I changed my oil yesterday and got to thinking. Why does my 86 T/A 5L TPI only hold four quarts??? Is that right? I got to thinking maybe someone changed the dip stick. Well I pulled the one out of my 87 GTA and it is the same length. So I don't know. Everyone says it should be 5 quarts. I have always had a problem with over filling it because it takes four quarts to put it at the full line. My Haynes manual says 5 quarts. My 3.8 takes four quarts

SO is 4 quarts the right amount for this car?

Thanks in advance. You guys always seem to have the right answers...

4.5 quarts plus the filter... that makes five quarts
put five quarts in, run it, shut it off, then check the oil



also your 3.8L should take 4.5 quarts

Nope! Take four quarts. Fill ph1218 up with oil from one quart pour remaining 3 1/2 quarts into value cover. Start, shut off, check oil and it is 2mm above full line on dip stick. That is 4 quarts includeing filter...

PH1218 filter what brand is it? so you only pour 1/2 a quart in the filter, and 3 1/2 in the valve cover the way you described it it takes 4 1/2, not 4. If its a Fram is it not supposed to be a PH30? you should see if its the filter thats is too small maybe and not holding the full quart.

All of my SBC's have taken 5-5.5L to fill...


I can never get my ph30 filters to soak up a litre of oil, 3/4 of a bottle if im lucky...

Is the pan dented or bent up anywhere? dipstick tube bent? If it is definitely a 5.0 litre, it should take 5 quarts almost exactly every time Ive ever done one anyway.

well mine takes 4 quarts too.. i mean i prime the oil filter first so thats like 4.5 total

hell, I run 6 quarts without any oil frothing and a stock pan (1988) so I really don't understand what you guys are talking about

Well guys I just rechecked my owners manual for my 1989 GTA. It calls for 4 quarts in the pan and 1 quart for the filter. If you are over filling the crankcase you are most likely loosing horsepower.

wHAT # FILTER do you use he said he uses a ph1218 and his takes 4 1/2 but it supposed to take 5 right, so maybe this ph1218 filter is too small and using a ph30 would increase the the amount of oil it hold and it would allow for 5, if the filter he is using is not the correct size, he should check to see if this is the right filter.

I don't feel the need to argue about a quart. Fill it up with six quarts and see exactly how far up it goes. You don't run into any journals or rods with this much oil.

ive used 5 quarts (including filter) in every 5.0/5.7 I've ever owned. I don't even bother to check the level after I change it on my '97, I know it's full.

ph1218 is the large ac-delco filter that replaced the ph35. it should hold almost a whole quart.
6 total won't hurt, I've done it a lot.
I'd rather have too much than not enough.

every small block I've ever changed the oil in will hold at least 5 total, and I've changed just a few in the last 25 years....

Actually an extra quart probably is worse than a quart low.

Dayuuumm..

Simple,

SBC+ stock oil pan+ 5 quarts of oil+ full. No more, no less.

All in, all done....been that way since late 1955 when they put the first toliet paper filter on the dang things.

Oh, early '55' V8's (265's) didn't have filters, and held 4 to make it to the line.

When I do 5 quarts and a AC Delco 1218, it shows it as slightly high. But nothing to worry about.

too much oil is about as bad as not enough!

Increased crankcase pressure, eventually end up taking out some rings and if you have an open element breather on the valvecover you risk a fire from the oil spewing out of it and hitting the exhaust!

or something like that...


dump 5 quarts in her and call it a day.

No dents or bent stick. I measured it against my GTA's dipstick and the full mark on the GTA's stick is 1/4 lower then the T/A. The dip stick are the same length but the marking are differants. I just found Autozone's web site says 4 quarts. The AC delco's pf1218 holds half a quart. If I add 5 quarts it will be inch above the full mark on the dip stick..

5 qts, yes. 6 won't hurt, but I'm also not saying everyone should run 6 qts. just to do it, either.

I would like you to explain to me how extra oil INCREASES crankcase pressure, especially when there's an active pcv valve-- or even if there isn't.
crankcase pressure is determined by piston ring blow-by and how much of it the pcv system is sucking up, not how much oil is in the pan. and then I would like to know how extra oil would hurt piston rings....

and yes, I agree 2,3 or 4 quarts overfull would interfere with the counterweights on the crank, but a quart isn't enough to be a bad thing.

whereas, a quart low on a hard turn at high rpm might cause air to the oil pump pickup, and we all know that air don't lubricate bearings very well, especially at high rpm.

that is a strange setup, 1/2 quart overfull makes 1" OVER the full mark? what is the distance between the add mark and the full mark? that usually equals a whole quart.

sounds like to me you need to hit the gm dealer and order the proper oil dipstick TUBE and stick for your car, if you're that concerned about it.

like everyone else says, just put 5 total in it and let it fly, I've been doing that with all my small blocks since my 2nd car (75 monte carlo) in 1980.

10 Lessons Learned From Engine Masters by: Andy Dunn Read item #9 about a 5 quart system. The rest of the article is very interesting also and worth the read. I can post others if need be.

Go with 5...

why dont u prime the filter and dump four in, check the stick and see where you are, and add accordingly

I do probably 5 or 6 oil changes every day at work and that method never fails remember the level will drop slightly after you start the car and turn it back off to check the level again.

my ford escort takes 4 thats wierd indeed
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To much is bad cause the heat makes it expand same with trany big time with trany u should be ok bro its a sb u could **** in the thing and it will run but soon as it knocks u might wanna fill her up hows ur oil pressure?

My 350 TBI in the van takes 7 quarts of Mobil One 5/30 to do an oil change. 5 qt pan+2 qt filter=7 qts

2 quarts in the filter?? i spent a year or so working at an oil change place and never came across a 350 that held 7 quarts and length of dipstick has nothing to with the oil level some chevys used different length tubes throught the years so just because two third gens have the same length stick doesnt mean its the same for the other car

That is what I did. Take four quarts fill filter with one. Pour remaining 3 1/2 quarts in and it is full. Four quarts total includeing the filter. That is my ?. Should n't it take more...

The TALL truck(not pickup) filter holds about 2 quarts. Fram PH373 or Equivalent, then add that to the 5 quart pan.

5.5 quarts with a k&n hp2002 and im good to go at least for 3000 miles