How many quarts of oil?

[jbutler67]

How many quarts of oil for a 1988 OMC 5.0L (502APRGDP)?

I can't find the specs. Dipstick shows oil at "full" mark with 4 quarts. But, I thought I read somewhere that 5.0L 8 cylinder takes 6 quarts?

Oil pressure at 40PSI with 4 quarts when at 1,000 RPMs. Pressure jumps up to 80 PSI at 3,000 RPMs and higher. But, I can't trust the sender is reading accurate.

4 quarts includes priming the oil filter when it is replaced (filling the oil filter).

 

[HT32BSX115]

How many quarts of oil for a 1988 OMC 5.0L (502APRGDP)?

I can't find the specs. Dipstick shows oil at "full" mark with 4 quarts. But, I thought I read somewhere that 5.0L 8 cylinder takes 6 quarts?

Oil pressure at 40PSI with 4 quarts when at 1,000 RPMs. Pressure jumps up to 80 PSI at 3,000 RPMs and higher. But, I can't trust the sender is reading accurate.

4 quarts includes priming the oil filter when it is replaced (filling the oil filter).

You might find it here: http://boatinfo.no/lib/omc/manuals/1986-1998omcmanual.html

 

[Scott Danforth]

how much oil did you suck out of the pan prior to adding new?

 

[jbutler67]

Thanks for link.
http://boatinfo.no/lib/omc/manuals/1...omcmanual.html

I found it on page 2-63. It notes 6 quarts for 5.0L. Guess i need to add oil.

With 4 quarts - the dip stick shows AT the full line after engine sits and oil drains into pan. With 6 quarts - dip stick reading is ABOVE the full line after engine sits and oil drains into pan.

When I changed oil in the Spring, I pumped it out but don't remember how much I took out. I thought I would just look up rthe specs. I added 6 quarts. When I saw how high the oil level was on the dipstick, I pumped some out.

 

[Lou C]

I do not think you will get 6 qts into a small block Chevy unless the pan is completely empty. The issue with marine engine oil changes is you never know how much oil is actually left in the pan before you re-fill. Unless you think you have the wrong dipstick, I'd fill it to full and leave it at that. Do not overfill, it can cause problems.

​There is also a quirk to checking the oil in certain engines with the dip stick tube that goes to the bottom of the pan, not into the block as in an auto application.
​What I have found over the years is this:
​When the engine has been run and then shut off, and let to sit over night, when you first check the oil it will read over full. This is because as the air in the dip stick cools it draws oil out of the pan and the oil level rises on the stick. When you pull the stick out and wait a few minutes the level will drop and read correctly.
​Then when you check the oil on a hot engine, the opposite can happen. The hot air inside the dipstick tube can keep the oil in the pan from rising in the tube and thereby it reads low at first. But if you pull the stick out, wait a few minutes, it will stabilize and then read correctly.

​The upshot is that on some marine engines you need to check it slowly, several times allowing the oil level in that tube to stabilize. Many OMC and Volvo engines are set up this way, with a dipstick tube that bolts to a fitting on the side, or bottom of the engine oil pan.

 

[Scott Danforth]

you can almost never get all the oil out of a marine engine pan. its the nature of the beast. some engines have 1-2 quarts you cant get out

 

[jbutler67]

Thanks Lou. Great info.

 

[bruceb58]

Because the dipstick tube on an OMC Cobra actually goes into the drain plug of the pan, you can typically get it all out assuming the engine is level. I put a level on the valve cover and adjust my trailer until it is level.

 

[Lou C]

Bruce I do agree I have been able to suck just about all the oil out of the pan on my '88 4.3 but even then, it never takes what the book says. More like a qt less.

 

[HT32BSX115]

some engines have 1-2 quarts you cant get out

And, in reality, if you change the oil and filter on anything resembling the manufacturers recommended interval, that little bit of oil left over in there will never hurt a thing.

 

[bruceb58]

Bruce I do agree I have been able to suck just about all the oil out of the pan on my '88 4.3 but even then, it never takes what the book says. More like a qt less.

I can believe it. My 7.4l Volvo specs 9 qts but always seems like it's a little high.

 

[Lou C]

For the 4.3 V6 my OMC owners manual says 4.5 qts with the filter, usually it only takes 3.5 qts for the dipstick to read full. They do list 6 qts for the 5.0 and 5.7 with the filter but I bet that they actually take about a qt less. When we had normal Chevrolet small blocks they always took no more than 5 in our vehicles (early 70s) but these may have different oil pans...