oil change question

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Dave NEO

Dave NEO

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so first time doing oil and filter - '68 383 4 spd barracuda...
3 qrts drained in to pan - filter itself held maybe 1/2 quart - dip stick read slightly under full mark when I started. I expected close to 5 quart capacity but maybe I am wrong on this. Could it be more like 4 for these cars? I plan to just add what I accounted for taking out and go from there..
thanks for any insight.
 
Pour in 4,check it. Back in the good old days most cars held a gallon of oil....quart#5 goes in the trunk.
 
manual said 4 and 5 if changing filter which might be true for some '68 oil pans but sure doesn't look like it for this one...
 
Should be 5qts .... sure you're not burning any ? Unless its been a really long time and a lot of miles since the last oil change !
 
Should be 5 quarts. It is VERY likely that somewhere along the line, the oil dip stick and/or dipstick tube were replaced with an incorrect part, or one that was of poor quality. In which case, the marks on the dipstick may not actually represent the engine's actual oil level. Here is what I would do. I'd completely drain the oil, replace the filter and put in 5 quarts. Then run the motor for a while, shut it off and then give the oil a while to drain down into the pan. Then, wherever the oil mark is on the dipstick, that would be my new "FULL" mark.
 
Oil pan holds 4 quarts. The 5th quart goes into the filter and the rest of the engine. So the total capacity for the engine is 5 quarts.
 
had front wheels on ramps - angle of rear of pan may have kept a bit in that section - what a PITA.. I noticed the oil filter was very heavily saturated/ heavy even after draining for a while - a fair amount must stay in these. Hate to change a thing as pressure is very good and never have any overheating issues..dipsschitk is made in china..
 
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Tooljunkie said:
Pour in 4,check it. Back in the good old days most cars held a gallon of oil....quart#5 goes in the trunk.
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Sorry but 5 quarts with a filter has been the norm for decades and you alwsys replace the filter.
 
Oops i meant Imperial gallon. What was i thinkin.....
 
IMO, Fill your new filter half full and spin it on quickly. Less time to fill filter is quicker lubrication to bearings. May also help from loosing pump prime on startup.
 
Daves69 said:
IMO, Fill your new filter half full and spin it on quickly. Less time to fill filter is quicker lubrication to bearings. May also help from loosing pump prime on startup.
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I should have done that yesterday. I experienced a few too many uncomfortable seconds before pressure came up.
 
ok so in the end it took 4 1/2 quarts to get to the full mark on dipstick (after running it a bit). all is good. Being too cautious... ain't been under a 60's car in 45+ years...
 
Dave NEO said:
ok so in the end it took 4 1/2 quarts to get to the full mark on dipstick (after running it a bit). all is good. Being too cautious... ain't been under a 60's car in 45+ years...
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Which filter? Brand and number. Short or long?
 
Long filter, 5 quarts with a filter. Like the other guys said and you as well, your Made in China dipstick is inaccurate.
 
yea, made in china - it might be pretty close though.. I mean 4 1/2 qrts give or take is pretty good. glad I asked all you guys for input - helps you feel like you are on right track. great forum. don't stop giving your 2 cents worth. thanks.
 
I wouldn't be OK with 4 1/2 quarts when everybody is telling you that 5 quarts is the correct amount. Good luck.
 
Dave NEO said:
ok so in the end it took 4 1/2 quarts to get to the full mark on dipstick (after running it a bit). all is good. Being too cautious... ain't been under a 60's car in 45+ years...
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toolmanmike said:
Long filter, 5 quarts with a filter. Like the other guys said and you as well, your Made in China dipstick is inaccurate.
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I would on the next oil change, drain the oil, change the filter, put 5 quarts in, then start it and see where it is on the dipstick... Then scribe a mark on the dipstick to show where the full point really is...

It sounds like the dipstick is off and the full mark on the china dipstick is actually 1/2 quart low...
 
If you notice, just a hair above the add mark you are still good to go. The fifth quart is a good reserve for cars using oil. There are a couple of things that can be gained by running a touch over 4 quarts in a five quart car, but you have to keep a watch over it. If you are uncomfortable just keep it full. You mentioned the stick read slightly under full. We are all imagining what that would look like a little differently, but topping it off could represent a lot of oil.
 
5 quarts with long filter and watch your oil pressure under hard acceleration. If the pressure drops off you may need a oil pan baffle. A lot of 383's and 440's were built without them.
 
krazykuda said:
I would on the next oil change, drain the oil, change the filter, put 5 quarts in, then start it and see where it is on the dipstick... Then scribe a mark on the dipstick to show where the full point really is...

It sounds like the dipstick is off and the full mark on the china dipstick is actually 1/2 quart low...
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This is exactly what I was going to suggest. Except I would use 5 qts , new filter, run the car , then let it set over night. Then mark full on the dipstick.
 
SGBARRACUDA said:
This is exactly what I was going to suggest. Except I would use 5 qts , new filter, run the car , then let it set over night. Then mark full on the dipstick.
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This is what I did w/ an old, 7 qt. alum. funny car pan, w/ a .300 thick girdle, and aftermarket dipstick. .
 
A follow-up:
OK, so I find I have a 699 oil pan. I was not aware of that when I was asking about capacity. A reference source indicated capacity of 4 quarts for this pan.
#3671697 -699- 4qts '72-'73 c-body 400-440..

and indicated this is a pan often used for big block swaps into A bodies (which my car happens to be). so....maybe my dipstick is accurately showing full capacity afterall. Something I'll keep an eye on. . .
 
Dave NEO said:
A follow-up:
OK, so I find I have a 699 oil pan. I was not aware of that when I was asking about capacity. A reference source indicated capacity of 4 quarts for this pan.
#3671697 -699- 4qts '72-'73 c-body 400-440..

and indicated this is a pan often used for big block swaps into A bodies (which my car happens to be). so....maybe my dipstick is accurately showing full capacity afterall. Something I'll keep an eye on. . .
Click to expand...
All the charts list the pan capacity. Not total capacity. 4 quarts for the pan, 1 quart for the filter. #51515 Wix, PH8A Fram or the like. I have been changing oil in Mopars since the late 60's of the last century. They take 5 quarts with a filter. Don't measure how much oil you drain out as a indicator of capacity. I drain it out till it quits dripping, replace the filter and fill with 5 quarts. If your filter is closer to vertical than horizontal, put a little oil in it before starting and put the rest of that quart in the engine..Like SGbarracuda said, 5 quarts with a filter, run it, let it set overnight and check the level the next day. Mark the dipstick if you have to.
 
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