Hi all, When checking the oil am I right in thinking this is done with the engine running and up to temperature?? Many thanks H
NO. You check engine oil right after shutting it off within about 10 seconds otherwise it will drain down you will think its low and overfill it.
F355 manual states that it should be checked immediately after shutdown, after letting the engine idle for a few minutes. Ref: page B11 of the owner's manual.
Lol. Taz with a 348 while idling or right after shut down (and I mean seconds after) it reads the same, then as you say, it drains away. Why not do it with the engine idling?
I am not exactly sure but I think the oil is spraying around a lot in the tank just like it would be under the cam covers but once you shut it off it settles right away. I have never really kept checking it to see just how fast it drains. Maybe it takes a minute or two.
Just make sure the engine is really hot, a short drive around the block is not hot enough so it won't register the true value and you will put too much. I prefer to have the oil level just a tad below the full mark since these engines are very sensitive to over filling. I also bought a Cap from Mr Helms (Scuderia Rampante http://****************.com/) that he made which fits nicely over the Oil Level Cap, and the Fuel Tank filler Cap by the way and that makes the task very simple.
Agreed. Checking oil level on a turbine aircraft engine is done the same way for the same reason. As long as you check it in a reasonable amount of time after shutdown, you'll get a decent reading. I have had many a new co-pilot check the oil in a cold engine before the first flight of the day and call for 4 quarts of oil to be added, only to find out that reading it hot after shutdown would have yielded a reading much closer to full. Turbine engine oil is about $20 a quart, so all you end up doing is wasting money and making a mess of the engine cowling by blowing out whatever you erroneously added.
I only check my 355 engine oil while idling and hot. If I check it 10 seconds or more after shutdown the oil is already out of the reservoir giving a false low reading. But that's just my particular car...
In theory a dry sump engine is always checked with them running at idle. By the nature of its design, the engine sump runs dry and all the oil is in the tank. The problem is the lower quality oils foam up, and when running can give you an artificially high reading. Experiment with what ever oil you are running and see if there is a difference between an idle reading and 10 sec's after shut down. The oil tank baffle design is made to de deaerate the oil when it is sent to the tank. If you are using an oil that foams up a good deal, change brands. The single biggest mistake is the readings are taken when the oil is still too cold. Better than 2 gallons of oil, there is a good deal of thermo expansion and air bubbles are held in suspension when the oil is cold. Never adjust the level until the oil temp shows at least 1/3 gauge and then at that temp, leave the level midway between Min and Max so it can expand to Max at 1/2 gauge oil temp. What brilliance in design when the oil cap is aluminum. The marketing guys must have planned on Branding everyone that checks the oil properly on these cars.... brilliant in theory, you cant get your name out in too many places.
A perfect explanation of the dry sump system. Thanks Dave. I am surprised at how small the volume is on the dipstick between min & max. In my car it seems to be far less than 1 qt. My guess is 1/2 quart. The aluminum oil cap, and the heat it throws off, always baffled me.....and your explanation made me laugh out loud.
+1 like the explanation of the branding. I must confess, always find the idea of warming the car up totally then checking if there *was* enough oil in, whether that was a really dumb thing to have done, to be just a tad mad. I know there's an oil pressure sensor but still doesn't sit right with me. Always check mine when I put her away then the floor of the carcoon should tell me if it's still in there when I get her out again.
A tech at a Ferrari dealer just told me the exact thing a week ago - check the oil with the car running at idle. I've not done it this way yet - I'm a bit nervous to open the cap when the car is running but I'll try it this week sometime.
The tank shape in these cars is more pyramid shaped than cylindrical, the fill rate is not linier. Usually it is about 1.5 qts between min and max IF the tank is perfectly shaped and was not welded together right after lunch... where the wine flows freely. When it comes to Ferrari, the list of variables is Long and Impressive! The designers figured in time you would get used to oil spots on the floor but would surely notice if a gallon plus happened to be spread out. Ferrari's brand of logic... it takes some getting used to.
Heck, Ferrari themselves changed that recommendation with the 360's, and said you need to shut them off. That damn helix foamed so bad you couldnt get an accurate reading if it was running... most filled the intake manifolds with oil. On those, with the tank as part of the bellhousing, one qt moves the level a very small amount but the next qt puts it over full
There is no pressure in the tank so no big deal there... Get a good pair of mechanic gloves. The kind that fit tight and have a leather palm and front fingers. Have a rag ready so you can wipe off the dipstick. You don't know it now, but you will use curse words you never knew you had once you manage to drop some oil on the headers. But hey, it kills the mosquito's. BTW, be careful as the seal on the inside of the oil cap can come loose and slide down the stick. It is no big deal, but can be a surprise if you do not expect it....which can put more oil on the headers and create new curse words and more dead mosquito's.
I have the cap from Dave Helms and it fits tightly over the Ferrari oil cap and makes it easy to twist the cap off and does not transfer the heat to your hand. Can't check oil without it.
I can't recall the price from memory it was a few years ago, I do recall it being extremely affordable. You can get it in different finishes too, mine has the CF look and I keep it with the car in the glove box. If nobody else posts a pic of it before I get home later today I will snap a picture of it and post it.
If I even acknowledged that I knew what you were speaking about Carm, I would be Banned before I hit the reply button! Oh the games we must play to help folks. That said... what a clever idea, maybe I will make some in silver S-Glass and some in Carbon Fiber (not CF look), hypothetically, one day. I seem to remember even throwing a patent on something much like that a number of years ago.
See photo half way down this page: http://www.scuderiarampanteinnovations.com/progress.html Used to be available from Ricambi. Time to make another batch.
