83 Turbo: How much oil?

[lwasson]

On the restoration of the 83 we've got the engine all wired up CORRECTLY. Lucky the car didn't catch on fire from previous owners. Anyway, she is just about ready to fire up for the first time in over a year. There is no oil anywhere in the system. My question is how much oil should go into the engine to fill the sump, oil lines/cooler, etc? Should I leave one of the oil lines to the cooler off until oil drains out of the line?

We'll let the engine run for a while to do a leak check (hopefully there won't be any) then put the body back on. You never know I might get her to LOG after all.

Many thanks!
louis

'83 Turbo

[Dr.Hess]

Oil flows: pump -> cooler(s) -> filter -> gallery -> bearings and such. I would not leave the return oil hose off and wait for oil to show up. Assuming you have no way to pre-lube the system, what I do is leave the plugs out, put a little oil down each hole, and (having put the motor together with plenty of assembly lube) crank it until oil pressure comes up. Then put the plugs back in and go.

Assuming the G cars are not that much different than the S cars, add 5 quarts, start it up, stop it, let it sit a while, top off to full mark on the dip stick. About 6 quarts total.

Dr.Hess

[lotusguy]

Hi,

You can remove the oil pressure gauge tube from the take-off (reads directly from the main gallery) and connect a Mity-Vac w/ appropriate tube and such, and pump oil directly into the gallery, enough in fact to 'float' the crank. With the galleries full, you minimize the time for oil circulate and come up to pressure. Hope this helps... Jim'85TE

[lwasson]

Many thanks...I will use a vacuum pump to get the oil into the galleries.

louis
83 Turbo

[hilly]

What I did whan I rebuilt my engine (1981 S3) was once the engine was together, I put some oil in, took the timing belt off and drove the aux pulley with an electric drill until the cam towers filled up with oil. That way nothing moves internally until the oil ways are filled up.

You can't do this if the engine is in the car as you can't get at the end of the aux pulley.

Andy

[judgea]

Don't know if your specs. are different from my 87 HC turbo, but my owner's manual says 6.5 litres (6.8705 quarts) of motor oil if dry.

[lwasson]

Hey Jim

I pulled a vacuum on the oil pressure line tonight. All I got was bubbling noise inside the engine. No oil came thru the oil pressure tube. I put in 5 quarts (4.7liters)so I guess I need to put another few liters. Will oil be sucked into the tube indicating the galleries are full?

Thanks,
louis

83 Turbo

[lotusguy]

lwasson said:

Hey Jim I pulled a vacuum on the oil pressure line tonight. All I got was bubbling noise inside the engine. No oil came thru the oil pressure tube. I put in 5 quarts (4.7liters)so I guess I need to put another few liters. Will oil be sucked into the tube indicating the galleries are full? Thanks, louis 83 Turbo

Louis,

If you pull vacuum through the oil pressure line, all you're gonna get is sucking noises. This is because the oil settles in the sump as it's supposed to. It is drawn up through the pick-up tube by vacuum pressure from the oil pump and then sent to the galleries.

Since the pressure gauge take-off is on the top of the main gallery, applying negative pressure to it will only suck in air from the top of the sump.

Remember, it isn't really a closed system because of the crankcase ventilation system. This is where the air you're sucking enters the engine from the airbox via the hose and check valve, actually the reverse path that the crankcase fumes travel. They go to the airbox and then into the carbs (or throttle bodies on the EFI cars).

Measure your oil using the dipstick, if it's ok, and you're on level ground, you have sufficient oil in the sump already. Happy Motoring! ...Jim'85TE

PS I just read your post again and see that you got my earlier instructions confused. Not to worry, in communication, if the communicator (me) failed to properly convey the thought or idea, it is not the receiver's (you) fault. Frankly, I often assume too much when advising people, again, my fault.

I meant that you need to pump oil into the gallery from an external source, I use a Mity-Vac in reverse, which of course creates positive, not negative pressure. It's just what I use, but you could also use any kind of pump such as those hand pumps which come with gear lube and such, really anything which will pump a viscous fluid like motor oil. Sorry for the confusion... Jim'85TE

>> Edited by lotusguy on Thursday 5th August 07:40

[lwasson]

Hey Jim

Thanks for getting me straight. I would've sucked on the port on all night. I got a good laugh out it.

Keep your fingers crossed, tonight the night we light this bird.

louis

83 Turbo