Has anyone ever heard of adding an extra quart of oil to an olds 455 due to the way the oil return tubes are? I hear that the oil doesn't return as it should and alot of it stays at the top of the motor. Any info is greatly appreciated.

 

No, with a stock pan, 5 qts. will do just fine (assuming you are changing the filter also). As always, check the level after you fill it.

 

Thank you.

 

Too much oil is just as bad as too little. As the oil level in the pan rises, the crank counterweights whip it into a froth. While that may look good on your latte, it does a very poor job of lubricating the engine bearings.

 

IMO - Olds has always been a trifle slow in oil return. I helped it out by running a grinder w/carbide burr down the oil path below the valve springs and rounded and
smoothed the drain hole going from head back down into block. If able I would also grind a lot of bumps and slag in the lifter gallery and remove excess between the lifter bosses in the block. Early engines were the worst, that's why pulling a valve cover produced a mass of sludge (coupled with lack of early detergent oil). Every little bit helps.