Does it strike any of you guys odd that the 360 motor only takes 5 quarts of oil WITH an oil filter?

 

No .

 

I do.

My dad's F-150 with the 4.6L v8 takes 6 quarts of oil with filter.

My friends 2003 GMC Sierra 1500 4.8L v8 takes 6 quarts of oil with filter.

My friends 2006 F-150 with the 5.4L v8 takes 7 quarts of oil with filter.

My 2001 Ram 1500 with the 5.9L v8 takes 5 quarts of oil with filter.

 

i seem to remember them taking more like 6 qts. but i will take your word for it. anyway, the 4.6, 4.8, 5.4 are all newer designed engines than the 5.9. there seems to be a trend towards bigger oil pans in newer vehicles. part of the reson is so they can go longer between oil changes and part is to provide extra cooling by circulating a greater volume of oil. also, it varies. some fords have smaller drainpans than other depending on whether it has heavy duty packages i believe. at any rate, whether our trucks take five or six qts they are completely adequate (time tested-reliable) and nothing out of the ordinary.

 

Mine takes 5 + 3/4 of a quart to top off. You have to take into account different engine block oil passages, oil pan design / quart volume, filter size etc. Also take into account that the 318 / 360 engine design is how old now? Thats why I don't find it odd.

 

mine also takes almost 6qts.

 

exactly. the 360 was introduced in 1970 and the 318 in the mid 1960's.

 

I'm not questioning that it isn't adequate; I just always figured since it was a bigger motor, it would take a larger amount of oil.

I noticed that a 2005 and 2009 Ram 1500s takes 7 quarts like the newer fords. I wonder why they chose to add two extra quarts on a motor that's a little smaller than the 360. Perhaps the 360 was prone to sludge like amsoil suggests.

 

I would guess that since the engine is producing more power (@ a higher rpm ) and that
the engines run with a higher compression ratio they went with more oil.
Thats my guess

 

agreed, that is also a part of the reason. i believe it is a combination of all these factors. engine design, convenience, and cooling