Dip Stick

[bevans6]

Always remember that oil expands when it's hot, and after I calculated the amount that it expands I was pretty surprised.  My pan holds 8 gallons.  If I started it right now, at 32 degrees f or 0 celsius, and warmed it up to operating temperature, 185 degrees f or 85 C, the oil would expand in volume by 6%.  That's right at about 2 quarts, more or less, or half the dip stick mark.  What I do, and no one else has to do it this way, is measure the oil level dead cold.  If it's below half but above low, I call it good to go.  On the drive I measure it hot after waiting 20 minutes or so.  If it is near or above half full I call it good.  If I add, I add a half gallon at a time.  If I want an accurate measurement it's first thing in the morning on my home parking pad, which is dead level.

Brian

[Tikvah]

Well, here's the scoop.... My bus sat still since the first of the year (Arcadia).  I checked the dip stick and it was on 'L'.  I added 1/2 gallon before starting this morning.  After about 200 miles I noticed oil on the back of my bus again, so I checked the dip stick.  I'm now about 3/8" above full.

I wish I had left it alone.

[bevans6]

Mine did that.  It was the dreaded fuel in oil syndrome.  Hence my recent fixation with dipsticks and measuring oil levels.  It's hard to deal with an engine that's making oil, hope your's is just an anomaly.