Oil Level in SBC with accusump

[gritbox]

Hello All, This is my first post on this forum. Just brought myself a GTR with a 6.3 Lt Chevy. Now... I class myself as a fairly competent person mechanically, but I just cant seem to find a dipstick on the engine?? It has an "accusump" fitted.

How do I check the oil level?

Reason for the question is that when I first brought the car (2 weeks ago) the oil pressure gauge used to read a healthy 50+ psi. But yesterday I noticed that it was around 30 psi, and went even lower and tended to fluctuate between 20 and 50. Also the orange light (oil pressure?) comes on occasionally.

[canam-phil]

The dipstick should be poking around between the exhaust headers *generally on the nearside of the engine*

It should be pretty visible unless..

[thevet]

In my experience of SBCs and Ultima oil pressure lights, if you're seeing a yellow light then be very careful as I measured the oil pressure once and found the warning light came on at a very low level approx 5psi. Low oil pressure can obviously mean problems are brewing. Ask the vendor what his experience of the car and its oil pressure was. You can measure the oil pressure if you have a friendly mechanic plus tester kit, use the port where the oil/accusump sensor goes at the back of the block.

[steve_d]

As said the dipstick should be poking up between the exhaust headers. It comes out of the block a few inches forward of the oil filter and just above the sump gasket line. The dipstick tube is just a press fit into the block so may have come adrift and gone down the road. Get in there with a torch and see if you have a spare hole down there.

Oil light switches are commonly 2-5psi so if it come on with a performance engine things are not good. Your Accusump should have a pressure gauge on it so I would have a look at that for a pressure reading. If the Accusump has an electric valve on it which closes when the ignition is turned off then turn off with about 2000 revs then climb in the back to get a reading. Chevy engines seem to be a semi-loss oiling system so don't be surprised if you have used all the oil.

Is this a car we know on here?

Welcome to PH and Ultima ownership.

Steve

[gritbox]

Thanks for that Steve, I will have a look tonight. Still getting to know my way around the car.

The car was purchased from a seller near to Hinckley, it was (and still is) advertised on the classifieds. its the one with no picture...

I am hoping it is just low on oil and needs topping up, but I did notice last night on the way home from work, that when I was going downhill to a stop, the oil light came on again and pressure dropped right down to 5 psi!!! but then on acceleration it picked up and went to 40+

will see what I can find out.

[steve_d]

Yes that will be low oil level. As I said, don't be surprised if it gets through a fair bit as they all seem to.

Steve

[tuxman]

is the amber light not connected to the charging system ? my oil light is red when you turn the ignition on before starting your engine if you wait does the oil light go off ? accusump should discharge to oil the engine before starting . simon

[ditto]

This sounds more like crank problems than low oil leval
Keith

[ditto]

tuxman said:

is the amber light not connected to the charging system ? my oil light is red when you turn the ignition on before starting your engine if you wait does the oil light go off ? accusump should discharge to oil the engine before starting . simon

Simon, shouldnt your charging light be red?
Keith

[steve_d]

ditto said:

tuxman said:

is the amber light not connected to the charging system ? my oil light is red when you turn the ignition on before starting your engine if you wait does the oil light go off ? accusump should discharge to oil the engine before starting . simon

Simon, shouldnt your charging light be red?
Keith

I feel a 'Red Dwarf' moment coming on.
I agree Red=ignition/charge, Orange/amber=oil pressure.

On the point of the Accusump discharging...It can only discharge if it was charged in the first place so if there was little or no pressure when the engine was turned off then you get nothing on startup.
Sounds like he is driving it daily so it may just be out of oil.

Steve

[tuxman]

sorry guys got mine setup so if there is an oil pressure issue the red light comes on which means stop quick !!!!!! always thought the charge light was amber guess i could just swap the lights over ,sounds like there is a problem with the engine it must use alot if the accusump is empty as well thats an extra 5 pints !!!

[steve_d]

tuxman said:

sorry guys got mine setup so if there is an oil pressure issue the red light comes on which means stop quick !!!!!! always thought the charge light was amber guess i could just swap the lights over ,sounds like there is a problem with the engine it must use alot if the accusump is empty as well thats an extra 5 pints !!!

True but if there is no dipstick it could have been low long before he bought it.

Steve

[tuxman]

very true steve just seems odd there is no dipstick .....must be there somewhere ??????

[steve_d]

tuxman said:

very true steve just seems odd there is no dipstick .....must be there somewhere ??????

When I built my engine I had to get quite devious to get the damn tube to stay in the block. It's in there with Loctite now.

Steve

[scuff]

I agree with Steve_d. My GTR is Amber for oil pressure, it goes out on ingnition switch on and before starting the beast (provinding I wait a couple of secs, i.e. just after the accusump has discharged and pressurised the engine. Red is for the Alternator charge. When I lost the belts the red light came on, signifying that there was no charging. Amber stayed off.

Edited by scuff on Wednesday 28th March 19:41

[gritbox]

Gents, Thanks for all your advice. I found the dipstick it was "concealed" between the manifolds and head and as it was chromed I couldnt see it easily. Now, I did the oil check cold and found the oil was on the "low" mark of the dipstick. I spoke to the previous owner who told me the procedure to check the oil...start up idle for a min, turn off and dip oil. This resulted in 5mm on said dipstick. Filling it was a pain, had to take the rocker cover off (4 bolts) and fill like that. Oil pressure is now up high, so it must just have been low.

[steve_d]

Do the rocker covers not have vents in them?
Usually you just pull out one of those and fill there.

After filling did you run the engine again? I ask because your level had been low for a while and the Accusump would be empty. Now you have pressure again it will have filled up leaving a low level again in the sump.

Steve

[gritbox]

Steve, I didnt run the engine again as the car was in the garage and above is my nippers room (fast asleep ahhhh) but I will do tomorrow evening, then I will recheck level etc.

As for breathers, it has aeroquip connections on all outlets, and they are 90 degree type. I did think about taking that route...

Jez

[steve_d]

gritbox said:

...As for breathers, it has aeroquip connections on all outlets, and they are 90 degree type. I did think about taking that route...

Jez

Those 90 degree fittings probably just push into rubber grommets in the rocker covers. All you need do is pull one out and there is your filler hole.

Steve

[luckyp]

gritbox said:

Steve, I didnt run the engine again as the car was in the garage and above is my nippers room (fast asleep ahhhh) but I will do tomorrow evening, then I will recheck level etc.

As for breathers, it has aeroquip connections on all outlets, and they are 90 degree type. I did think about taking that route...

Jez

Hi Jez, welcome to the fold.

Watching this thread closely as I had oil issues that resulted in a sick engine last year.

I can just confirm Steve's thinking, there WILL be an easier way to fill the oil - those hoses will pull out of the covers.

Could be worse mind. I sold my Midtec Spyder to a girl who called me later to say:
"I'm getting on OK, but it takes an age to top up with oil"
Needless to say her nickname after that was 'Dipstick'!!

Keep postin'.......all the answers are here....

Good luck

Pete