Last summer I put in 5L, and it barley filled it past the lower "safe" bar, so I put another 1L in for a total of 6 and it was just slightly overfilled. Ran that all winter, no problems.

Just did my summer oil change, bought a 4.4L jug of Mobil 1 Synthetic and another 1L jug for a total of 5.4L thinking that as the 6L from last winter overfilled it, the 5.4 would be just right....Wrong, Its overfilled again, just about the same as it was last summer...what gives?

Do the dipsticks on these trucks lie or something?

Its just like a fingernail width over the top "safe" bar....is this something to be concerned about?

 

Run the engine a bit, then check the oil again. If you don't see air bubbles in the oil, you are probably fine. Draining just a bit out is a pain....

 

Gotcha, Thanks, Just curious though, what technically speaking does Air bubbles in the oil mean?

 

crankshaft is hitting the oil, causing it to splash and make bubbles, causes bad stuff to happen =D

 

Yeah, foam doesn't lubricate as well as liquid.

 

it would take at least a couple quarts over-full to begin foaming.
a little over won't hurt.

if you do decide to drain out a little, with engine COLD, loose the drain plug and get a good grip on it. with a pan underneath gently drop the plug about 1/4 inch and let the oil slip out very slowly.

 

Overfilling is not good (due to the reasons already mentioned) but a little is not panic zone on a gas engine.

However, just because someone might search this thread, DO NOT overfill a diesel motor.

It does not take much to cause problems; if the crank is aerating the oil, that can lead to increased oil vapour via the PCV system. The PCV system sends crankcase oil vapour into the intake to be burned. Normally this is a small amount that causes no issues; but overfilling can cause excessive oil vapour.

Excessive oil vapour can lead to a Diesel Overrun.

If it's significantly overfilled (eg through a major brain fart you set out to do an oil change, added oil and forgot to drain it first) it's practically guaranteed to cause a Diesel Overrun.

Oil burns at about 17:1 Compression Ratio; most diesel motors have higher compression than that; a very few might be as low as 16:1. A diesel motor has no throttle plate to cut off air flow (usually) unlike a gas engine. Motor speed is controlled by adding fuel.

If air and oil are going into the intake, the motor will run on oil and air with zero throttle. No, shutting off the ignition key won't stop it ... it's not running on diesel fuel, remember. Usually leads to a blown motor, in about five minutes, since you can't easily shut it off and it will rev past redline, typically. The more the engine runs, the more vapour is produced, the more the engine wants to run ... Sometimes after the rod goes through the block and the motor quits after an overrun, they find there is no oil left in the sump. All of it turned to vapour during the overrun.

If you dare go near a diesel revving at 5 grand you might be able to block off the air intake enough, but that's only for the brave and unmarried with no dependants. Some have also stopped the motor by engaging the highest gear, standing on the brake, and releasing the clutch. Again, someone who knows what they're doing is hopefully behind the wheel, otherwise running away is prudent. The black smoke will drive you outside anyway, if you're in a shop.

Some truckers have experienced overrun with a slightly overfilled sump on the highway; the truck runs fine on straights but oil levels change while cornering at speed, and away she goes. Scares the cr*p out of the driver. There are other potential causes ... losing a bearing on a turbo that is lubricated by engine oil can do it, for example.

Although most people are smart enough to not stand around shooting video, there are a few examples on YouTube if you want to see Diesel Overrun in action.

 

Yesterday, I changed my oil. I couldn't remember if it was 4.5 or 5 quarts of oil. My service manual that came with the truck said it was 5 quarts or 4.7L for the 318's and 360 motors. and for the smaller v6's, it's 4 quarts or 3.8L. Sure that info can be found in various places on this site. Just thought I'd add it here, for future searchers.

 

Remember to account for the filter; if you changed it it will be empty, if not it will be full. It will hold 1/2 to 1 quart/litre.

It's always best to have the recommended amount of oil on hand, but to stop before the last litre/quart goes in, check the level after you wait a minute for it to drain into the sump, and top off accordingly.

I'm not familiar with the 318/360 enough to know the level, but on a Chevy 350 the first two quarts don't even show on the dipstick. So don't assume the level on the dipstick represents the full fill proportionally.

 

I always buy 6 quarts of oil per oil change. 1 quart gets ran through, after draining to help get the nasty oil out. Then fill new oil filter with 1/2 quart. Then 4.5 quarts into the motor. And my driveway is about a 20 degree incline, so my dipstick reads low, when motor is cold. So I dont trust it's reading, unless I check it at work, on a level surface. ;-) I just filled it to the manuals capacity. I checked the dipstick after the change, and it read about a quart low, but it's my driveway.