Stupid Question Checking oil level !!!!

[nbut]

Hi, i've just bought a vauxhall HPC with a 6 speed box and caterham dry sump can anyone tell me how I check the oil level and also how best to refill, Sorry ive got no manual and never had a dry dump before 😬

 

Nick butler

[Foxy Smith]

From the Manual.

 

"Start the engine and with the engine running (re)check the oil level which should reach the top of the slave cylinder housing or the bottom of the ramp behind the clutch cover. Top up as necessary. The nominal capacity is 4 litres."

 

You will find the cover you need to remove on top of the bell housing, round like an old fashioned radiator cover. Also important to make sure car is on reasonably level ground whn doing this. If unsure always err on too much oil, the car will get rid of it by blowing it out into the catch tank which you will probably find behind your exhaust headers on the passenger footwell.

[nbut]

Thanks Foxy *cool*

 

Nick butler

[mark roberts]

You think thats a daft question. Why can't I see a dipstick (Dry sump in a k series)? Admittingly I was looking around in bad light but am I that much of a numpty I can't find it?

 

Mark

[Shaun_E]

Dry sump doesn't have a dipstick as such. On my recently purchased K series dry sump kit, the cap on the top of the swirl tower (on bellhousing) has a dipstick attached to it - this may be a recent addition though as I have read of people using bits of dowel, rulers, etc. Search techtalk for "Dry sump" and you should find some threads on how to check the oil level.

 

Yellow SL #32

[SteveP]

Plenty on this if you look in the archives, but FWIW I tend to ignore the dipstick that's in the cap on top of the swirl tower (the plastic indicator on the end of the dipstick is the same colour as the oil and makes it almost impossible to see especially if you've got a tank of fresh oil)

 

Following advice on here, I made up another dipstick from thin alloy bar (B&Q) long enough to go all the way to the bottom of the dry sump tank with marks on it at 9.5, 10 and 10.5 inches from the bottom. Run the engine, get the oil warm, switch off and immediately measure the oil depth - each engine will differ, but mine runs happily with a 10 to 10.5" depth of oil and none being thrown to the catch tank. Make sure you get the stick all the way to the bottom, there are one or two projections in the tank.

 

No point doing this on a cold engine or one that has been sat for a while as some oil with naturally drain back to the sump pan and give a false reading.

 

As for refilling, just pour oil into the tank via the swirl tower. If you do drain the oil, never refill the engine via the yellow screw cap in the cam cover - when you start there will be a delay before oil pressure is established (due to the fact that all the oil will be in the sump and it takes time for the scavenge pump to suck it all out) and no oil will be supplied to the engine = ouch ☹️

 

Hope this helps

 

 

SteveP

The Caterham Pages here

[mark roberts]

thanks guys.

 

Mark

[Sheds Moderator]

Don't do as I did after the car had been standing a while:

Went to garage, checked oil before starting. (dry sump)

Noted with some alarm that there was very little.

Poured in about 1.5 litres to get the right level in the tank.

Started engine.

Realised how stupid I'd been as all the oil that had been in the bottom of the engine returned to the tank and overflowed. ☹️

 

Yes, I did know how DSs worked before doing this, and I had read that DS scavenge pumps allow the oil in the tank to leak back to the sump when the engine is not running. 🙆🏻

 

Run the engine before panicking!

[mark roberts]

Not quite the numpty I thought. I have an older caterham dry sump where there is no dipstick which explains why I couldn't find the swirl tower along with dipstick. Thanks for all further tips.

 

Mark