipstick lying? Make sure you know what you've got.

Guess it goes without saying... Figure out what condition your condition is in. Never assume. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AULOC--qUOI




.
Tinker is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-11-2021, 03:04 PM   #19
pistonbroke
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2021
Location: Perry Mo.
Posts: 457
Default Re: Oil level. Is your dipstick lying? Make sure you know what you've got.

I know it's not a Ford but my 46 flat head V8 Cadillac takes 8 qts. And it says that in any and all publications we can find. We have tried 4 different tubes and sticks and two oil pans . Always with the same result, 8 qt's is one full inch below the full mark. When I tried bringing the oil level up to the mark I blew the rear main seal, ( did this twice as I'm a slow learner) bad idea. I go with the book on this from now on !
pistonbroke is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-12-2021, 04:29 PM   #20
Art Newland
Senior Member
 
Art Newland's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Lynden, WA
Posts: 1,564
Default Re: Oil level. Is your dipstick lying? Make sure you know what you've got.

My F1 doesn't have it's original engine, but does have the oil pan and dipstick. With four quarts of oil and a clean oil pan it puts oil level right in the middle of the full mark. Just looked in my shop manual and it says capacity is 5 quarts.
BTW, no mention of oil filter.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg oil capacity.jpg (27.4 KB, 16 views)
__________________
"whatever works!"
Art Newland is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 01:48 PM.