Are 5 quarts of oil ok?

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verdesub
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Are 5 quarts of oil ok?

Post by verdesub »

Hello. This is my second post. I have done a lot of research and I have not found a tread with this topic. So, forgive me if it has already been disscused.

Would it be ok to go ahead and put 5 quarts of oilt instead of the 4.8 qt call for in the manual? My wagon is a 92 n/a at fwd 144,000 miles. Would it make a big difference in terms of overfilling. My engine does not use/burn any oil between oil changes.

Thanks in advance for your help!
1992 Subaru Legacy L Wagon AT N/A FWD 145,000 miles
Buffman
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Post by Buffman »

the extra .2 isn't going to hurt anything...
1992 Legacy LS Special Wagon..
ScottyS
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Post by ScottyS »

I always underfill by a tad. Blowing seals is easy to do, especially in an older car.
1991 SS build thread: http://bbs.legacycentral.org/viewtopic.php?t=40430
entirelyturbo
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Post by entirelyturbo »

I do put, and recommend putting, 5 quarts in. From what I've seen, the extra .2 quart accounts perfectly for the new oil filter.

I've changed my oil, put 5 quarts in, started the engine and let it run for a bit, then come back later to check the oil and found the level perfectly at the full mark on the dipstick.
"Der Wahnsinn ist nur eine schmale Brücke/die Ufer sind Vernunft und Trieb"

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codfizzle
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Post by codfizzle »

Just be careful not to overfill. I just put in 4.5 qts, start it, let it run a few minutes, turn it off, let it sit a few and then ad .2 qts. In my legacy, if I add the full 4.8 qts, the oil is slightly past the full line on the dipstick.

It is always better to be a tad low than too full. Too full will blow seals. A tad low won't do a damn thing.

When I worked for the Idaho Dept. of Lands, our state-issued mechanic, when changing the oil in our fire engines, would fill them with oil and round up to the nearest full quart. So if it needed 6.2 qts, he would just put in 7 and call it good. Then when you would run the damn thing, the oil pressure guage would be maxed out ALL THE TIME. And we would have to bring it back to him at least once per fire season so he could change the valve cover gaskets since they were blown to shit from WAY too much oil pressure. I guess it was his "job security" policy.

My point is this: keep your oil level right at the "full" mark on the dipstick. No more, no less, it's that simple. That's how it's designed to be. Don't follow the manual or anyone's numbers, just look at the dipstick.
92 LEGACY EJ22 WAGON
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