Very Strange Dipstick Reading on 6V92

[Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM]

Thanks so much for all of your suggestions.  When I Flip the dip around, the empty side flips too, indicating that perhaps something on the dipstick tube is wiping the oil off one side.  However, it doesn't look like it was "wiped" off, it looks like it never got any oil.  But if the wiper slipped down, that is the most likely explanation.  I will pull the dipstick tube this weekend and see if I can find the wiper stuck near the bottom.

The overfull mark reading makes me think I put in too much oil.  When I asked the MCI dealer how much oil it took, he told me 8.5 gallons, but it may have been my fault as I may have asked him about an 8V92.  That is what I had in my previous MC7.   I will have to look at my notes to see when I asked the question.  Looks like I may have to drain some of the new oil out before it does some damage.  Thanks so much for this information.

The comment about perhaps the oil dripping onto the dipstick does not apply, because I have taken this reading several times after filling the oil pan and even after running the engine.

Again, thank you all for this info.

Gary

[Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM]

FYI, I just called my local MCI dealer to ask how much oil it takes for a 6V92 and the service manager asked around and told me 8 gallons.  (I thought I may have said 8V92 the last time) Just to be sure, after reading your replies, I called ABC Bus and their technical department asked around and told me 6 Gallons.

I guess I will have to rely on the dipstick reading.  But then again, how do I know the dipstick hasn't been changed.   This bus has not been maintained properly in the past, so I can't be sure it even has the correct dipstick in it.

The parts guy at ABC (who told me to call their tech support department in FL) told me it depends on if I have one or two filters on it.  I have only one (at least that I know of).  But the local ABC parts guy would not give me firm numbers, lawsuits you know.  Unfortunately this makes it difficult to get answers to a lot of things now.  Thank God for this BBS forum.

Gary

[RickB]

My memory says that the last time we discussed this that your bus is full when it is an inch from the top of the pan.

So to make sure mine was calibrated and correct I held the dipstick outside the motor and checked to see if the full mark aligned with a mark I drew an inch below the top of the oil pan. I found that my engine was over full at that point so I run it about a gallon low and that really helped with leakage and consumption issues.

I had a 6v92 that did exactly what you're describing and the general rule of thumb from the DD shops I talked to said always go with the high side.

Have you crossreferenced your serial # with a detroit shop for capacity?

6 1/2 gallons or 28 quarts seems to stick in my mind with my 6v92.

Hope it helps

RB

[gus]

The only real way to find out is to drain the sump and refill it gradually while checking the dip stick.

If you do this it won't make any difference if the dipstick is original or not.

Do this without removing the filters or draining them.

The number of filters won't make any difference in the dipstick reading once they are saturated with oil.