I routinely run my oil level on the low side. Some like to abuse their oil with long OCIs, I like to abuse it with minimal levels. I usually run about 3.5 quarts in a 4.5 quart system. If I do a UOA and had average wear, then should I expect about 29% more wear metals than "unit averages"?
Sump effect
- Thread starter GMorg
- Start date
- Status
Wow, I am the exact opposite... I have my oil a little over full and check it every few days. I can't stand to see it below the full mark.
Good question!
Good question!
- Joined
- Sep 28, 2002
- Messages
- 39,793
Yes, good question. I would tend to think so ..but I'm sure that it's not that simple. We don't know the uptake and holding capacity ..etc...etc...etc.. Much has been discussed about this topic. In your case ...probably so. In the case of someone consuming the oil
..but in the absense of any strong evidence to the contrary ..I'd have to go with the 29% figure adaptation.
Wow, that sounds like the worst idea ever. Why do you do that?
I do the opposite. If I get a new engine, I fill it up and find the level at which the engine starts to use oil. Then I keep it below that level, adding a 1/2 quart at a time to keep it properly full. I also top it off high and run it hard just before changing the oil.
Rodbuckler wrote: "Wow, that sounds like the worst idea ever. Why do you do that?"
I think that is started when I was a kid. My dad was a drag racer. We spent a lot of time making custom baffled oil pans to prevent the crank from smacking oil. We were also crazy about weight. A quart low was that much less weight. It must have worked, dad kept collecting IHRA world records. Anyway, saying that oil on the low side of safe is crazy is on par with saying OCIs on the long side of safe are crazy. This strategy also lets me change oil more often and yet not use as much oil.
I think that is started when I was a kid. My dad was a drag racer. We spent a lot of time making custom baffled oil pans to prevent the crank from smacking oil. We were also crazy about weight. A quart low was that much less weight. It must have worked, dad kept collecting IHRA world records. Anyway, saying that oil on the low side of safe is crazy is on par with saying OCIs on the long side of safe are crazy. This strategy also lets me change oil more often and yet not use as much oil.
JHZR2
Staff member
seems to me that the dilution factor would be real, but would need to be back calculated after getting the results.
The spectographic and other data be based upon the "differential" volume sampled from the vial provided. It would be incorrect to extrapolate anything from a few mL up to multiple quarts on a universal basis, IMO...
JMH
The spectographic and other data be based upon the "differential" volume sampled from the vial provided. It would be incorrect to extrapolate anything from a few mL up to multiple quarts on a universal basis, IMO...
JMH
I suspected your reasons for the low oil level. I was just trying to give you a little bit of a hard time. Seriously though, what works for an all-out race engine is frequently all wrong for a street engine. That being said, I installed a windage tray when I put together my truck engine. What was I thinking?
[ April 24, 2006, 11:02 PM: Message edited by: Rodbuckler ]
""I routinely run my oil level on the low side. Some like to abuse their oil with long OCIs, I like to abuse it with minimal levels. I usually run about 3.5 quarts in a 4.5 quart system. If I do a UOA and had average wear, then should I expect about 29% more wear metals than "unit averages"?""
probably you are correct unless wear gunk settles out due to loss of dispersants.
bruce
probably you are correct unless wear gunk settles out due to loss of dispersants.
bruce
I am thinking of running Redline in my F150 (got it on discount). The truck takes 6 quarts, but with Redline I think I would be perfectly safe to run only 5 quarts.
AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERS BE ****ED.
Sorry, I forgot to login as GROUCHO MARX
"AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERS BE ****ED."
From the engineers perspective, the bottom of the range is still within spec's. It means "if you are lower than this, add some" or "use at least this much." The top end of the range means "don't add another drop." I would never suggest to anyone to use less than the minimum recommended quantity.
On the other hand, as long as your pump isn't sucking air, you have enough oil. As long as tip of my dipstick is wet, I'm happy.
From the engineers perspective, the bottom of the range is still within spec's. It means "if you are lower than this, add some" or "use at least this much." The top end of the range means "don't add another drop." I would never suggest to anyone to use less than the minimum recommended quantity.
On the other hand, as long as your pump isn't sucking air, you have enough oil. As long as tip of my dipstick is wet, I'm happy.
As you should be. That would make me happy too.
- Status
