Right people, I'd like to hear your thoughts on the lowest acceptable oil quantity in the oil tank of a 1983 Ironhead. Before you all scream, "Pull out the dipstick and look at it you effing moron", here is the oil tank in question, rated at 3 US quart capacity,


And here is the dipstick


I want to be able to mark the dipsticks upper and lower levels, so allowing for x amount of ounces in the motor, what's your opinion? Please show workings out .

 

There should be no oil in the motor at rest; but you know that...the stock tank on my 1974 XLCH is supposed to get 3 quarts at an oil change (just did yesterday) so...put 3 quarts in and see?

 

Yes, true, but there will always be some old oil knocking about in the lines.

I wanted to be able to mark the dipstick low and high so it was working out exactly how much oil in the tank is "low"

I'm going to add waste oil to the old oil tank from a measuring jug until it hits the bottom of the dipstick, then fill the new tank with the same amount of new oil and see where that leaves me.

 

You don't want to fill the tank to the top. Leave a couple inches of air space and see what that gets you. With a non-stock tank, you can't compare its volume to what was original. For the low level subtracting half a quart would be safe.

 

Cheers Joe, that's what I was hoping for, some one to give an approximate amount for low oil level to work from. Yep agree with you about the volumes, for all I know the new dipstick may or may not reach the oil at half a quart low. The tank is sold as having 3 quart capacity, but .

After 18 months of stripping, cleaning, buying parts, getting re-bores done, new pistons and rings, new valve seats, crank rebuilt, new mains, yadda yadda, I finally got to put the cases together the other day



I'll do a last mock up this week with everything fitted, then frame will be off to the powder coat man.

 

Put in 2 quarts mark that as low put in your 3 quarts and mark as full probably best after running the engine. Just a suggestion.