Dipstick Length
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From: Griswold CT
Dipstick Length
Ok, what the heck??? Removed my 350 and had a 283 installed. Filled it with 6 Qts of oil. I ordered a new dipstick from what I had in the 350. What is the correct lenght of the dipstick(measured from end of tip to where it goes into the tube)? The one I removed from the 350 is 19" in length. The one I ordered has part #3846810 with the letter M and is 21" in length. Cannot get an oil reading from either. The tube length is 9 1/4". Should I just use the 21" dipstick and add more oil to get a reading? And is to much oil a bad thing. Thanks
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From: Beverly Hills (Pine Ridge) Florida
Ok, what the heck??? Removed my 350 and had a 283 installed. Filled it with 6 Qts of oil. I ordered a new dipstick from what I had in the 350. What is the correct lenght of the dipstick(measured from end of tip to where it goes into the tube)? The one I removed from the 350 is 19" in length. The one I ordered has part #3846810 with the letter M and is 21" in length. Cannot get an oil reading from either. The tube length is 9 1/4". Should I just use the 21" dipstick and add more oil to get a reading? And is to much oil a bad thing. Thanks
What oil pan do you have installed? There were 2 basic types: 4 and 5 qt. plus one quart for the filter for a total of 5 or 6 quarts with the filter! Note that 4 quart pans are mainly lower HP engines, and 5 quart "could" be on the higher HP versions.
Additional oil is not good, since it raises the oil level, which then gets caught in the rotating crank and rod ends. This churns the oil into a froth, with air entrapment in the oil (and air is not a good lube!).
As for dip stick and tube length, don't know what is "stock", since my engine has been replaced. But I use a 19" dipstick (measured from the tip to where it seats on the end of the tube) and a 6.5" tube (measured from the end to where it enters the block). It reads accurately with my 5 (plus 1 quart in the filter) pan.
Bottom line is to determine which pan you have (4 or 5 quart), put the correct amount of oil in there (with a full filter/cannister - which means don't measure until the engine has been run first to fill the cannister, and then allowed to drain for a few minutes - overnight is even better), and then get a dip stick and tube that reads correctly (do not overfill!).
Good luck,
Plasticman
Last edited by Plasticman; Jun 17, 2007 at 05:38 PM.
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Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 10,340
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From: Beverly Hills (Pine Ridge) Florida
Terry,
Recommend you take a look at the search function, since this has been discussed before a few times. Here is one:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...hlight=oil+pan
Plasticman
Recommend you take a look at the search function, since this has been discussed before a few times. Here is one:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...hlight=oil+pan
Plasticman
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Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 214
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From: Griswold CT
Terry,
What oil pan do you have installed? There were 2 basic types: 4 and 5 qt. plus one quart for the filter for a total of 5 or 6 quarts with the filter! Note that 4 quart pans are mainly lower HP engines, and 5 quart "could" be on the higher HP versions.
Additional oil is not good, since it raises the oil level, which then gets caught in the rotating crank and rod ends. This churns the oil into a froth, with air entrapment in the oil (and air is not a good lube!).
As for dip stick and tube length, don't know what is "stock", since my engine has been replaced. But I use a 19" dipstick (measured from the tip to where it seats on the end of the tube) and a 6.5" tube (measured from the end to where it enters the block). It reads accurately with my 5 (plus 1 quart in the filter) pan.
Bottom line is to determine which pan you have (4 or 5 quart), put the correct amount of oil in there (with a full filter/cannister - which means don't measure until the engine has been run first to fill the cannister, and then allowed to drain for a few minutes - overnight is even better), and then get a dip stick and tube that reads correctly (do not overfill!).
Good luck,
Plasticman
What oil pan do you have installed? There were 2 basic types: 4 and 5 qt. plus one quart for the filter for a total of 5 or 6 quarts with the filter! Note that 4 quart pans are mainly lower HP engines, and 5 quart "could" be on the higher HP versions.
Additional oil is not good, since it raises the oil level, which then gets caught in the rotating crank and rod ends. This churns the oil into a froth, with air entrapment in the oil (and air is not a good lube!).
As for dip stick and tube length, don't know what is "stock", since my engine has been replaced. But I use a 19" dipstick (measured from the tip to where it seats on the end of the tube) and a 6.5" tube (measured from the end to where it enters the block). It reads accurately with my 5 (plus 1 quart in the filter) pan.
Bottom line is to determine which pan you have (4 or 5 quart), put the correct amount of oil in there (with a full filter/cannister - which means don't measure until the engine has been run first to fill the cannister, and then allowed to drain for a few minutes - overnight is even better), and then get a dip stick and tube that reads correctly (do not overfill!).
Good luck,
Plasticman
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From: Camp Verde AZ
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Bubba Dougs solution:
My GM extended sump, 6 quart oil pan, dipstick,and dipstick tube never quite correlated, so I put 5 quarts in, ran the engine long enuf to get oil in the filter,and let it sit for a while, pulled dispstick and noted oil level,a nd scribed a line in the dipstck.
Added another qaurt,a nd after allowing time to settle, pulled dipstick and scribed another line in the dispstick.
Now, two accurate lines, full, and 1 quart low.
Doug
My GM extended sump, 6 quart oil pan, dipstick,and dipstick tube never quite correlated, so I put 5 quarts in, ran the engine long enuf to get oil in the filter,and let it sit for a while, pulled dispstick and noted oil level,a nd scribed a line in the dipstck.
Added another qaurt,a nd after allowing time to settle, pulled dipstick and scribed another line in the dispstick.
Now, two accurate lines, full, and 1 quart low.
Doug
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Instructor
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 214
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From: Griswold CT
Bubba Dougs solution:
My GM extended sump, 6 quart oil pan, dipstick,and dipstick tube never quite correlated, so I put 5 quarts in, ran the engine long enuf to get oil in the filter,and let it sit for a while, pulled dispstick and noted oil level,a nd scribed a line in the dipstck.
Added another qaurt,a nd after allowing time to settle, pulled dipstick and scribed another line in the dispstick.
Now, two accurate lines, full, and 1 quart low.
Doug
My GM extended sump, 6 quart oil pan, dipstick,and dipstick tube never quite correlated, so I put 5 quarts in, ran the engine long enuf to get oil in the filter,and let it sit for a while, pulled dispstick and noted oil level,a nd scribed a line in the dipstck.
Added another qaurt,a nd after allowing time to settle, pulled dipstick and scribed another line in the dispstick.
Now, two accurate lines, full, and 1 quart low.
Doug
(after you've figured out which oil pan you have)
