Engine: Does a 283 V8 really take only 4 quarts of oil?

[Bill Pressler]

Just had Rotella 15W-40 and ZDDP added at a place and they added 4.5 which is what they thought an old Chevy V8 took. I figured it'd take 5 (but then it's been years since I had a Chevy V8). They then said it was overfilled at 4.5. I just looked at the Owner's Manual and it only takens 4 qts. U.S.???? Sheesh!

[Skip Lackie]

Plus a little less than one more if it has a filter. If they didn't change the filter, then the crankcase alone holds four.

[StudeDave57]

They then said it was overfilled at 4.5.

That doesn't sound right. What is scarey is that I've changed the oil in Sweet Pea about 100 times, but for the life of me I can't be sure- seems to me that I've been using at least FIVE each and every time!!! I'll know next week when I do it again...

You got the right dipstick in your car? How about an oil filter?
Food for thought.

[Bill Pressler]

That doesn't sound right. What is scarey is that I've changed the oil in Sweet Pea about 100 times, but for the life of me I can't be sure- seems to me that I've been using at least FIVE each and every time!!! I'll know next week when I do it again...

You got the right dipstick in your car? How about an oil filter?
Food for thought.

They did put a VO56 filter on--for 283 Chevys.

The dipstick is bent and hard to push in, so that could be it. Funny, my old '64 Daytona 259 was the same way and buying a NOS dipstick didn't change a thing...I think the tube was bent somehow.

The Owner's Manual does indeed say 4.0 U.S. qts, but underneath says "When changing oil filter, add additional quart". I think I better put another 1/2 qt. in (LOL)!

Thanks for the input, guys.

[rusty65]

I've owned 2 Chevybakers and I have always done oil changes this way- 4 quarts without filter change; 5 quarts with a new filter.Some people say oil change and filter should be 4.7 quarts, but hey, it's a Chevy; it will burn the .3 quart in no time!!

[Jerry Forrester]

Make sure you have the correct dipstick and fill it to the full mark, no a bit over. My thinking is, It's better to be a half quart low than half quart over. Don't want the crankshaft sloshing around in the oil.

[studegary]

If you put 4.5 quarts plus ZDDP in, I would leave it at that. That filter does not require a whole quart aditional. The filter can may look like about one quart, but keep in mind that it is not empty inside.

[Bill Pressler]

Thanks gentlemen!

[jimmijim8]

Changing oil and not the filter. Must be a good reason. What could it be?

[JunkYarDog]

I've owned small block Chevys for close to 50 years. Any of the old 283's took 5 quarts , "HOWEVER" if they didn't replace the filter then your talking 4 , and NOW for the pass several years they've made a smaller filter which is half the size of the original so if they put on a cheaper small filter it'll take 4.5 quarts.

The original early 283 with old Style canister filter was 5 quarts and with the standard spin on full size filter it's 5 quarts. If they put only 4 quarts in then they either didn't change the filter or didn't properly drain the motor all the way empty before adding the new oil .

ONE MORE THING ... "UNLIKELY BUT".... Is your oil pan bent in on the bottom ? A lot of these poor older cars pans have seen evil things happen to them with the car bottoming out when driving on an uneven surface or roads with deep pot hole's.

I love 283's and Chevy small blocks starting way back to my youth Racing them, I currently own a Chevy Truck and a Chevelle with small blocks in them both strong runners. I really find myself being a little bios when I see a Studie that has something other then a Studie or Chevy engine in it. After all Studie went Chevy themselves. In 69 I found a Daytona 2 door hardtop with a 283 in it for $850.00 I wanted that car bad, But alast that one got away. Now that same car would probably be worth $8,500.00 or more

[Bill Pressler]

You know, I vaguely remember the seller saying he had a conversion done for the oil filter so it would be more easily done by today's shops (?). I'm looking at a receipt dated 9/1/10 that says under "Lubrication Oil Change and Filter"--

Oil Filter
10W30 Pennzoil
Conversion Kit

The cost of the conversion kit was $43.17. Makes me think I got a smaller filter.

In the meantime, I've ordered a new dipstick from SI.

[jackb]

do not run that new baby with too much oil

[Skip Lackie]

As originally equipped, the 65-66 283 came with a cannister that had to be removed to replace the drop-in AC PF141 oil filter. It really did take a full quart of oil to fill. Later versions of the SBC were designed to use a PF25 spin-on filter that only took a bit more than a half a quart. GM offered kits to convert older engines to the modern spin-on filter, as did JC Whitney and lots of others. The modern equivalent of the PF25 is the PF454, which takes even less than half a quart.

[DEEPNHOCK]

I have been running the long filter (PH832) for years in all the early SBC's, and BBC's I ever owned..
I like the extra quart reserve for cooling...
Jeff

P141 filter (cannister)
Spec.ValueO.D.:3.56 [90mm]Height:5.69 [145mm]I.D.:1.28 [33mm]PSI Relief:NoneAnti-Drain:NonePackaged:1 GasketBuyers Guide ApplicationChevrolet (1958-69), GMC, Studebaker (1965-66) (GM 5574540)

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PH454 filter (medium)
Spec.ValueO.D.:3.77 [96mm]Height:3.20 [79mm]I.D.:13/16 x 16 UNSPSI Relief:NoAnti-Drain:YesBuyers Guide ApplicationChevrolet & GMC V8 7.4L, 8.1L Engines (1999-09)
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PH832 filter (long)
Spec.ValueO.D.:3.81 [97mm]Height:7.97 [202mm]I.D.:13/16"-16 Thd.Buyers Guide ApplicationChevrolet/GMC Medium Duty Trucks (1972-85) (GM 6439034)

[JunkYarDog]

The Conversion kit was a rip off on the price as all everyone had to do is go to a wrecking yard look in their scrap pile and find a motor a few years newer and remove two bolts and take the parts off it for the spin on and you had it. I'm not going to put my hand on the bible on that one it's been to many years ago but I'm almost 99.9% sure I did that one or twice .

The conversion kit made them so you could put on the newer spin on and they held the same amount one quart.

Just to compilcate things , for some of the trucks 1 ton and bigger and the vehicle sat up high off the ground you can buy a 2 quart filter that will fit , But if it sticks down to low they can get hit and damaged in the car's.