Oil capacity/dipstick discrepancy between two 1962s.

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Max10

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Hi everyone,

I have a 62 Lancer sedan and a 62 Lancer wagon. The oil change on the sedan was about 5 quarts. I just went to do my first oil change on the wagon and 3.7 quarts (oil + wix filter change) shows full.

I pulled the dipstick from the sedan, and the two dipsticks are different. The add\full range on the wagon dipstick is lower and than on the sedan. The wagon dipstick is also a bit longer. The wagon dipstick looks old, but not sure if it's original to the vehicle. The sedan dipstick is the same as the one I had on 62 Valiant sedan that I had for a short time.

The oil pans on the Lancer sedan and the Lancer wagon are different.

What do you think? Should I bring the oil level up on the wagon? Or do some of these have lower capacities? If the dipstick on the wagon is wrong then it's been driven around 1.3 or so quarts low for who knows how long, lol. In my short tenure, including a 20 miles freeway drive home, the oil pressure light has always gone off during start-up and never come back on. So, hopefully that's all ok. But, obviously I'd like the oil to be at the proper level.
 
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Max10 said:
Hi everyone,

I have a 62 Lancer sedan and a 62 Lancer wagon. The oil change on the sedan was about 5 quarts. I just went to do my first oil change on the wagon and 3.7 quarts (oil + wix filter change) shows full.

I pulled the dipstick from the sedan, and the two dipsticks are different. The add\full range on the wagon dipstick is lower than on the sedan. The wagon dipstick looks old, but not sure if it's original to the vehicle. The sedan dipstick is the same as the one I had on 62 Valiant sedan that I had for a short time.

The oil pans on the Lancer sedan and the Lancer wagon are different.

What do you think? Should I bring the oil level up on the wagon? Or do some of these have lower capacities? If the dipstick on the wagon is wrong then it's been driven around 1.3 or so quarts low for who knows how long, lol. In my short tenure, including a 20 miles freeway drive home, the oil pressure light has always gone off during start-up and never come back on. So, hopefully that's all ok. But, obviously I'd like the oil to be at the proper level.
Click to expand...
I agree in your thinking. I'd want at least 4.25- 4.5 qrts in it. It's not a high rpm engine...so its not gonna keep it all up top...
I'd be weary of remarking it if it was original to the car as well..
Now the pan differences... the depth/sump..what is the depth diff between the two, because you dont want an oil level up into the crank ..1st, and 2nd to the gasket either.

Can you take some pictures?
 
Sure. The first photo shows the two dipsticks. The longer one is the one in the wagon. Second photo shows the oil pan on the wagon, the drain bolt is in the middle. The second photo shows the sedan. Drain bolt off to passenger side. Photos aren't ideal as both cars are currently on the ground.

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I think I'd be equally concerned with the comparison of the dipstick tube lengths. I'd be surprised if the designed oil capacity was not 5qts w/filter.
 
Allot of things could have happened in the almost 60 old.
As simple as the original dip stick may have gone missing.Then replaced with one that was from a different vehicle.
Easy thing to do is drain the oil from each cars. You don't have to drain the filter.Per the factory service manual the pans(all) hold 4 quarts.Measure the oil if you are wanting to reuse or put 4 new quarts of oil in each car. Read the stick from one, then install the same stick in the other.See what it tells you.
Then do the same with the other stick and see the reading.The one that shows full with the known 4 quarts in the pan will be the right one.Remark the other stick to match.
Also remember if either engine has never been rebuilt (I have no way of knowing, this is hypothetical )old engines can build quite a bit of sludge that will decrease the pans capacity.
Just as a note the factory service manual (1962)recommends to change the oil every 2 months and not to exceed 4,000 miles. I'd bet a dollar to a donut that never happened.
 
OR, the one thing that would change oil capacity on engines years ago was sludge in the pan?
 
The dipsticks also look different at the top end. The sedan one has three bends, whereas the wagon one has one.

If I insert the sedan dipstick into the wagon, it shows the oil a bit below the add line.

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Let's say I added a quart or so, brought it up to the safe range of a 5 qt vehicle. If it actually ended up really being a quart over is that enough overfill to have an issue?

Are there slant 6's with a 3.7 qt capacity?
 
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