I was standing right next to the (competent) tech and he only added about a quarter of the 8th quart. So 7.25 quarts and it takes 7.5 quarts. I told him I would take the leftover oil in the 8th quart home and check it myself, which I did. I only added a bout .25 of a quart after the fact. It's at the correct level now.

 

Yep, did the same with my two C7 dry sumps. Could not see it in the garage. Would walk out in the sun and rotate it like a mercury thermometer! Would look for the light reflecting off of the oil, often easier to on the rear.

SIDEBAR
As the OP, always changed my own oil in all my DD's in 62 years! Even in my two dry sump C7's of my 5 prior Vettes to the C8. Even though GM was supplying free changes for my 2014 Z51 and 2017 Grand Sport. FREE was not worth the risk of possible:

• Improper lifting
• The usual newbie tech working the oil change bay using the proper oil by going to the parts department checking out the quart bottles and lugging them back to their workstation rather than the 55-gallon drums of what the service manger bought from the low-cost supplier that met dexos spec (which could be a blend and NOT Mobil 1)
• Using the volume estimate in a table rather than checking the dip stick
• If they did check the dip stick were that starting the engine and waiting ~10 minutes for it to come to temperature?

Fortunately found a small Chevy Dealer 30 miles from home versus the large (only) Chevy dealer in town who has a trained C8 tech. He is the ONLY one who touches my C8 for anything! Used him for my 1st change as I also wanted the DCT filter changed with flush, all done on GM's dime with ~3000 miles when the OLM said 5% life left. Watched from the open service bay door as he started the engine and checked the dash to see the oil temp several times. Then checked the dip stick twice before topping to under the max line! Gave him a nice TIP.

No question let him do my 2nd year engine oil change this past August. Discussed the 11-quart DCT fluid and filter change I'll have him do with the engine oil this next August when it will be 3 years old! Great guy.

 

Good to know. Thanks for the clarification.

As an FYI, the manual calls for 7.5 quarts with an oil and filter change. However, many have documented here that 7.5 quarts only gets you to the 50% mark on the dipstick. You may need 8 full quarts to get you to 100%. When I did my oil change last year (do my own oil changes) it took the full 8 quarts to get it to 100% on the dipstick.

 

^^^
FWIW, my 2014 Service Manual (yep bought that 4-volume set) says clearly the oil volume information in a table is ONLY an estimate. Fill check the dip stick level. As I was taught by my dad many years ago it's the oil level NOT volume that is important!

My biggest concern with the large dealer in town with 25 service bays and one dedicated for oil changes (for Chevy etc BUT not BMW and Mercedes.) Often staffed by a newbie tech who may have flipping burgers the month before. Too easy to set a volume dial on a pump on a 55 gallon drum of oil in the oil change bay and pull the trigger! Can bet most dealers are not going to have the special Vette 0W-40 oil in a drum!

 

Where in Yonkers?

 

I'll PM you so as not to hijack this thread... :-)

 

Says right on the dipstick how to check the oil.

CHECK WITH WARM ENGINE & RUNNING AT IDLE

 

Maybe since most of us are up in age a good pair of reading glasses may solve most of the issues in this thread.

 

My OLM says I am at 11%. It's nowhere near to clear at this point, haha.
I am thinking I want to do an oil analysis. Seems to me my LT2 is using oil and the oil is darker than I would like.

Maybe I should change it now rather than waiting longer, although I have heard from others to trust the OLM and not toss away good oil.

 

^^^
If 11% it will drop another 1/12 = 8.3% in a month. If you're having a dealer do it, with more folks delaying new car purchase (many because can't get what they want) are having cars repaired, and some dealers taking longer to make an appointment.

BTW dark color starts soon after you install new oil. It happens when the oil cycles with heat. Also some additives are more susceptible to darkening with heat and dispersion additives in todays oils are performing as designed holding some particles in suspension. . Normal oxidation darkens oil, as oxygen interact with oil molecules.

 

Dry sump oil tanks like and need airspace to operate correctly. Less is more. The oil reservoir, sump and pump system on this lt2 c8 is quite advanced. Oil does not sit and bathe the crank like we are used to. No reason to top it off, and in the middle is just fine and preferred. Anywhere in the range is fine and your not going to burn through oil. If you are it's under warrenty.

 

Agree with you, very hard to read even with reading glasses and a magnifying glass (nothing to do with old age, I am 72). And concerning reading the dip stick, changed my oil at 14km, added exactly 7.5 quarts and the level shows (as far as I can tell) midway in the cross hatched area, not at the top, anyone else see this? Even if its hard to read still better than no dip stick like my Cayman.

 

Yep, have to wait a few weeks when the oil gets some color!

Just to reinforce it's the oil level that is important NOT volume, I had a "Catch 22" with my 8.2 Liter street rod engine.

SIDEBAR
I assembled the engine that came in a large wood crate with some 30 boxes. Not really hard as the bottom end was assembled. That is done in Mercury Marine who use the large cid engines in boats. In fact the ZZ502 I bought comes with aluminum CNC ported heads and matching CNC ported manifold in boxes. Although they is a cast in Chevy they are produced by Edelbrock the hot rod company.

Had not looked at the start-up procedure until the engine was in the car. At that time the long tube headers were installed. Was looking to see how many quarts of oil were needed. All the instructions said was fill to the line on the dip stick. BUT the dip stick and tube had come in a box and I never installed since it did not fit with the headers. I had bought a flush mount billet aluminum system that came with a nylon dip stick, Those instructions said cut the nylon end that is held in the billet aluminum **** with two set screws to the fill mark is located where the oil is at the max line!

Catch 22, hod no volume to fill with and the dip stick I bought said cut the **** end so it's at the max oil fill line! I had to measure how far the dip stick stock out of the long metal supplied tube and cut the Nylon dip stick to match that measurement!

Then considered this engine is used in boats, probably with a different pan and capacity is different. I addition it's a stamped sheet metal pan and volume could vary! It's the oil level that is key in this like other wet sumps. It has an oil baffle louvered tray (called a windage tray) as most high performance engines. That helps keep the spinning crank and rod from hitting the oil causing windage loses.


GM Crate ZZ502 came unassembled in a large wood crate. Metal dip stick tube and di stick did not fit with the long tube headers.

 

I take a folded paper towel (squared) and pull the dipstick and press against paper towel (like an imprint) and then compare the towel to the indicator.

 

I had to add 8 quarts to get it to the full line, and most others who have posted about this say the same. It takes 8 quarts to get to 100% full on the dipstick.

 

I suggest moving the dipstick around a little bit after pulling it out, and you should see the level reflected in the light. Thats what I do with new, clean oil.

 

When I changed my oil, I experienced the exact same thing, 7.5 qts. midway on oil stick and it took 8 qts. to the full line mark.

 

This is the way to do it.

 

Half way may be better.. allows lots of headspace in the reservoir for expansion and oil/gas vapor separation.

 

I much rather have it halfway. Besides going to the top doesn’t provide any benefit.