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.

 

If anyone can say a dot on a dipstick equals x amount of oil and can prove it, they have my upmost respect.......

 

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 just wouldn't fill it to full or it may blow out of your TB

 

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.

 

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.

 

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?

 

Each dot is the equivalent of 8.561 ounces of Harley Syn3 oil.