Amount of Oil When Changed

[HeavyFuel]

I never come up with the "5 quarts" when doing an oil change, with filter.   More like 3-4.  It would equate to about a quart loss in 1500 miles of driving.

I have been concerned with oil consumption in my engine for while now, as the plugs foul quickly.

Blue smoke is never apparent, so that's good, I guess, but if there was some it would help to diagnose leaky stem seals or intake gasket.

So, does a healthy engine always give back the same volume of oil that's put in?  Just trying to gauge how much I'm losing, cause I don't see any blue smoke.

1968 440 HP,  stock rebuild about 10k miles ago.

Also....clean engine and no drips on garage floor.

Thanks

[cdr]

do you have a dip stick so you can check the level after driving ?

[HeavyFuel]

Come think of it, I do remember using some contraption to check the level of the oil that collects in the pan.  But if memory serves, its not exactly a precise measuring method.

Sorry for the stupid question, just wondering if a little oil consumption is normal for these old engines, that's all.   

[Kern Dog]

Uhhh, yeah it is.
I have yet to see anything other than the Wife's Honda that does NOT use oil.
I've owned several Chevys and Mopars. Every single one used oil. My 389,000 mile Ram 1500 sure does and always has.

[metallicareload99]

The Corolla I drive doesn't seem to use any oil and the dipstick seems pretty accurate.

I'm looking at *most* of the oil I drained out of my 440 last time I did an oil change: maybe 7 quarts counting what is in the filter. I put in 8 quarts, but I have a 3 quart oil accumulator that complicates things.

RE the dipstick I got kinda the same problem, 8 quarts of oil into a 9 quart oil system that stores almost 3 quarts in a sealed cylinder, what "should" the dipstick read?

[HeavyFuel]

Okay.  Thanks for the feedback.

[metallicareload99]

Okay.  Thanks for the feedback.

I don't know why I blathered on there. My rebuilt 440 has a little over 12,000 miles, I think a healthy older engine will still use some oil, I figure from off the cylinder wall. Two quarts does sound excessive, do you use a PCV and a catch can? Even more concerning is the plugs fouling and that might be a clue

[A383Wing]

There's only two options here.....either your engine is leaking oil, or it's eating oil.....if you don't see any puddles on the ground where you park it overnight, then you can be sure that your engine is drinking it. Depending on what oil you use, you may not see any blue smoke, this is true with pure synthetic oils, they don't burn blue.....also, if it is burning it, it my be such a small amount at a time that you may not see any blue smoke out the tail pipe....especially if you are sitting in the drivers seat looking out the rear window with the mirror

Bryan