Oil levels on the TR

No worries IMO for just rational street GT use -- as long as the oil that's entering the engine from the pump is clean and at the right pressure and temperature it doesn't know that the total volume held is 14 quarts and not 16. I actually run a few quarts low in the winter just to get it to heat up more quickly on my short commute (I'm resisting doing a project to add a thermostat valve to bypass the oil cooler, but it could use one). Look at a 300HP Mustang -- it's only got 5~6 quarts of oil total when it's full. The only reason for the big oil capacity is sustained use at very high power output to keep the oil temp in bounds. Just my 2 cents...

 

I am not sure that what you are suggesting makes sense. Firstly it depends on whether we are talking dry sump or wet sump. My understanding of the difference is that in the latter the oil always ends up in a catch tank, the sump, where a sperate pick up repumps it into the engine. That pick up must be immeresed at all times or the pressure will drop, cavitation may ensue and lubrication will cease until the flow is resored.

On the dry sump, the pump is recirculating the oil through a sealed system and requires a minimum level before which the pump will be sucking air. Leaving oil out of that system should not make much difference to pressure or temperature until the pump is sucking on nothing but air whereupon you get no pressure and high temps, even if momentarily. With that said, I think the oil aggregates in smaller pools around the system as opposed to being a solid flow (as the water in a swimming pool might filtration system might look in a diagram) so a reduction in oil quantity would quickly reduce those pools to the point that even centrigugal force would leave you without lubrication.

Aircraft engines are usually dry sump and oil levels below minimum spells potential disaster.

 

Big Red,
When you check the oil level are you letting your TR warm up to the factory recommended oil temperature? Correct temp should be around 145-158 degs. (see your owners manual) before checking. Once the car has reached this temp. turn engine off, take out the dip stick and check. I find that after 600 miles of normal driving (normal Ferrari driving) I have to add about 1/2 quart of oil. If you drive yours harder then may be more.

If the engine is cold then the oil level will be incorrect and you might add too much oil. If the oil is below the min line once the engine has reached the oil check temp then I would think you could damage the engine.

Good luck,
Jim

 

Don't go below the minimum mark. I have experienced even dry sump Ferrari's starve for oil in high G turns (freeway cloverleaf ramps) with a complete loss of oil pressure for a few seconds when they are not too much below the min. mark.

 

If you read the owners manual it says to check a few seconds AFTER turning off the motor. This is very important. It is a dry sump car and on many of them the return hose sprays the oil dipstick so an accurate reading is not possible with the motor running. Also note it does not say with the motor warmed up but with the oil warmed up, an important distinction. It takes much longer for the oil to warm than the water. Oil expands greatly and an accurate reading cannot take place until that expansion has taken place.
Ferrari put those max and min marks on there for a reason, don't second guess them, just follow their recommendations. Oil is cheap, motors are not.

 

Rick.... Your car is a dry sump engine. By doing just regular driving around and the occational high speed run will not damage the engine if you find the oil at the minuim mark on the stick. That is why it is stamped minimum. In other words Ferrari has determined that your car is safe to run at this level under normal driving conditions. If it drops a little below that mark it's not a big deal either. But if you pull the stick and it reads no oil then you may have a problem.

As far as checking the oil in your car,do as suggested in the owner manuel..engine at operating temp (usually I go by one cycle of the cooling fans..comming on then going off) You can shut the car down to check it,but I have been told my numerous Ferrari trained techs that the best and most accurate way to check the level is with the enigne running. They told me that Ferrari tells people to shut the eninge off before checking,due to saftey concerns for the client who bought the car. Ferrari does not want a law suit because some careless soul stuck his finger in a moving part.

In other words nothing to worry about. Just keep doing as you do and you will be just fine.

 

Actually that is not Ferrari policy, as I noted before on many, many Ferrari dry sump motors the return line sprays directly on the oil dip stick and on others it causes so much turbulance in the tank that a correct oil level reading is not possible. I too have been factory trained and with many years of experience and Ferrari was always adamant about it, check it with the motor off. On the 360 They were equally adamant about it, it is supposed to be checked with the motor running. It has nothing to do with liability, it is the method Ferrari dertermined was a repeatable accurate method for that particular oiling system when the car was designed.

 

what if you run at or above max - will that do any harm ??????

 

Someone (PO) over oiled my TR (not sure what levels they were at) but there was oil in the blow-by, intake runners and the air measurement plates. It wasn't pretty.

Less is more.
-Ben

 

but did it do any other damage besides cause a mess ?