Hello folks. I have what seems like an obvious question. I recently changed the oil in my 1984 E150 4.9 liter, six cylinder engine. The 1984 Ford Do It Yourself Service Guide states that it should take 5 quarts plus 1 quart of oil for the filter for a total of 6 quarts. I did this, buttoned everything up, ran the engine, checked for leaks. The next morning I checked the oil level and it was in the middle of the "safe" zone (see picture).

However, the 1984 Ford Truck Pre-Delivery, Lubrication, & Maintenance Manual states that the oil level should be between the "SAFE" and "O" marking on the dipstick. The "O" marking is about one quart higher, making the oil change then 6 quarts plus 1 quart for the filter for a total of 7 quarts.

Which is correct? Thank you.

 

Providing this is the original and correct dipstick, I would go by what the dipstick shows.

Remember; it takes a while for all the oil to drain back down to the pan , so a 5-10 minute wait or longer might just show a level closer to the full mark.

 

Hanky,

Thanks for the response. The dipstick has both the "SAFE" zone and "O" markings on it. I will try and find a better picture to post here. If you look at the rough picture I originally posted, you can see both markings.

I waited overnight before checking the oil after the initial 6 quart oil change (5 plus 1 for the filter).