Franklin 165 Oil Capacity

D

dtreid

New member
I just dumped the old oil out of my Fanklin 165. I did not drain the oil cooler.
How much oil should I expect to put back in? The mark on the dipstick which I'm assuming is full is reached after 6 quarts. I'm assuming that the oil cooler holds about a quart, but that still puts me short of the book value.
 
Are those imperial qts? Sure you totally emptied the sump? There has been a lot of discussion here and on the Stinson Yahoo group regarding whether oil level should be measured with the dipstick screwed in or resting on top of the threads. The Franklin manual for the 220 and(6A – 350) says it should be measured unscrewed. The 6A4-150/165 manual is silent on that subject. So, measure it at your next oil change and decide for yourself. Interesting in that the 165 engine specifies .8 quarts greater than the 150, but they both use the same oil pan. It also depends on whether the airplane is sitting on its tail or is a tri gear. Also there are two different dipsticks. So, just think of all the mysteries you get to figure out! :)
It's half the fun of owning these planes!
Oh, there are also two different locations for the sump drain. More to think about!
 
Those are 946ml quarts. I left the sump drain open over night so I'm sure it's empty.
I measured in 7 quarts and I can see now that the mark on the dipstick that I was assuming meant full was in fact 6 quarts. There are no quart measurements on the dipstick like the manual says it should have, so I'm assuming it's not the one it's meant to be.
 
As a reminder, from earlier posts, it is not wise to put more than 7.5 qts in the oil pan of the Franklin 150/165. At that point the oil contacts the starter ring. In cold wx the gear will pick up the oil and throw it out the crankcase vent.
Dan
 
OK..Larry L said it.

There are two different dipsticks.

So: Calibrate Yours !

there is no difference in the 150 and 165. Same engine..different
cam, valves , springs . Oil is the same.

-------------
Measure with Dipstick NOT screwed in..because I said so,
and you'll prove it below:

1. drain oil just like you did.
2. add 4 quarts of oil..wait 5 minutes.
Measure...being very carefull not to get oil on dipstick while
inserting the dipstick.

Note the level..because if you ever see this again you'll know
you really screwed up.

3. add 2 more quarts. wait 5 minutes.
Carefully insert and measure..(wipe clean first)

You should read 6 quarts... maybe a 1/2 quart higher because the oil galleries are dry.

If you are NOT ..then you have the wrong dipstick.
Make a File Mark...because this is your Low Oil Mark..you don't want to
fly with less ( IMHO).

4. Add qt # 7. repeat as above.

As dan said..this is your normal Full Mark Make 2 file marks
if this isn't midway between 6 and 8 on your dip stick.

5. Find another dipstick from a donor engine..asap..
and check that.

....
Clearly, if you screw in the dipstick you are reading a quart or more that isn't there. Since our engines are oil cooled as much as they are aircooled, this isn't good. Being down to 5 qts when you thin youre at 6..really not good.

===

Don't feel bad..I just ran through the above, because I wanted to KNOW
what my dipstick was telling me.

Besides confirming that unscrewed gave correct measurements, in my case, I learned how easy it is to smear the stick which gets you crap for a reading.

Put your fingers over the hole and guide the stick in..and voila..
 
DTREID,
I have attached a picture of the oil dip stick showing the graduations adjacent to a tape measure. Regarding calibrating, I'd do it a little different than Blimpy. See everyone has an opinion.
I'd put in 5 qts and run the engine for a few minutes to distribute the oil. It won't hurt it to idle for a few minutes, just make sure you see oil pressure. I would then shut it down and measure the oil level. If 5 makes you nervous, than do 6. Do it again as you add oil to whatever level you desire ( 6 qt or 7 and/or 8). If you have an oil filter and or drained the oil cooler it will impact what level you will see.
Personally, I don't drain my oil cooler or refill my oil filter prior to when I change it. Some do so, you get to choose.

BTW, I saw in the 6A350 (220 hp) manual that the oil level is to be measured with the dip stick UNscrewed from the case. Nothing about that in the 150/165 manuals.

Regardless, just be consistent on measuring after you "calibrate" your dip stick.

The difference that I have seen between dip sticks is the length of the exterior part (sticking out of the engine case). I haven't seen a dip stick with graduations greater than 8 qts, though the 165 manual lists 8.8 qts (using the same sump as the 150). Maybe someone else has? Also attached a picture of the different dip sticks. You may have to double click the pictures to see the detail
 
Though the operator manual for the later 335/350 engine states that some engines might have the threaded dipstick in the traditional 150/165 position, I have never seen that. All the later engines had a dipstick inside a funneled tube assembly that must be fully inserted to get an accurate reading. This was directly behind #1 cylinder.
Dan
 
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