Oil Level On Dipstick....

Bob-A

Bob-A

Well-known member
Just how high is to high of a level on the oil pan dipstick?:confused: I installed a
full flow "A-ford-able" oil filter set up on my '29. I added the full 5 quarts
thinking that is what it would take with the new filter. Well, the oil level is
at approx. 1/2" or better above the 'F' on the stick now.:o Do I really need to lower it right at the 'F' ? Thanks for any words of wisdom.:)

Bob-A:D
 
I don't think it matters at all as long as your not blowing smoke I always fill mine to that point becouse it leaks out so fast
 
If your engine doesn't leak, filling it over the full mark will scare you to death the first time you park on a hill, hot, with the nose uphill. I always keep all new engines and my personal engine half way between F and L.
 
James Rogers said:
If your engine doesn't leak, filling it over the full mark will scare you to death the first time you park on a hill, hot, with the nose uphill. I always keep all new engines and my personal engine half way between F and L.
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That is where mines seems to settle out, anything over half to full will usually ends up on the garage floor.:(

dusty
 
I keep mine above full, leaves a couple small drops on the floor no matter where I have the level.
 
Above the full mark results in more leaking and it is a waste of oil. I find that if I leave any of mine at between the full and add marks, they don't leak. Overfilling will really leak if you park with the front end high.
 
The 5 quarts is what it holds but there always is some oil still in the engine so you will most likely need less then 5 I use about 4 to get a to or a little below full. The filter should absorb some oil but if it stays above Full I would remove some to bring it down. The way I look at it is putting in more oil then is needed has to put additional pressure on seals and things and that cannot be a good for a engine.
 
Thanks guys for your input. I guess I will lower the level some.:mad: Unscrew the oil pan drain plug, 'oh so slowly without removing it completely and try and not make to big of a mess, yeah right.:eek:

Bob-A:D
 
If your filter is at 90 degrees to the valve cover, a lot of the oil will drain back into the engine when it is off and give you a "false" full reading (when the engine is not running.)
 
CarlG,

You know I have wondered about that!?!:eek: I'll have to try this before I
drain any oil: check level cold, check level running (probably won't be vary accurate), and check the level as soon as she stops running.;)

Bob-A:D
 
If its not leaking, I can't see where it will hurt. You could just drive it and see what happens. I've never ran a filter on any of mine. I guess that it could be giving a false high reading because half of the oil is draining out of the filter and back into the valve chamber when the engine is not running.

I remember back in the ninties there was a guy that wrote a little artical each month in the restorer magazine. The guy suggested that it would be good to run up to seven quarts of oil in the model A . He went on to say how it would help keep the oil cooler and prevent oil starvation at the oil pump on sharp turns. If I had thought about it a little, I would have known better, but I went ahead and tried it. It didn't hurt anything. The only thing was that it left a trail of oil and I got lots of comments. It was an embarrisment And I was ashamed of myself for doing it. The guy was most likely talking about engines with full pressure and a rear main seal. With only a rear oil slinger you will be likely to get some leaks, especially if parked with the front end up hill as others have said. If you have a rear seal you should be ok.
 
Hi, I just got a 1930 Model "A" I took on trade a couple weeks ago, (it is for sale) After timing the engine, dressing and adjusting the points, and cleaning the plugs, I got it running great, it doesn't smoke, doesn't have any blowby, but I checked the oil, and it was showing two quarts low, I put a quart in it, and pulled the stick, it is just a tad above the "low" mark. I drove it around the neighborhood, and when I came back, I opened the hood, and it had pushed oil out of the dipstick hole in the side of the block, the guy I got it from had been driving it on short trips, and it didn't blow any oil out (he was driving it with the low reading on the dipstick though) There is no cap on the dipstick, I have been trying to find pics of a dipstick to see if there is suppose to be a cap on the dipstick? Maybe the cap is missing ? Thanks Keith
 
I did the same thing as you and had to pull the plug and drain out about 2 cups. Oil all over my hand but none on the floor . i had lots of rags and a big pan. I keep my level half way now.

Bob-A said:
Thanks guys for your input. I guess I will lower the level some.:mad: Unscrew the oil pan drain plug, 'oh so slowly without removing it completely and try and not make to big of a mess, yeah right.:eek:

Bob-A:D
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The dipstick has no cap on it. Make sure the oil tube breather cap isn't pushed down too far and blocking the vents. Sometimes Mr. Gorilla pushes the cap on hard enough to bend the tabs and block off the air vents.

Running the oil half way between the F and L works fine for me.
 
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