Another Lesson Learned...

They could always look at the one sitting in the Space Museum in D.C. it's pretty awesome. Of course it may be closed for a while.

 

Chris,

I have been running 11-12 quarts in my 75 308 GT4 for 20 years. I add the extra oil to compensate for the low amount in the sump when operating, and never had a problem. I do drain it out for a long time, and get out about what i put in as I sometimes pour it back into the large oil containers to recycle. I know too much oil is bad but with the filter and all the lines and oil galleries and radiator never thought I was using to much?

The correct way to check the oil on my car is turn it off wait a few minutes and check it. Even with 11 quarts its right at the top limit. I change it so often it is clear but still easy to see the line, I have to hold it under my magnifier sometimes as it is so clear. What kind of filter and oil are you using I am using a Baldwin (of course) and the Valvoline 20/50 VR1. I used castrol for years until they took out the zinc....I looked at the Brad Penn but its half syn and my car leaked very bad on syn but no leaks at all with the mineral oil. My car burns very little to no oil. When hot I do see variations in the oil gauge. When I had a leak in my oil radiator It made little jumps even at idle... Glad your car is OK. I wanted to go but finishing up on my steering rack adventure
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Well,

Cars have changed. They don't need daily checking. I looked all over for the trans fluid dipstick on my 2010 Toyo Taco, and the dealer finally told me when i called, that there wasn't one. The autotrans evidently doesn't need servicing until you get to 50K miles, or so.

Unless i see a leak, there is no need to check the oil
on the Taco every month, the level doesn't change over 3K miles.

Your grandfather, and me, know how to rebuild an older car on the side of the road, set point gap with a match stick cover, set pinion gear backlash with a piece of paper, and scrape copper flash off the mica from a problem starter or generator commutator if necessary.

Doug

 

This reminds me of last year's "Salon de l'Automobile" in Paris, in September. I was on the Ferrari stand looking at the new F12's V-12, and the thought that went through my mind was "where is the dipstick?".
Because, this engine may be reputed to be powerful and efficient, etc, but you actually don't see much of it. Everything is encased so you see a lot of plastic covers, carbon covers, etc with "Ferrari" stamped on it, but you don't see any mechanical part from the actual engine itself. Very frustrating when you like to look at an engine as I do; times have changed...

Rgds

 

Chris, Best of France and Italy is on Nov. 3rd

 

My car is a 328 GTS my 1988, and this is the dipstick:
can you say to me if it's the correct one? I think yes, but it's better to be sure...
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Grandfather!?! Everyone who drove had to know. I remember the family car vapor locking on my mother at a stoplight in rush hour traffic, her dashing into a corner store, returning with an ice cold 10 oz glass bottle of Pepsi, pouring it over the fuel pump/lines and continuing on the next green light. (It was a tramatic experience for me: I had hardly even tasted Pepsi and she was "wasting" it on a car!)

 

Don't have both of my cars at hand right now, but it looks absolutely identical to the ones on my '89 cars. The bottom part with the seven holes is indeed identical.

Rgds

 

Many thanks!

 

Thanks for the measurement 65cm if I read that right to the bottom of the T-handle. I will keep track of model,year,length then post a chart for all.

 

Yes, 650 mm, 1 mm more or less

 

My 2 cents. Once I have the oil at the correct level I let it sit all night. I then checked the level in the morning and added a cold oil mark with a file on the dip stick. Now all I have to do is check it before I take the car out.
This wasn't done with just one check, I tested this method a few times bedore I made the mark on the dip stick more permanent. I'm not 100% sure this idea isn't flawed in some way but it has seemed to work for many years.......

 

I just changed my oil & it was VERY tough to see. and I get oil climbing up one side of the dipstick. 9 qts & she looked ok. Put some miles on her & it's way easier. I check her after every long drive. But then she doesn't burn any oil and she gets a change every 3K miles.

My wife's MB doesn't come with a dipstick. the Dealer says I have to order a "Tool" at $150. The sensor just tells you "OIL LEVEL OK". I have yet to test it if it's a quart shy or over.

 

What's also interesting about your example is that your mother had to use Pepsi. She would have never found a bottle of water in a store back then. Certainly not a cold one, but maybe a gallon of distilled water somewhere in the store.

 

Chris,
Glad to hear all is well with you and the car.
I wondered what happened to you.
I own the 328 parked across from you at the hotel.
Sorry you missed the show, i posted pics in the VAFB thread.
Look forward to seeing you there next year, or hopefully sooner!

 

Along the lines of low IQ and not knowing how to check one's oil. I am curious to know what procedure you use to check the oil. I have heard different recommendations on how to check the oil in a 308.

The shop manual says: Every 500 km. check oil level. Effect this operation with warm engine just after its stopping thus avoiding that radiator oil discharges into the sump.

This makes sense to me and I have been following. I have been planning on making a cold oil mark as well.

I have been told at least once by a respected Ferrari mechanic with 308 experience to check the oil when the car is cold.

My process is: If the car is cold, start it, let it build to full pressure and run for 15 to 30 seconds at a minimum. Shut it down and wait about a minute, assuming the oil needs to drain down from the top end but not the oil cooler, and then check it.

Curious, what procedure to others follow? Have any 308 owners drilled holes in their dip stick?

 

It seems like a neat idea to put a cold mark on the dipstick but ofcourse that assumes you have the correct procedure for checking it warm and have the correct amount of oil in to begin with. I believe the manual tells me to warm the engine then allow it to cool down 15 minutes then check the level. Once I have the correct level the cold mark will go on. Also, I like the holes and will be adding those to mine as I too find it difficult under poor lighting to determine where the level is with clean oil.

 

This

 

There is a hose there also where the oil separator goes to the crankcase. Did you check to see if the dipstick tube nut was tight this is one of the hardest nuts to get to and possibly could be loose allowing the overfill to leak out. This seems logical to me the smoke was not coming from inside your exhaust but hot oil burning off? To hot to drive today! HAAA

 

Sorry I could not make it Mike. And especially sorry I could have seen Chris and his wife again. It has been years guys! I will try for the Nov 3 BOF&I
Bob