'62 oil capacity

[William F.]

My '62 340 hp 327 has the original canister type oil filter. Is oil capacity with filter change 5 or 6 qts?Had always thought 5 but happened to look in original owners' manual and stated "6 qts with filter change." Is this correct?
Thanks
William Ford 50517

[Terry D.]

How many quarts did you put in at the last oil change? I always thought it was 5 also.

[Leif A.]

What does your oil pan look like? Pictured below is a four quart pan (left in picture) and a five quart pan (right in picture). All solid lifter engines received the 5 quart pan...6 quarts with the filter.
image.png

[David H.]

William

GM Archives (image below) lists oil capacity at 5 Quarts - 6 Quarts with Filter.

"DOT" refers to document revision January 1962

Dave

1962 Oil Capacity.png

[William F.]

Will look at pan.
Thanks

[Terry M.]

Some oil change 101 advice:

For your old-school 1962 when changing oil ALWAYS add the recommended amount (if in doubt, as in this case, add 5 quarts). after refilling oil, run engine at idle for a minute or two (it won't hurt if you are a quart low). Shut off and check for leaks. After another minute or two, check oil level and add oil as indicated by the dip stick.

In ancient times this is the routine I was taught and I spent over a couple of decades teaching it to my students. Now days oil is dispensed from automated systems from a drum, so the people doing oil changes are no longer dialed into manual oil changes.

Just for S&G the owners manual for my 1970 LT1 says it takes 5 quarts, including filter. It lies. It takes 6 quarts with the filter. I found out at the first oil change (500 miles) by using the above method. In fairness, early 1970 LT1s take 6 quarts. Later production 1970 LT1s took 5 quarts. Unless one is as deep into these cars as we are, one would never know.

This next new school full story is too long to detail here, but in short getting my oil changed on the C8 at a Chevrolet dealership almost became a major disaster because the "technician" didn't know there are two oil drain plugs and also didn't know that the oil level check is done with the engine warm and running. Oil changes are not what they used to be, and even "professionals" don't know. If the car has a dry sump oil system there are two drain plugs and oil is added to the reserve tank NOT the engine. The longer story is very funny, if you don't cry. If you want it all, email me. And for those in the know they did not hydro lock the engine, but it was close.

[Duke W.]

On a conventional wet sump engine, oil should be checked on a level surface, with the engine fully warmed up a few minutes after shutdown. Since gas station pump pads are usually dead level, a good time to check is is when you get gas.

The first thing to do is open the hood, pull the dipstick, wipe it clean and set it aside. This will allow oil in the tube to drain down, so you get a good reading. I always pay cash, so I have to go into the office to pay and then get change, and by that time a few minutes have passed, I replace the dipstick, pull it out and check the reading.

If you check after sitting overnight to several days on a flat garage floor the level will increase a quarter quart or more as additional oil drains down to the pan.

Despite dire warnings in owner's manuals about "overfilling the oil" racers back in the fifties and sixties before SCCA allowed dry sumps ran their engines a least a quart over to avoid oil starvation due to dynamic loading. It's only takes a few seconds to spin an oil starved bearing at 6000 RPM.

Every dry sump engine I know of, like flat-six Porsches going back the the earliest 911, the oil in the dry sump tank is checked with the engine fully warmed up and idling.

Duke

[Mark E.]

Duke,

Your gas station is in a better neighborhood than mine... anywhere in DFW I never leave the car unattended, keep my head on a swivel while pumping, pay at the pump, then immediately drive away.

[Terry M.]

.......

Every dry sump engine I know of, like flat-six Porsches going back the the earliest 911, the oil in the dry sump tank is checked with the engine fully warmed up and idling.

Duke

Duke
Allow me to introduce you to the C6 dry sump Z06 (and I suspect ZR1). Oil dip stick is in the reserve tank. Instructions are to check oil level after engine is at operating temperature and shut off for 10 minutes. I have tried it right after engine shut down and the reading is very different. I can't now remember different in what way.

Don't ask me to explain it. I think I understand what is happening, but I am just going to stick with what I am told. That is simpler.

I apologize for dragging this thread so far off topic.

[Larry E.]

Duke,

Your gas station is in a better neighborhood than mine... anywhere in DFW I never leave the car unattended, keep my head on a swivel while pumping, pay at the pump, then immediately drive away.

Mark: Just think if you had a EV Auto and would have to wait up to an hour for recharging!
Larry

[Duke W.]

Duke
Allow me to introduce you to the C6 dry sump Z06 (and I suspect ZR1). Oil dip stick is in the reserve tank. Instructions are to check oil level after engine is at operating temperature and shut off for 10 minutes. I have tried it right after engine shut down and the reading is very different. I can't now remember different in what way.

Don't ask me to explain it. I think I understand what is happening, but I am just going to stick with what I am told. That is simpler.

I apologize for dragging this thread so far off topic.

That's interesting because once the engine is shut off the scavenge pumps stop, so oil in the sump can no longer be pumped back into the supply tank, and I don't see how the tank level could increase after shutdown.

The best advice is to first follow the manufacturer's instructions unless you have incontrovertible evidence that there is a better way... OR buy a modern car, many of which don't even have conventional dipsticks - just an oil level indicator on the IP.

Duke

[Joe L.]

What does your oil pan look like? Pictured below is a four quart pan (left in picture) and a five quart pan (right in picture). All solid lifter engines received the 5 quart pan...6 quarts with the filter.
image.png

Leif-----


The oil pan you picture on the right of the photo is a 1963-74 for "6 quart" Corvette small block applications. It was not used for any 1962 Corvette applications.

The pan on the left is a C1 era Corvette oil pan. There were several slightly different oil pans used over the C1 period but I believe all were "6 Quart" (5+1).