Too much oil?

[cmayna]

I have read a couple old thread the other day where a few members highly suggested putting in just enough oil to fill between the min and max markings on the dipstick. Some say to go just above the min line. Is this still a valid thing? I just changed the oil yesterday and filled it up to the max line when I realized.....oops!
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'90 Westy / automatic.
If I'm not working on the camper or my '50 Chebbie truck, I'm either fishing with the wife or smoking Salmon.


Craig

[Ahwahnee]

I added a third notch to my dipstick once I decided where it likes to be (arrows are factory notches).

I don't think there's any harm in filling to the top mark but it may tell you if that's too much (oily film on tailgate).

[Syncronoid]

I NEVER go above halfway between the lower and upper notches. GW says to keep it just above the lower notch.
https://gowesty.com/blogs/article-library/break-in-guidelines-all-waterboxer-engines
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'90 Syncro Westy w/GW2.5L

[Xevin]

[E1]

I run at or just above the minimum stick notch, too many breather tower clogs and oil leaks (eventually) when at top.
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‘84 Westy, 2.1L with Digijet, 5.43 R+P, GT Gears
"Adding power makes you faster on the straights.
Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere."
— Colin Chapman

[jimf909]

I wouldn't worry about it. Your van is happy that you changed the oil.

For nearly 40 years I've heard the "never above the half way in the full range" for BMW and VW horizontally opposed engines so that's been my target. The engine won't mind seeing a bit more oil but the first half quart or so may disappear faster than you're accustom to seeing.

This assumes a well used engine, don't top it up when breaking in a new motor (too much oil splashing on the cylinder walls). At least that's what I read on mimeographed pages decades ago.
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- Jim

[zerotofifty]

My oil disappears rapidly when filled to upper mark then stabilizes at just a wee bit about the low mark. must be burning off as I dont have much dripping. wasser boxer motor.
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Give peace a chance. No American war with Russia!

[cmayna]

Thanks everyone for the quick replies. Yes, the stock motor has 197,xxx miles on it. Not having any issues but when I was changing the oil yesterday, I started thinking about a couple threads I was reading about how far to fill with the oil. Think I might remove just a tad worth.
_________________
'90 Westy / automatic.
If I'm not working on the camper or my '50 Chebbie truck, I'm either fishing with the wife or smoking Salmon.


Craig

[E1]

[Wildthings]

I have never had problems with running the oil at the upper mark on my WBXers.

[E1]

But certainly it drops faster the higher it is?

And for what it’s worth, all three engines we’ve run to date have all shown faster oil use at top stick, and all three were very prone to vent clogs if at full — and particularly if slightly above.

One thing I do wonder is if these motors actually *want* oil to burn off like it does at top stick. As in, designed to do that, for example if some “harder to oil” areas along the path aren’t as fully oiled when running the level at bottom stick.

Regardless of all who claimed me foolish for having a head temp gauge on our first (and also watercooled) van, honestly I really miss it — and it’d be interesting as heck to see if head temps are the same whether at top stick or bottom…
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‘84 Westy, 2.1L with Digijet, 5.43 R+P, GT Gears
"Adding power makes you faster on the straights.
Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere."
— Colin Chapman

[SCM]

[do.dah]

My 2.1 didn't have a disappearing oil issue. I could fill it up to the upper line, and that's where it stayed.
Once I had it built as a 2.3,, between the lines is where it's at. I just figure since it's stroked, the crank just aerates the oil something fierce if too full.

[Wildthings]

[E1]

All three of our Wassers have done this same thing, in terms of drop rate/mile on the dipstick. Last fall I was bragging here how we lost no oil on the stick over a really long stretch… after dropping from the Full notch to 0.2 in several hundred miles before, then sticking right on the bottom of the stick for literally 3,000 miles.

So naturally with that bliss we got a reasonably-concerning oil leak in October. That damned vent is absolutely a piece of oil leaks when clogged (and giant blue clouds of oil smoke when oil is overfilled), we’ve witnessed too much data on that one, the vent is clean, and now barely have a leak left.

So since we did that 3,000-mile stretch at 0-0.2, it makes sense others could run top stick and not lose. The wonder is exactly why, and I’m pointing at crankcase vents again.


There’s no foaming in our case(s). No ring or compression issues. I’ve never seen or smelled a hint of burning oil, ever, on any of the three motors (or any car I’ve owned for that matter). They were all pretty tight because I never trash motors.

If I had to guess where the top-stick oil level is going, if not bad rings or whatever, it’s out the vent hole as a fine “spray-paint” mist and/or straight back into the intake at same misty levels you can’t smell or see. One must ask why there’s even any sign of oil — ever — in that hose between vent and AFM, I’ve yet to see one bone-dry.

It seems far more common that flat-4s use oil, than not use oil — in general. It’s an ongoing joke in racing that VWs use oil (and it has been forever). To a race guy it’s as old and funny as the one about why the English drink warm beer…

Now our Jetta? Loses maybe a tenth of a stick between oil changes (and revs without any worry whatsoever). ().

On oil weights, we’ll buy two different ones, and maybe we’re both right.


On your Subaru, do you mean the shorter pan frothed the oil and it burned off via coming back to the intake? (that sure looks like a leading question)

Thanks.
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‘84 Westy, 2.1L with Digijet, 5.43 R+P, GT Gears
"Adding power makes you faster on the straights.
Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere."
— Colin Chapman

[Wildthings]

[E1]

Oh Brother WT, the timing of custom vent vs. oil loss is sure curious — and really consistent to my breather theories and comments.

The old oil being more prone to loss is interesting, too.

Factors of this topic have been under-explored for too long, and I sure appreciate the input.
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‘84 Westy, 2.1L with Digijet, 5.43 R+P, GT Gears
"Adding power makes you faster on the straights.
Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere."
— Colin Chapman