Confused. I fully drain my 1969 Olds 442 400 Cubic Inch Engine + installed a new Fram PH25 Oil Filter + I have added 5.0 quarts of new oil to my car - and it is consistently reporting engine oil is over full (by 1 1/2" on the stock dipstick).
See pic. Any ideas?
Additional information:

I have a stock oil pan
stock dipstick. 23.5" overall dipstick lengh
stock dipstick tube length is 17.0"

 

Did you fill the filter before installing it?

 

Yes. Filter was filled before install. Have ran for 500 miles. still shows over full.

 

Id the pan concaved some from someone try'n to lift the engine for headers/etc or the whole car

 

No. Standard oil pan. Perfect condition. No dents.

 

What's the part number stamped on the dipstick?
How about a picture of your dipstick tube.
Measure how much the dipstick tube sticks above the exhaust manifold.
Report back.

 

Part Number on Dipstick = 400714
Dipstick tube sticks out about 2" above the exhaust manifold. I will upload pics.

 

Pics attached.

 

Wait a second. Did you fill the filter and then put five quarts in the crankcase?

 

^^^THIS^^^

Make sure you use 5 quarts total.

 

The tube on my 71 350 is much longer than yours. Of course yours is a 67 400 not a 71 350, but seems like they were the same back in the day IIRC. if the tube is too short then the standard stick would go in too far?? Others will chime in, let us know what you figure out...

 

Oil capacity is 5 quarts total. not 5qts and also a full filter of oil. I doubt the half quart if that in the filter would raise the level an inch and a hallf on the dipstick. maybe the dipstick is from a later 350 olds?
When you drain the oil next time, or now, measure what comes out? if you just put in 5.5 qts and get out only say 4.2 maybe the drain back holes are clogged and holding oil upstairs ,
i'm thinking wrong lenth dipstick or tube or both. as 1.5" of oil level is a lot of oil.
I'm also assuming you check the level with engine off and on level ground.

 

Lose the FRAM, use a WIX. I used the orange filters for years but Have Seen The Light, WIX really are superior. Cheap insurance for a hobby car.

I never prefill filters and have never, ever had a problem. I used to pull the coil wire and crank it a bit before starting it but eventually stopped doing that and on two daily driver vehicles with hundreds and hundreds of thousands of miles on them that never burned or dripped a single drop of oil can say it never mattered for me. On some like my F150 it's physically impossible to do and if it mattered that much I'd think there would be some accommodation for that.

If you're going to prefill it's part of the total. I have an old Gen 1 350 that just takes exactly 5 quarts with a new filter, period no matter where I pour the oil.

FWIW I just went through this with a crate motor, a RamJet 350. The PO had the wrong filter on it and I gave it the correct much longer one. I also verified the pan and dipsticks #s and they are correct. It wants just under 6.5 quarts and seems happy when it gets it. That pan may have been required for crossmember clearance + at it's heart it's basically a truck motor. As long as you know you have the right filter stick & pan give it what it needs to fill as long as it's not slobbering out the valve covers.

 

Take a file and mark the dipstick where the correct levels of full and 1 qt below are.

 

Wix are now made in China, they are junk just like most other run of the mill filters.

 

Filling the filter if location allows is always a good idea. Even more so on newer vehicles or even late 70's 80's cars with turbo's. I also, pull the coil wire, so it gets oil pressure before hammering the bearings or in the newer vehicles spooling up the turbo.

 

No. I put 5 quarts in total. Oil fiter and crankcase combined.

 

confirmed. 5 quarts total. not my 1st rodeo.

 

only 5 quarts total = confirmed.
original car diptstick
drain holes are not plugged. All 5 quarts drain.
confirmed. I am checking with engine off and on level ground.

 

Confirmed. See picture with red arrows. I have "scratched" the dipstick with 5 quarts. Scratch is about 1 1/2 inches higher than the factory "full" mark on the dipstick.

 

Is this the first time you have changed oil and filter on this engine ? If not, what did the dipstick show the last time you changed oil and filter ?

 

Well something is wrong if the oem marks are not correct. and only found out about 56 years later.
Good luck with finding what it is. hard to do, from here.

 

Next thing to do is drain out the oil that's in there right now and see what you get back, taking care to note how clean it is. If you only get five quarts and it isn't just as nice as when it went in, then there must be a blockage somewhere and the fresh oil is getting contaminated by the stuff that won't drain.

 

Drain it a bit.

put 4 to 4 1/2 in

 

Maybe it takes 4.1 imperial quarts

 

From Chris Witt's Oldsmobile part numbers database:

 

I did not find that part number in Chris Witt's Oldsmobile Part Numbers database.

I did find the information below, and I find it very interesting that the Toronado Guide Tube part number is very close to your Indicator part number. Unfortunately he did not have the indicator (stick) part number that goes along with that Toro Guide Tube.

 

From Oil dipstick part numbers

 

Jan 1972 Parts book references # 400714 as the correct dipstick for a 1969 Olds 442 with 400 CI

 

Dipstick

 

With additional inspection, I have discovered the engine oil "tube" slides up and down. I assume I should press it down as far as possible... but concerned to see that it is loose. I need to remove the starter to get a better understanding of why it is sliding. Does anyone know how the tube is supposed to be installed? Is it an O-Ring? Is there a bracket that holds the tube in the engine block? Anyone have pictures? Thank you!

 

Excellent.

As you noted, correct tube, indicator, oil pan, filter, and amount of oil in leaves only incorrect tube into block, and indicator into tube as possibilities. Since it is too much, and the indicator bottoms out on the tube, the tube is going past where it should.

The tube has two flares on it near the bottom. One is to provide friction fit in the block, the one further up the tube provides an insertion stop for the tube into the block. I suspect it is wrecked. A new tube is warranted, but a good hose clamp, if it will fit through the manifold, put on the tube at the right spot, and the tube reinserted, might work for the interim.

 

There might be two friction fit humps, like seen on this repro

 

Agreed. I have purchased a new dipstick tube. I will install properly and secure. Hope that fixes the issue. Thanks to everyone with their suggestions / input.

 

Hmmmm I think you got it..

 

You may need to lightly emory cloth the friction fit humps. Repros tend to be a little tight. Less is more. Check often while filing.

 

Ordered new oil dipstick tube. Interesting..... the new tube is 2" longer from the distance "from the engine block insert to the top of the tube".
Boom - there is the issue. The previous dipstick tube was not the original tube.
New tube. Oil is now measuing exactly full.

 

Imagine that.....Glad you got it!