How much oil in 4.3l mercruiser?? please help

[fontenot41]

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[fontenot41]

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[fontenot41]

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[fontenot41]

Nobody?

 

[Rick Stephens]

If was mine, I would stick 4.5 qts in it, mark my long stick and whack it off to fit.

 

[fontenot41]

Sounds like the best idea so far lol. I ran it for an hour this weekend with 4.5 qts in it and it ran great so I really think that's the right amount of oil, it's just a big gamble.

 

[Silvertip]

You did pour the oil in the proper place didn't you? You can hold the dip stick along the tube and at least get a reasonable idea if it is the right stick or not. When I asked about the "right" spot for adding oil, I meant no disrespect. But a friend of mine added washer fluid to his coolant tank on his car recently so my question has merit and a mistake on your part does not leave you alone in that regard.

 

[fontenot41]

Yes I definitely put the oil in the right place. I service all of my vehicles atvs sxs and lawn mowers. So I just don't know. I mean the service book said 27.5" but obviously that's not right bc someone else has said theirs is 20"...it's very frustrating bc it should be something so SIMPLE!

 

[Bondo]

Donno,... My dipstick is on the starboard side,..... early '90s 4.3LX,....

 

[Silvertip]

Did you do what I suggested?

 

[fontenot41]

Yes I did but i don't know where the oil level should be in the oil pan. The 20" long stick would put the level right at the crank shaft(which seems to high to me) The 29" stick is 9" lower than that which seems to low. If I had to GUESS the 20" long stick would take about 6.5- 7qts to put it at the full mark. If I had to guess on the 29" stick it would only take about 2 Qts to put it at the full mark. My next plan is to drop oil and see exactly how much oil it takes to bring it to the full mark on each stick. With 4.5 qts in it now it is about 5" to high on the full mark on the 29"....and about 4" to low on the 20" stick.

 

[fontenot41]

Next question....when ordering dip stick there 2 options. Closed cooling or standard cooling the closed cooling. How do I know If I have closed cooling? Closed cooling is the 29" and the standard cooling is the 20"

 

[fontenot41]

Also does the oil pan look like a stock oem oil pan? I know on some trucks people can put an afternarket oil pan that holds more oil than oem.

 

[Bondo]

Closed cooling or standard cooling

Ayuh,.... No heat exchanger, No closed coolin',... Yer's is raw water cooled,....

Also does the oil pan look like a stock oem oil pan?

Ayuh,.... Oem, standard cast aluminum pan,....

 

[fontenot41]

I dont see no heat exchanger but im not really sure. The heat exchangers I'm used to are 20xs the size of my boat. But if u say I don't have closed cooling then my original dip stick must be the correct one. On the diagrams it says standard coolin dip stick is 21.5"....so why would it be 3.5" to low in my dip stick with 4.5 qts of oil

 

[thumpar]

Have you checked to see is the dipstick tube is correct?

 

[fontenot41]

I think I have the wrong dip stick tube..can someone please verify if I have a closed or raw cooling system By looking at the pictures I posted. It makes a big difference on the length of parts for this

 

[Bondo]

can someone please verify if I have a closed or raw cooling system

Ayuh,.... See post #54, I already told you it's raw water cooled,....

 

[thumpar]

Yep, raw cooled. You don't have a heat exchanger.

 

[poconojoe]

Also does the oil pan look like a stock oem oil pan? I know on some trucks people can put an afternarket oil pan that holds more oil than oem.

This was my suggestion back in post #21. Still could be a viable reason. Or...as suggested, maybe it's the wrong dipstick tube. We don't know what a previous owner might have done. People swap out parts all the time.