T

tinman

Well Known Member
A couple of questions...
1) Should you count the oil in the filter as part of your total while marking your dipstick?

I'm thinking along the lines of starting with a fresh filter and four quarts in the sump, starting the engine for a minute, shutting down and waiting a few minutes, then pulling the stick and making a mark for four quarts.

Add a quart and repeat for five

Add a quart and repeat for six

and so on...

Any hints would be appreciated.
 
Negative, Don...

...Stay away from confusion down the road and don't count the oil in the oil cooler, the oil lines and the filter. There's an FAA reg somewhere that requires oil sumps to be able to carry twice the minimum oil so our 0-360's have an 8 quart capacity and can safely be run down to 4 quarts.

After an oil/filter change, I usually put in 7 quarts, knowing that after the engine start, it'll show 6, where it's happy and I add a quart when it's down to 5 showing.

Regards,
 
Pierre,
Thanks for the feedback...my question is- how do you know when "5 are showing"? I am trying to figure out how to go about marking the stick so that I will know...

Does my methodology as layed out in my first post seem like the right way to go about marking the stick?
 
gasman said:
With a small set of stamps from HARBOR FREIGHT. you can stamp the number and a line on the stick with ease.
Click to expand...

This is what I did, but I filed a flat on the sitck at each level and stamped the number in the flat area. That way the oil hangs in the flat area edges and is a little easier to see. It would also be nice if the stick was anodized black.
 
fl-mike said:
... I filed a flat on the stick at each level and stamped the number in the flat area. That way the oil hangs in the flat area edges and is a little easier to see.
Click to expand...

Great idea, it's a real challenge reading the oil level after an oil change when the oil is very clean.
 
FYI, for those of you with standard inverted oil systems, half the sump capacity is not a safe quantity. With the inverted oil systems the proper amount of oil is dependent on the sump design and the brand of inverted oil system. In my installation, an IO-360A1A and Christen inverted oil system, I need to add a quart when the dipstick is between 6.5 and 7 quarts. I treat 6 quarts as my minimum oil quantity. Even when filled to 8 quarts, I don't blow out any oil due to the big air/oil separator.

Jerry
 
OIL DIPSTICK

The IO 360 B series is parallel valve and with Christen inverted oil system they are very happy with 5-6 quarts oil. These systems do have limitaitons, the most significant being that if the oil pot is on the right side of the firewall, you will have zero oil pressure in a sustained 90 degree left bank. In a sustained right 90 degree bank normal oil pressure is maintained.
The angle valve is a different matter, with the stock sump it will require a higher oil level to maintain pressure.
The four cylinder dipsticks consist of three main parts, cap, stick and retaining pin. The pin can be driven out with an appropriate size pin punch. The stick is a piece of 3/16 aluminum rod with a small step machined in the top. I am planning to make a new stick from 6061T6 aluminum. Some of the Lyc dipsticks have flats machined nearly the full length of the stick.
 
jrs14855 said:
The four cylinder dipsticks consist of three main parts, cap, stick and retaining pin. The pin can be driven out with an appropriate size pin punch. The stick is a piece of 3/16 aluminum rod with a small step machined in the top. I am planning to make a new stick from 6061T6 aluminum. Some of the Lyc dipsticks have flats machined nearly the full length of the stick.
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Did just that last week, but used a length of 3/16 2024 rod. Didn't realize the top part of the old rod was turned down to about .170 until after I tried to press the new .188 rod in a .170 hole. No go, no way. Much easier to drill the cap out to .188 than to turn down the new rod.

Tony
 
DIPSTICK

Tony- I think the step is there to help line up the hole for the pin. Also helps prevent oil seepage if the fit of the stick is not perfect.
 
Don't think so,

as it was still a light press fit after drilling. No way it could leak. The hole for the 1/16 pin is drilled after the 3/16 rod is in place. A Dremel cranked all the way up works well.

Tony
 
Ok so lets think out of the box.....

What about a fuel sender down the oil fill tube that is connected to the efis...?


PS - It works....:D Now if I can get Electronics International to add "quarts" to the MVP-50...
 
Sticky, your method may work for people with the latest tech gadgets, broadband internet and satellite/cable TV, but some of us just have to open the oil door, remove the dipstick and physically look at the level. :)
 
Ron Lee said:
Sticky, your method may work for people with the latest tech gadgets, broadband internet and satellite/cable TV, but some of us just have to open the oil door, remove the dipstick and physically look at the level. :)
Click to expand...

Yea, yea, yea.......well I need a ladder to get to my engine.....:(
 
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