Engine Oil level , what is best practice

[Dill et Bound]

I would suppose that the dipstick is just an indication of how much oil the engine contains.
It makes no difference to the amount the engine circulates.
Which provided it is somewhere between the marks whilst at rest.
Is pretty much whatever the angle.
The same.
Or am I missing something?
As for me I do a few hours a week....
Every couple of weeks I check the level in my KAD42.
Empty to full including filters and pumps 10 liters.
I have used 200 liters of fuel in 2 weeks
Trip to France and Jersey a couple of times, and it hasn’t dropped significantly
So I assume all is well.

 

[Fishtigua]

No, its under.

BS, it's spot on.

Chaps, you've over filled it.

You know what it was? A wonky handle on the end of dipstick on a big Cummins.

Simple things.

 

[5teve]

Well, I take your word for it.
Fwiw, I was told what I previously said by Cat, MAN and MTU official dealers - and all of them were referring to shaft installations.
If my generalization is wrong I apologise, but I surely struggle to see the logic of factory marking.

I mean, even with outdrive powered boats, where engines are always horizontal, the position at rest can be VERY different, depending on the hull where they are installed: very fast and narrow boats typically sit in the water MUCH lower astern, compared to more sedate cruisers.
If there is any logic in marking the dipstick at the factory, I can't for the life of me understand what it is.
Maybe those manufacturers consider the approximation acceptable, but an approximation it has to be for good, I reckon.

You can add Cummins to the list also. On Commission I believe you add a specified amount to the engine, mark that as low, then add a specified extra amount and mark it as high.. it caters for all types of installation and ensures the correct amount is added regardless of angle etc.. it also differs on Cummins depending on where the dipstick is loct as they can be positioned is a few placed on the 6bta

Steve

 

[Momac]

Frankly speaking, it takes a remarkable imagination to read my previous comment ("the position at rest can be VERY different"), as a suggestion to measure the oil level while cruising at 20kts...

Clearly you did not realise my remark was not meant to be taken seriously.

 

[Assassin]

It makes no difference to the amount the engine circulates.

It makes a significant difference and this is why there is a minimum mark on the engine as modern engines carry much less oil than older engines and most circulate much more, often at higher speeds.

 

[Dill et Bound]

Taken a bit out of context I think a bit like 20 knot oil check.

I assume that the engine manufacturers have the knowledge to supply a product for marine use that has a sump capacity and position of the oil pick up pipe to the pump that will circulate same


amount of oil around the engine.

In my case as a single engined small boat owner it is of huge importance as my engine will probably be subjected to a great deal more movement due to wave motion than a larger craft.

Therefore I just keep a check to see that the oil is of the correct grade, changed when required, and kept to a level somewhere on the high side of the two marks placed placed on the dipstick by the manufacturer for that purpose.

Or am I missing something else.?

 

[Assassin]

Actually yes you are missing a couple of things, and have actually touched on one of them.

Two main issues, rationalisation and environmental legislation but there are others.

Rationalisation simply means the same base engine being used across many disciplines to keep costs down and profits reasonable, in a static application the same base engine will only move sideways slightly and this is dictated by the engine mountings which gives a stable oil platform with little movement.
In a leisure marine application this movement is huge both fore and aft and port to starboard and anything in-between to give a three dimensional movement of the same engine and to stabilise this movement they baffle the sump and increase its capacity to attempt to mitigate this problem of constant 3 dimensional working angles.

Environmental legislation means they are looking at ways of reducing emissions and carbon products such as oil are one of a number of areas in which they reduce their environmental impact (at least on paper) and they reduce the oil capacity. One prime example, in the same base engine used in a static environment its oil capacity is 52 litres, the marine variant is 73 litres, and manufacturers are now reducing the working oil pressures and increasing flow as this consumes the same engine power and they use this additional flow capacity partially to cool or stabilise the engine working temperature and this increased flow means more engine oil in the engine and less in the sump.

 

[Dill et Bound]

It’s good to see...as you said at least on paper.. that they are working in the right direction as far as the environment.
And also hopefully producing a product with a bit more longevity in use.

As far a I am concerned I shall just have to continue to rely on reading the dipstick.

 

[Restoration man]

Well I let the engine oil find its own level on my kad 42 ,
I was always topping the oil up then I read something about over filling it , I was obsessed with keeping it on full mark on the dipstick, And was putting oil in every trip now I leave it and goes down to nearly the low mark but once it gets there it stays there all season with absolutely no topping up ,

 

[Assassin]

It’s good to see...as you said at least on paper.. that they are working in the right direction as far as the environment.
And also hopefully producing a product with a bit more longevity in use.

As far a I am concerned I shall just have to continue to rely on reading the dipstick.

Yes, a lot of it is down to paperwork and if you produce a base unit and use it in an automotive off road, industrial, and marine environments and you can reduce the quantities of oil in two of the three applications then you can state you have reduced this and average it out across the range and even use it for marketing and claim you use less oil and it reduces its running costs.

Manufacturers have produced some excellent ideas for new sump designs and I have seen two of them in the last month or so, will they work? I don't think so in a marine environment, but hey we live and learn.