When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
OK here we go.
So on the oil dipstick for a 103 engine you see the little dots that indicate oil level.
So the question is, how much oil does each dot represent?
On my dipstick I see aprox 20 dots from add qt mark to full mark.
Now beings that a quart = 32 oz it would seem that each dot would represent 1.6 oz. Does this sound reasonable? Does anybody know the"official Harley answer"?
The reason I am needing to know this is I want to check to see how much oil consumption my engine has with out having to add oil to bring it back to the full mark.
OK I know, I have thick skin, so let the flaming begin, but hopefully someone will be able to give accurate info.
No idea. With your explanation/theory it assumes that the end of the dipstick actually touches the bottom of the reservoir. So the tip or end equals zero.
I don't know how much oil is in there before it reaches the first dot
Yeah I filled it to one dot below the full mark hot and after 1500 miles it is now showing 4 dots below the full mark hot.
By my estimation that is 4.6 oz's in 1500 miles. Well with in normal specs.
And most of that probably is due to blow by into the air cleaner. I will watch now that the level is down a little from full, my bet would be that the oil consumption from this point on won't be as much because I would think that with the lower level not as much oil is going to blow into the air cleaner.
Last edited by Falcon195; Jun 16, 2013 at 02:35 PM.
No idea. With your explanation/theory it assumes that the end of the dipstick actually touches the bottom of the reservoir. So the tip or end equals zero.
I don't know how much oil is in there before it reaches the first dot
Well assuming the total capacity is 4 qts at least according to the manual.
I would think 3 qts or less would put it below the dots or the add 1 qt mark.
No idea. With your explanation/theory it assumes that the end of the dipstick actually touches the bottom of the reservoir. So the tip or end equals zero.
I don't know how much oil is in there before it reaches the first dot
I don't think you are understanding what he is saying.
To the OP, yes that would make sense, and i do agree that most of it went through the intake and did not get past the rings our anything else (as long as you don't have a leak, which I'm sure you would have noticed). I would not add any as of right now and see what the level does. It will either confirm what has been stated or it will alert you to a potential problem
If you really must know, the only way is to fill it to the add mark, then add one ounce at a time and see how the level climbs the stick. I can visualize several situations where the ounce/mark is not constant. The rate the level will rise per unit added will vary by the surface area of the reservoir and I have no idea what is submerged in oil and what is partially submerged in oil. If something is partially submerged when the level is at the add line and becomes totally submerged at a slightly higher level, the quantity needed to raise the oil level another dot becomes greater once that unit is submerged. One other way to look at it is to visualize a cube resting on one edge (you see a diamond shape when looking from the side.) Now add liquid. Very little will be needed to raise the level in that first little corner spot, but as the area becomes wider, each unit of liquid will raise the level less. Once the cube is past the halfway point, the remaining container becomes smaller again and each unit of liquid added change the level by an increasing amount.
We check oil level on the jiffy stand so we might have a cube that is similar to the one sitting on an edge. I have no idea if as oil is added, the level in the cube is in the area of increasing or decreasing size so again, the rise per unit of added oil may not be constant. Now, would you also like to know what time it is?
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.