Okay I have searched on here and Google for a good while and done lots of reading. I just changed my oil and the truck took exactly 15 quarts to hit the "full" on the dip stick. I drained hot old oil for at least an hour. Refilled the new filter with exactly 1 quart and then put 12 quarts in. Started truck for 5 min then shut down and let sit for 20 min. Checked and was exactly 2 quarts low based on dipstick reading. I filled with 2 more to read full.

From what I have read or can find is that the OBS powerstroke is 14 quarts at change correct?

Should I have filled to 14 and just remarked my stick or filled to the 15 so that it reads "full"

I would assume fill the 14 and remark the stick but I can't actually find any Ford document that says 14 quarts. My truck did not have a manual when I got it.

Wanting to see what everyone's thoughts are and just don't want to damage any thing by putting that extra quart in if it isn't necessary.

 

its 3 and a half gallons if i remember right. duno how many qt's that is.

The system, IIRC, holds more than you change with a standard oil change.

Did you have a long crank on start up after draining for an hour?

 

four quarts to a gallon, so 3-1/2 gallons would be 14. My manual says 14 with filter change, but I just bought it and haven't changed it yet. Seems like I've read 15 on several forums, so I'm interested to hear an answer.

Oh, and adding a quart to the filter? I wouldn't have thought of that. Your oil change procedure is a lot more elaborate that I've ever used!

 

There is pro's and cons to adding oil to the filter.

If you add it ot the filter its not filtered...
Cause its being poured in.

Chance to have issue?
really small.

If you load up a dry filter, you have to fill that filter with oil before the system will pressurize and operate properly.

I dont usually fill mine up full, but I usually get it atleast half full. Otherwise it will take the LPOP a while to build pressure to the system and you might have a hard start scenerreo because you starved the HPOP.

 

I did not have a long crank issue on start up, in fact I was kind of surprised how fast it did start.

 

I wouldn't worry then i guess.

 

Always fill your filter as full as possible, no reason to filter new oil. Motor should fire just as it would if you didn't do a filter change. 14-15 qts on a standard filter, larger filters will take a couple more.

 

Does not apply. That applies to the fuel filter, because station fuel is presumed to be unfiltered. That's the purpose of a fuel filter. The purpose of an oil filter is to filter out contaminants created by engine operation. Oil from the bottle is presumed to be clean; after all, when you fill the engine on an oil change, it's going right through the passenger-side head. Think of an OHC engine; as you fill the crankcase, the oil is going all over the camshaft before it gets to the pan. That's a lot more than what's in the filter.

 

Presumed is the key word.

Like i said, some think that way.
I do not, I fill that sucker up.

There are actually tons of vehicles now where you cannot put oil in the filter cause they fit horizontally.
But with as big as this filter is, i'd fill it at least half way.

 

Evidently they don't realize they're putting "unfiltered" oil directly on internal engine components when they add oil via the fill cap on the valve cover.....

My Saturn is that way. I can fill the filter about halfway, and only spill about an ounce if I install it quickly.

Back to the capacity question, the PO of one of our trucks alway maintained the truck via the dealership. Somewhere along the line they wrote "OIL CHG 14 QT" in "junkyard yellow pen" on the core support header. I'm thinking they did NOT pre-fill the filter, because I always get about 15 quarts in.

 

You would think with that method after running the engine they would see that it is a quart low. I am thinking some trucks are different because my uncle has a 97 and owned it since new and he told me 14 but I don't know where that registers on his dipstick. One would think that getting the full amount correct on the stick would not be a tough task for Ford.

 

On both my 97's I get 14.5qts in. If the hpop res and oil rails are drained for work I get a full 4 gallons in.

 

Thought to remember. The full line is a maximum fill line. There is a minimum full line as well....which is the add oil mark. As long as the level in between these two marks you are safe. Being exact is not always required just wanted for most. I don't add oil until it is on the add mark. So if it is a little low when changed it won't cause any problems. I've changed oil on many vehicles and some don't top off til the half quart amount. If changing for someone else it will be on full mark but for myself if it is between marks I'm not going to let it bother me unless maybe I'm heading out on a long run.

 

Very true. Sometimes it is easy to get wound up over 1 qt. I know in my little mazda 1.5 liter motor a quart is a big deal because that is 25% of its capacity, but in the 7.3 that is only 6.67% based off 15qts. So not really a big deal.
I definitely wouldn't remark the dipstick, either fill up to the full mark or be content with it being within the operating spec.


Mine usually takes 14.5qts. and that puts it about a 1/8 to 1/4 inch before the full mark.

 

Just to add a data point after changing mine for the first time, I filled the new oil filter for installation, which took a little over a quart. Including what I added to the filter I put in a total of 14 quarts and it's dead center of the approved fill marks on the stick. I did not empty the HPOP or anything else.