I know this has been covered, as I did my research before posting, but find this interesting. I just changed my oil in my 5.4 engine yesterday. After 7 quarts of Mobil 1 5w-20 were added it barely showed up on the dipstick. I drove the truck around a couple miles and rechecked, same thing - barely on the tip of the dipstick.

Per others advice and the owners manaul, I'll stick with just the 7 quarts. But it makes it harder in the future to guage if I need to add more oil when I don't have a reference point on the oil dipstick.

 

7 quarts of Motorcraft 5w 20 and a Motorcraft FL820S filter brings the oil level right up to the top of the checkered mark on my dipstick.

 

if your dipstick shows low, make sure the dipstick is insterted all they way in. if it still shows low, add more until it says there is enough. i dont care if you put 10 qts in there, if you are reading the dipstick correctly and it shows low, you must add more

 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Danger Will Robinson!!

Don't overfill your crankcase. If there is a flaw with your dipstick, then get a new one from your dealer. These are 2 piece dipsticks, and there is a posibility that you have a incorrectly manufactured one.

Go to a dealer, and just try another one in your motor first. Over filling is not a good idea. 7 quarts should be good enough. I'd go no more than 7 1/2 quarts if you're that worried.

 

like i said, if the dipstick it accurate and you are reading it correctly and it shows low, it is low. easy to accidentally count the quarts you added in.

 

Seven quarts is all it holds. How the hell are you going to count the quarts of oil incorrectly?

 

how can you count incorrectly? thats a strange question to ask. how can you trip and fall?

 

You trying to say you have difficulty counting to seven sometimes? get real

 

hahaha all im saying is accidents happen, im not going to argue on the probability

 

seems pretty simple, set the bottles down as you use them. count em when yer done. all b.s. aside you must have the wrong dipstick.

 

oooooooooooooh thats how you do it!!

 

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I would check with the dealer, for example, it's possible the engine doesn't have the correct dipstick.

Joe Maj

 

7 quarts on mine brings it up to about 1/8" below the top of the cross hatches. I'd compare yours to another truck if possible.

 

The dipstick on my '88 also read low, but there were bends built into the top of the dipstick that I was able to straighten out to lengthen it to where it read correctly. The current dipsticks have twists instead of bends at the top. Worst case scenario you pay the dealer for an oil change and then prove to them that the dipstick reads low, then ask them to make the dipstick read correctly (without overfilling the crankcase).

And my manual specifies 6 quarts, not 7. Did they change the pan for the 04-05 models?