Is This Oil Pan Full

[Beekeeper]

I’ve often wondered how these guys come up with the amount of oil in different parts of an engine while it’s running? Guess we better start promoting 16 quart pans now since we thrash ours cars more than we did in the 60s and 70s when we didn’t have all these fancy high capacity oil pans.

 

[Lefty71]

6 quarts of oil in the valve covers at wot is pure bull ****.

Not when it's upside down lol

 

[64fury74charger]

 

[RemCharger]

The correct amount is right when it squeaks some bearings,, add a pint.

 

[dvw]

The correct amount is so the pick up always has liquid to pull from. Too much and the oil is full of air. Too little and the pick up is uncovered. Needs enough pan capacity, baffling, trays, scrapers, screens, accumulators to accomplish this. How much can be up top? Depends on drain back. Some are worse than others. I know my street car has an R block. It was set up for dry sump. So the valley now has 8 3/8" holes drilled in it. At the end of a 1/4" mile run it will lose pressure if there are not 7 qts in it. My racecar has the stick calibrated to the actual level in the pan, not the amount in the engine. It needs 7 qts in the pan (aprox 10 in the motor) to keep the pressure from fluctuating on decel. And that's a 7" deep pan with a trap door, baffles, screen and swinging pickup. And even with all that it still managed to spin a bearing. Though it went 750 passes. If yours loses pressure at rpm there is an issue.
Doug

 

[Cranky]

I broke in the cam with 15w-40, and I didn't like how low the pressure got at idle when the oil was hot.

What's your PSI at full temp idling with the lighter oil?

I do have a windage tray on it.

That's a good start imo. It's not all that hard to make baffles and tack them in if you have access to a welding machine.....

6 quarts of oil in the valve covers at wot is pure bull ****.

I know a high volume pump can empty a pan at high rpm or get pretty close to it but doubt it's all in the valve covers. Had to laugh at your comment because it reminded me of fire ants lol

 

[Darter6]

FYI. The factory dash light sending unit were set to come on at 2-5 psi.
You said you installed a light to come on at 20 psi. And you stated it came on at 30+psi.
Time to find a better sending unit for the light.What you have is of no advantage.Sounds like you engine is normal and doing just fine.
Most cars at Idle up to about 1200rpm will have less than 30 psi with hot oil.And at idle most will be between 15 and 20 psi.
Rule of thumb has been, hot oil 2 psi per 100 RPM.
Too much oil pressure may cause seals to leak.

 

[Darter6]

Home made oil pan baffles. Or called slosh baffles during acceleration/deceleration.
Photo is for reference.

 

[Cranky]

Home made oil pan baffles. Or called slosh baffles during acceleration/deceleration.
Photo is for reference.View attachment 1119806

A big block Mopar, the pan is more squared so to speak and the baffles are pretty much flat so you can add some downward 90* breaks pretty easlily to control the oil more. A stock pan has breaks in the front and rear baffles that are about 1/4" long but I like them to be closer to 1/2" and maybe not quite 90*.....

 

[4mulas]

Your oil pan doesn’t look like a six pack or hemi pan to start with.. I think the oil capacity for a ‘six pack’ pan is actually only around 5 quarts, keep in mind the filter holds almost a quart making the total in the system 6... weld a couple baffles in there.

Your oil pressure values you mentioned are pretty high, what are you worried about? I might even try a 40w oil in your motor and see what pressure you get. Keep in mind you have a high volume pump, not a high pressure one. I have a fresh motor and it sees 70psi cold, 60ish psi running at rpm hot, 25ish psi hot idling. That’s with Lucas hot rod and classic oil 10w40. All that with a mopar performance oil pump which Is actually the melting high volume pump.

 

[padam]

The pan has no numbers,it is probably the factory 64 pan, which the Chrysler FSM says is 6qts with filter.
With the water temp at 190 the 40wt was around 30 psi at 1000 rpm.
I had 2 mechanical gages hooked up, the new auto gauge read 30, my ancient SW read 40, and the Quick Car 20 psi light was flickering.
I've just always had higher pressure, thinking that was better.

 

[padam]

Keep in mind I've run the same oil system in this engine for 35 years, shifting at 5500 to 6000.
This time around I'm trying to improve some things, maybe I am overthinking this.

 

[4mulas]

The pan has no numbers,it is probably the factory 64 pan, which the Chrysler FSM says is 6qts with filter.
With the water temp at 190 the 40wt was around 30 psi at 1000 rpm.
I had 2 mechanical gages hooked up, the new auto gauge read 30, my ancient SW read 40, and the Quick Car 20 psi light was flickering.
I've just always had higher pressure, thinking that was better.

Two guages tell you that have adequate oil pressure. Not sure what to tell you about your light flickering other than the sending unit is likely no hood. Oil light shouldn’t come on at 20psi, let alone the 30-40 you have.

From what you describe the oiling system is fine. Not sure about what pan you have but if it’s as you says -Yes, 6 quarts with filter, one in the filter and 5 in the pan then.

 

[451Mopar]

On the Chargers 500" low deck Stroker, I am using the Milodon 30930 oil pan. This is described as a 7-quart low profile pan (7" deep).
I originally ran it with the 7-quarts of oil, but the car was quicker with 6-quarts. Been running it with the 6-quarts for 20+ years, and it even has the high volume oil pump and 1/2" pickup too, but the engine only sees 7,000 RPM.

 

[padam]

I'm going to try a different sending unit on the light.
Oil Pan upgrade on the To- Do list.

 

[Cranky]

I'm going to try a different sending unit on the light.
Oil Pan upgrade on the To- Do list.

What kind of driving do you do with this car?

 

[padam]

Bracket racing, a little cruising around town

 

[Cranky]

Bracket racing, a little cruising around town

Yup, you'll be better off with a better pan or at least modify the one you have. If you go with a deep pan, a skid plate on the K member might be a good investment too.

 

[33 IMP]

Guys, I am just breaking in my rebuilt 413.
This is a pic of the oil pan with 6 quarts of water in it. The water is just below the front ledge.
Oil system is stock except for a Melling HV pump (I reused my old one.)
Full groove mains, 15w-50 Driven oil.
Pressure is good, 70psi at 3k, 35-40 at idle.
I installed a warning light that is supposed to come on at 20 psi, but seems like it is lighting up at 30+.
I made a few runs to 5k today and I thought I saw it flicker in 3rd. Pressure gauge looked ok, but I was kinda busy.
Do you think it would help to put another quart of oil in.
View attachment 1119578

In my humble opinion you are overfull already in post #1. I think that is a five quart pan, meaning four in the pan, one in the filter. The water level you show is about were the factory baffles would be, if you had any.
I heartily agree with a larger capacity (hemi pan or better) with baffles, for your use.
I use the low profile milodon 30930 too, along with a windage tray.

 

[padam]

I raced the car today.
The only issue I had with oil pressure was when I came out of the water box and hit the brakes, the pressure dropped to zero for a second. That scared the crap out of me but it came right back.
After that I did very slight burnouts, and came out slow.
I definitely need the baffles.
I shifted at 6k the first run (it got away from me a little), and the pressure was solid.