OK so i have an '86 engine in my '84 SE. i used the '84 front cover and oil pan.

when i got it running, i had just put 4.5 fresh quarts of oil in. i drove it about 10 miles and idled for a bit. never noticed excessive oil smoke (or any smoke for that matter). went to check the oil the other day and the dipstick was dry. completely. i was baffled. i thought "i *know* it couldn't have leaked out because it's clean under the car and i don't see any evidence of seep on the engine"

then i thought "hey that's the FC dipstick."

then i thought "hey i'm not using the FC oil pan... it had different geometry."

so i put 2 and 2 together and thought "the FC and FB dip sticks must be different length to compensate for this difference in geometry"

so my quesiton is: HAY GUYS ARE THE DIPSTICKS DIFFERENT LENGTHS BETWEEN THE S4 AND THE GSL-SE? (all caps for potential retardedness)

if so... would anyone mind measuring the GSL-SE dipstick so i can construct a new one? i lost the original.

 

These measurements are off of a 1984 SE, 13b:

Length from edge of rubber stop to tip = 10.75"
Length to LOW = 9.75"
Length to FULL = 9.25"

For you retards out there:

Grip -------- Rubber STOP (0") ---------------------------FULL (9.25")XXXXX LOW (9.75")---(10.75")

HTH,

 

hm. my dipstick is over 11" long (heh heh)...

wonder what the deal is.

 

Note that I'm only giving measurements from the critical interface to the engine center housing - the length of the 'handle' end is really immaterial.

Measurements are from the rubber 'stopper' to the stated length. HTH,

(what are you? Some kind of dipstick?)

 

Did yo measure form the bottom of the rubber stop, or the part of the rubber stop that rests on top of the guide part on the engine?

Would you mind taking a measure of the dipstick guide thing down to the engine iron?

 

Ok - it's just you and me going back and forth, dipstick. (j/k)

I'm measuring from the bottom part of the rubber stopper that rests against the centerhousing of the engine when the dipstick is inserted ALL the way, as far as it can go into the hole that holds the dipstick. Are you getting this? In other words, the measurements that I gave above, take into account that there's a portion of the dipstick that's IN YOUR HAND, which doesn't really matter or affect how much engine oil you have in your car. Therefore, the measurements from the rubber STOPPER - that prevent the dipstick from being inserted ANY FURTHER - would get you to the proper length FROM THE RUBBER STOPPER THAT PREVENTS IT FROM BEING INSERTED TOO FAR, so that you can tell how much oil you have in your pan. Furthermore, the measurements just need to be marked off on a piece of wooden dowel, a metal rod small enough to fit into where the dipstick goes, or any other device that you can pick from in your garage that won't get lost inside the engine when you drop it - such that if you measure 9.25" from one end and make a mark on the dowel, stick, etc. then it would just barely touch the top of the oil if you inserted it exactly 9.25" into the hole.

Clear as mud?

(*PS - I measured from the BOTTOM of the rubber stopper, since measuring from the top really wouldn't do you much good, now, would it?)

Reply back if you have any questions - I don't do PM... for obvious reasons.

This is a joke, you know that, right??? HTH,

 

where the f did my oil go?

 

in your radiator???

 

doesn't seem that way. oil floats, right?

 

I thought the standard capacity for an SE was 4.9 quarts? Beehive cars are 4.5, right? You did remember to put the drain plug back in, right dipstick?

 

still a half quart low shouldn't make a dry dipstick. too late to chase it down now. tomorrow i will get to the bottom of it.

 

maybe you already are at the bottom of it. lol sorry i had to, but hopefully not.

 

i think i have a slow leak. my car has been sitting a while. i found the oil. it is below the stick. and it's 10mi old, so pretty much perfectly clean. might be why i'm not seeing it (i have it catching on cardboard on a tarp)... blah.

at least it isn't in the coolant haha.

 

On a fresh engine you can put 5 qts. There is usually a quart still the pan/oil cooler when you change the oil.

 

The Se oil coolers are notorious for developing a crack at the hose fitting - have you checked there?

 

Just curious, why did you add 4.5 quarts?

GSL-SE engines hold a total of 6 quarts of oil, though only 4 quarts are needed for an oil change. So if your new engine was "dry" when you added the 4.5 quarts, you would still be 1.5 quarts low. This possibility would explain your conundrum.


Craig's lisp is great.

 

Anyone know the Exact Capacity of Oil in the 79-82 Under Radiator Cooler? Just the Cooler!
I run this setup with the 3 Row Rad installed in my 84GSL.

I also checked 3 different DipShits and LongDuck is right on the Money as far as to the Measurements on the DipSticks.
1-80
1-82
1-84
I never thought that I would be measureing my DipShits @ 6AM!!!
Thats the neat part of owning RX's (We Never Give Up)!
steve
sgieldon

 

this probably explains it.

way to go, dipstick.

 

haha i was browsing another forum and saw this emoticon, which i think fits the situation well:

 

On a side note, after i swapped in my 87 gtu engine in my SE, I noticed that the SE dipstick is too short, and I have to use the 87 GTU dipstick. IF you have the SE disptick on the out side, you can notice its nearly an inch too short.

 

it's not the size of our dipstick its the motion of your oil that counts.