505 Stroker Oil Level

[Evoking]

OK, I have been perplexed by this for sometime. I recently put a 505 stroker in my 68 Charger. It also has a Moreso oil pan which definitely looks high capacity - like 7 quart but not sure. For what it’s worth the engine build also specifies a 3/8 Oil Pickup and Melling High volume oil pump.

I’ve been under the impression my car is burning oil but now I’m wondering if 7 quarts has actually been over-filling it.

When I change the oil and put 7 quarts the dipstick registers full. But then I would smell burning oil as I drive and would see puffs of smoke when I get on it.

Eventually after a couple hundred miles I stop smelling the oil and the smoke goes away. Dipstick now reads “add” - less than “add” but it is now running strong and clean. When I change the oil 4-4.5 quarts come out.

Had the compression checked and it’s fine. I am figuring it only needs 4-5 quarts and is burning off the excess. Even though the pan may be bigger than stock perhaps my pump and pickup are offsetting? Also it seems I need a longer dipstick? At the time of oil change 4.4 quarts come out yet it was registering nothing on the dipstick.

Thoughts?

 

[4mulas]

7 in and 4.4 coming out after a couple hundred miles use is scary. I don’t know that pan but you’d think it would hold at least 6?

Any signs of blown gaskets from excess oil being pushed out?

 

[Evoking]

I just found an article that said the below. I have all 3 items!

1) high capacity pump
2) pickup
3) stroker

Makes me wonder if I definitely should be only using 4 or 5 quarts.

The below is an excerpt from

http://blog.cantonracingproducts.com/blog/oil-pan-capacity-too-much-vs-not-enough

“There are a few circumstances that can require your oiling system to be adjusted. These things include but are not limited to oil pump volume, engine oiling passage tolerances, motor stroke etc. Yes, even motor stroke. The best example of a way oil level can unexpectedly affect an engine is a longer stroke motor. In a stroker motor the counterweights on the crank go deeper into the pan. This requires a slightly lower oil level compared to the original oil pan capacity. Without this adjustment you can create windage in your engine.”

 

[Evoking]

7 in and 4.4 coming out after a couple hundred miles use is scary. I don’t know that pan but you’d think it would hold at least 6?

Any signs of blown gaskets from excess oil being pushed out?

No evidence of oil seeping out heads. Nor was there antifreeze in the oil. See article above.

 

[1967coronet440]

That’s at least a 6qt pan, looks similar to mine and it’s a 7qt. Are you running a windage tray?

 

[4mulas]

Yes, windage tray? It’s a must.

 

[gkent]

It's either leaking (no apparent evidence of that), blowing out the breathers (apparently not) or going past the rings and or valve seals. In the case of the latter, the plugs should be fouling like crazy !!

 

[91r/t]

Check your intake gasket as well. I had one that wasn't sealing by the ports on the intake and was sucking oil past them like crazy!

 

[Evoking]

Yes, windage tray? It’s a must.

No idea if it has a windage tray. I’m assuming perhaps not considering the symptoms. Will look into adding one.

 

[Evoking]

It's either leaking (no apparent evidence of that), blowing out the breathers (apparently not) or going past the rings and or valve seals. In the case of the latter, the plugs should be fouling like crazy !!

Don’t think the plugs are fouling as it’s running very strong. The plug cables used to foul out due to heat from headers. Now have ceramic boots and runs great.

 

[4mulas]

I had a Chevy 350 that ran great but chewed through oil like crazy, didn’t smoke much if at all, but I assume it still went past the rings like crazy.

4.4 quarts drained plus .8 ish in the filter is far from t he 7 you put in. Something isn’t right.

 

[lewtot184]

the last time I did a fill test on one of those pans, IIRC, they more like 6qts than 7qts. the problem is the sump is short length wise. this lets the pan maker have a one size fits all. but, even at that I think your loosing oil some place. could be a leak, intake not sealing, rings, valve seals, etc. going down to 4-5qts is probably dangerous in a performance engine.

 

[Hemirunner]

Pull a plug and have a look. It should be obvious if it’s consuming oil. It has to be going somewhere...

 

[68 HEMI GTS]

Engine has issues. With filter that’s a 7qt or close to it oil change with that pan.

 

[Lefty71]

What crank is in it, if you know??

 

[vance.dykes]

as others have said a windage tray is a mandatory part of a performance engine. i use that pan on my stroker and 8 quarts total with no problems. your stroker is bigger than mine if the builder of the engine did not under stand how much turbulence is in the oil pan just at 3500 rpms then i hope he did everything right.is the dip stick in all the way ? if you look at the pic of my car you will see the oil pan hang down it is black so look close.

 

[miller]

OK, I have been perplexed by this for sometime.

I've been perplexed by mine, too.
No stroker, or the like, stockish 440, though using an after-market 971 pan w/windage tray. Pan was listed as 6 quart, took a 1/2" pick-up, with it. Problem, put 6 quarts of oil in, with new filter, level good. Run the engine, to get oil to the filter, let sit for awhile, and re-check the level...a quart down. Add another quart, figuring 6 in the pan + 1 in the filter.
Run engine, let sit, re-check oil level...a quart over! What the heck.

 

[Garys1969RR]

If you're losing a couple qts of oil between changes, with no leaks, then it has to be burning it. This is evidenced by the fact that you see blue smoke for the first few hundred miles, then it stops. Most stroker cranks have the counter weights made to clear the block. Even my 451 only had .125 taken off to clear it. So that is going to have a minimal effect on oil whipping up. Need to see if you have a windage tray, I would pull the pan and check that. Oil level height is measured at dipstick, no matter if you have a 5 qt or 10 qt. 7 qt pan shows full when you add 7 qts ? You should be ok. Sounds like the builder may have put in too much rod journal clearance, throwing extra oil on the cyl walls, or low tension oil rings, no windage tray, or all of the above. Run it awhile, then take it apart and inspect the clearances, rings, etc.

 

[1967coronet440]

Should be able to tell if it has a tray just by looking at where the oil pan rail is, it will look like a thin metal gasket between the oil pan and block.

 

[Garys1969RR]

My 512 has a 4.25 stroke crank, and doesn't smoke or burn oil. And it goes to 6500 RPM or more quite often. Milodon hi volume external feed pump, with a windage tray. A longer stroke crank may need a special tray made for that, mine does. Find out your exact stroke. Is it 4.15? I think that's what a 505 has. 400 block? You could also try a higher viscosity, 20W50 oil. What are you running now?