How full is too full - oil tank

[r-mm]

Hi all

I just did a full oil & filter change and ended up right smack at the full mark on the dipstick. Dash gauge points to the full mark. I took her out for a spirited drive, got temp to the first tick and checked again, no spillage or mess, oil right at the top tick of the dip.

Is this okay or too full? When would the symptoms of overfullness rear themselves?

this is my 87 Carrera.

thanks

[winders]

The "Full" mark is fine. If you had too much oil, you would see blue smoke out of the exhaust.

[Canada Kev]

The top mark is fine. However, in the past when I tried to keep the oil at or neat that mark, I found the car used oil at a greater rate. Now, I keep the level about half way between the marks and will go well over 2000 miles before I need to add any more.

[eimkeith]

aim to have the level gauge and temp gauge needles mirror each other. at full operating temp, the level gauge needle should ideally point to the end of the temp needle.

[scarceller]

I find that running at 1/4 to no more than 1/2 on the stick is best. It keeps oil from being sucked up and into the breather tube that then cruds up the Black intake boot and the Idle Control Valve.

[DRACO A5OG]

Originally Posted by scarceller

i find that running at 1/4 to no more than 1/2 on the stick is best. It keeps oil from being sucked up and into the breather tube that then cruds up the black intake boot and the idle control valve.

+1

Following my buddy in his 3.2 he was spitting oil all over me after filling to full line on the dip stick

I just replaced my oil return tubes and drained the crank. It was about 3.25 quarts. Put 3 quarts in and started her right up and no smoke. Drove around, brought her to temps and filled to a bit over half and guess what, upon re-start an hour later she blew out a plume of smoke .

[Carlito]

If it was cold with the oil at the top of the stick, it should be higher when at op temp because the oil expands significantly. That's a little odd that you didn't see an expansion. Maybe check it when cold again and see. At least in my limited experience with pre-1980 cars, it shouldn't be at the top when cold. I'd watch for blue smoke out of the exhaust and watch that druck gauge b/c sometimes significant overfilling can froth crankcase oil and make it hard for the oil pump to work.

An overfilling story:
I once overfilled my 78 sc with 15 quarts. I'm was/am new porsche owner and used the dash gauge as a reference, not good. It smoked like crazy and I thought I had spilled some oil on the header or something. Thankfully I didn't drive it except onto a trailer because I had just bought it and was transporting it back home. I noticed the druck gauge was pegged at 4-5. Significant overfilling does damage, even if some people say it just puts oil where it doesn't need to be i.e. in the airbox. I don't know if a little bit of overfilling will do damage. That said, I drained a few quarts and it stopped smoking. From this fiasco I learned:

1. Never trust the oil level gauge
2. For my 78 sc I add 10 quarts and then top up when hot as necessary; some people do 9 but those people typically have pre 73 cars
3. Many people say it shouldn't be at the top cold or hot and opt for 1/2 way when at operating temp.
4. Depending on your car it takes one or even two q of oil to make the oil level on the dipstick rise from the low mark to the high mark

[r-mm]

What is the best way to drain a "little" oil?

[Flat6pac]

After the engine has run for a minute the dry sump, the bottom of the case, has just a couple quarts in it. Drain the engine case to remove excess oil.

Bruce

[r-mm]

By a little I suppose I meant a real little - like enough to get me from the top tick on the dipstick to the middle. That's be just under a quart, no?

[DRACO A5OG]

Use a siphon and hose down the tank

1 quart should do it

[Carlito]

I just get plastic gloves and open the sump plug and catch the oil with through funnel into the plastic quart can you used to put the oil in. If you wanna take out half a quart/a full quart then fill the quart can halfway and put the plug back in to the sump plate and then check level at op temp. It's always good to have a few of those aluminum washers around before you do this multiple times as sometimes if you re use them they leak.

[Drisump]

My experience is just as Kev's. I used to fill to Max and would use twice as much oil as when I fill only to the mid point. Personally, I wouldn't bother to drain it, Porsche engineers believed that level was OK . In my view, the gauge in the car should only be used as a reference...the stick rules. In my 3.2 the gauge is accurate, in my 993 it seems to be at least a quart out.

[TheSt|G]

I'm in the weird position where the gauge is laser accurate to the stick.

[COLB]

Originally Posted by TheSt|G

I'm in the weird position where the gauge is laser accurate to the stick.

The gauge is accurate as far as that goes -- the issue is that the oil levels it is measuring vary dramatically across the range of operational temperatures.

On a hot day, after a spirited drive, the reading will be near the top of the gauge -- and show a quart low when cold.

[T77911S]

run it a QT BELOW the full mark down to the min mark.
i know my gauge mirrors the dip stick so i can check my oil anytime. once the gauge is regularly at the red line i add a qt.
here is the problem with filling it.
like right no i notice my oil is pretty much at the hlaf way or just a little below half, but once in a while it jumps up to 3/4. if my oil was at the full mark and for some reason it dumps more oil into the tank it will overflow.
there is plenty of oil in these cars. there is no need to fill it.
i also noticed on my 77s when i filled it it used oil faster. it would burn it fast until it got down to around the min mark then it would slow down, so that is where i kept it. i think i was getting a lot of blowby form the pistons so when it was full, it was blowing more oil into the intake system.
i pulled my DV off an it was actually full of oil.

[Joe Bob]

At the full level....don't make any sudden turns up steep driveways. You'll be a 'squito fogger. Best to keep it at slightly below 1/2. YMMV

[JohnJL]

I have found, even with a 2qt separator, that anything above 3/4 full will overflow or spit enough oil to drip quite a lot down on the headers.

I never seem to learn though...

[prebordao]

Same for me. 3/4 to the max line, or else it spills it and smokes it until it comes down.

A few weeks ago, my mechanic filled it to the top mark. After smoking around for a few days, I decided to "speed up" the process. I bought a small liquids pump that you attach to any electric drill, and proceeded to remove about 1,5L

[rbuswell]

Air-cooled, dry sump Porsches are different than most any other car. I've always followed the procedure (I believe it to be factory recommended) of running the car, preferably on the road for several miles, say ten, not just warmed up at idle, until it is at operating temp. Make sure you are on a level surface and then let the car find normal idle. This means you need a good parking brake or wheel chocks. Pull out the dip stick, wipe and return. Look again and the ideal level is half way between full and add. I little up or down from half way is OK but I have heard several stories of cars filled to the full mark that still have issues with burning off oil or losing it overboard. It isn't good to let either of those happen with burning oil being worse, obviously. You'd think full means full and it would be fine, but I don't think it is.