Oil Amount Question
 

Re: Oil Amount Question
 

This sounds like a Stocker question

Re: Oil Amount Question
 

On the 350 chevy with a 4qt pan you can run 3 tax 2.5 if you brave, first pass keep a eye on the oil pressure in the shutdown area!

Re: Oil Amount Question
 

If you were able to see inside that motor at the 1000ft cone, you would change your mind. Be smart, run the OE recommended amount of oil. What you may gain simply does not compare to what you will eventually lose.

Re: Oil Amount Question
 

Not exactly true for GM cars. Corporate policy for many years was to design the oil pan to hold a quart more than the minimum required for maximum operation, thus the "1 qt low" mark on the dip stick was really still okay for all modes of operation. Their recommendation to keep the level up was to maintain that cushion.

Maybe other mfrs were different, but it would not make sense to design an engine with an oiling system that could nominally run below the minimum necessary to maintain engine longevity and then place a 50K to 100K mile warranty on it.

Re: Oil Amount Question
 

Running as little oil as possible, no, never, who would do that, why, it's just a bracket race..........

Re: Oil Amount Question
 

Why ruin an engine by using less oil?

Re: Oil Amount Question
 

First I install the dipstick and tubes with the engine on the stand and see where the full mark is relative to the crank. Then you can fill to where you want the oil level to be on startup. 1/8mi you can get away with a low oil level, I don't know about the 1/4mi.

Re: Oil Amount Question
 

I ran 5 quarts in a 7 quart pan successfully for years in the 1/8th mile with a high volume, high pressure pump, but the second run in the 1/4 mile, going through the traps at 10,600, we spun cam bearings. Is it the extra 1/8th mile? I think it was.

Re: Oil Amount Question
 

I installed a digital dash and have a oil pressure sensor. I have a 7 quart pan and run 5 quarts. When replaying pass the oil pressure would fluctuate from 15lbs to 50lbs throughout pass. Looks scary on graph but no bearing problem in filter or on rebuild. Motor runs 6300 to 8000 rpm. The fluctuation is so fast in time and I don't think a mechanical oil pressure gauge can catch it.