I never thought about sludge potentially taking up space in the oil pan and altering the amount of oil required for a refill. My cars engine was rebuilt before I purchased it; so, Ive never had the pan off.
Can sludge really build up that much?
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Like others above indicate, only if run for a very long time with non detergent oil.
After a 50 year nap, my A had inches of sludge built up in the bottom of the pan, had buildup in the Valve Galley, and had actually blocked the oil pump and oil pump screen. Luckily I caught it before it caused damage to the motor. It is the nastiest black/brown goo like molasses substance ever. Once on your hands or clothes is very difficult to clean off. Since multi-weight oil keeps contamination floating around in the oil, this is the reason some like to add the aftermarket oil filter kit.
Other contributors to sludge.
In the history of oil, manufacturers added Paraffin to motor oil to quiet valves and worn motors. Paraffin is wax. I believe this was in the 50s/60s
Motor coolant temps need to reach 160 degrees or more to allow the oil to reach temps that burn off condensation and other contaminants. Usually for more than 20 minutes. Some of us like to install a thermostat for this reason, and lubrication works better at higher temps, and the thermostat allows the temp to reach operating much quicker. Most wear happens at cold/lower motor temps.
Since your motor was rebuilt, your motor should be clean, especially since after rebuild it most likely has been using detergent oil.
