1980 Ford F-150 300 4.9L 4x4 4sp, 49 state emissions mfgd 5/80.

I think the engine oil/filter capacity is supposed to be 6 qts. with the filter.

My question is did Ford ever equip any 1980 F-150's with 4.9L 300 or any 300" six to hold more that six qts?
I have evacuated and measured 7 1/4 qts of oil from my "NEW TO ME" 1980 Ford F-150 300 cu. in. six, 4x4, 156,000 miles, PS, PB, gauges and tach, 4sp manual, 49 state emissions, dual tanks and no other options. The dipstick was reading one qt low (E0TE 6750 EB, correct dipstick I think?) yet it had 7 1/4 qts of oil, measured one qt. low and of course blowing oil everywhere and out the dipstick tube. The dipstick tube is mounted on the side of the oil pan, not block mounted. Today I changed the oil and filter and marked the dipstick at the five qt. level and six qt. level so I have future point of reference. The dipstick tube does not seem to have been modified. I'm at a loss to figure this out.

What the heck could be going on with this motor, oil pan, dipstick combination? I plan to run it with six qts. going forward but it would be nice to determine what I have and what dipstick is appropriate for my application. Something weird going on with this 34 year old truck. Your expert feedback is welcomed.

 

I agree that you have the right dip stick as that's what my parts catalog shows. And there was only one pan for 80-82. But in 83 the pan changed, although I don't know what changed other than it took a one-piece gasket.

So, I have no idea why your dipstick is reading that way.

 

Silly question. How long is the dipstick tube? Look anything like this? Or is much longer?



That is the 300 I just pulled out of my 1980 F150, built 1/80. Kinda hard to see in that photo, but the dipstick handle is just barely higher than the top of the lifter cover.

 

Rogue_Wulff, Thanks for the responses and the pic of your engine. I do believe my dipstick height is close yours. My dipstick tube is very close to the top of the lifter cover but much more straight up and is not curved forward nearly as much as in the pic. Maybe that is what my problem is? Makes it kind of a bear to get to since my truck is a 4x4. I suppose it's possible that my engine has a non-original pan? Any suggestions how do I figure out the correct dipstick? Guess I'll rely on my marked up dipstick until I can figure this out.

This part is confusing. The smog air pump on my engine is mounted on the passenger side of the engine above the alternator while yours seems to be mounted on the driver's side above the PS pump? I guess there are more variations in these 300's than I thought. My truck does not have factory AC. Is there a chance that your truck is equipped with factory AC and that may explain the differences?

 

I would go to the salvage and see if I could find another dipstick to try. And, how about measuring your dipstick, say from the bottom tip to where it hits the tube coming from the pan, and post it here. Then maybe RW can check that against his?

 

Yeah, that one was a bit of reach too..... And my truck is just 2wd.
As for curving forward, it's kinda loose at the pan, and spent most of it's time resting against the oil filter. I think it was supposed to curve out, away from the block, but likes to turn on it's own.

A shorter tube should have made it read higher than normal, not lower, unless the pan is a deeper sump. If so, I hope the pickup tube for oil pump is matched with the pan, or there could be some oil left in the pan that cannot be sucked up by the pump.

 

Please note I edited post #4 to make some corrections. I can only blame advanced age and failing eyesight?

I took some dimensions, keeping in mind failing eyesight and advanced age some of these are relative since it is difficult to establish an absolute reference, especially on the curved dipstick tube!

Here are the stock E0TE 6750 EB dipstick dimensions:

Overall length from tip to top of the round finger hole to tip: 22 3/8"
Length from bottom of ferrell to tip 18 3/4"
Length from top of ferrell to tip 19 1/2"
Dimension from tip to ADD line 7/8"
Dimension from tip to top of SAFE range 1 25/32"

Other dimensions

Approximate length of the curved dipstick tube from top to bottom point at which it enters the pan: 14.5"

Dimension from top of the dipstick tube to the bottom of the oil pan, this is a straight line measurement not really taking into account the curvature of the dipstick tube : 20.5"

Depth of oil pan from bottom of mating flange to bottom of pan: 9"

It is important to remember the dipstick tube enters the pan at an angle approximately 15 degrees off vertical and thus causes the dipstick to enter the sump at an angle instead of vertical. This makes rationalizing these dimensions difficult for me when trying to determine relative oil level?

I did pick up a E2TE 6750 JA dipstick from a 1982 300" 4x4 Ford from the junkyard. It was about two inches longer that my stock dipstick and the ADD and SAFE marks would have my engine significantly UNDERFILLED by several quarts.

The conundrum continues. Any advice is welcomed.

I will continue to rely on my marked up dipstick until I get this figured out.

 

RW's engine should be a perfect check for yours as it is also an '80.

As for the measurements, well done. Looks like ones I would have taken.

 

This is a common issue, with dozens of similar experiences (V8 & 6cyl) coming up in searches.

I had the same problem with my truck when I bought it - 6 quarts measured into the engine, showed as 1/2" low on the dipstick, even though the part #'s stamped on both the pan, & dipstick, were correct for the engine.

From that point on, I just relied on the measured volume (6 quarts) of oil, to be correct.

 

My 351W takes just over 7 quarts. Fill the filter full and probably 6.5 quarts in the pan before it reaches the full mark. My owners manual states it should be 6 quarts for everything. All of my parts are stock. My owners manual also states the 6 cylinder oil capacities for 1986, and it's 6 quarts.

 

Ken Blythen, thanks for the info. Apparently this is a relatively common Ford problem? I wonder how many Fords are running around with improper oil levels due to this issue? I probably never will figure out where or what is causing the indicated oil level measurement? Guess I'll live with my marked dipstick. Correcting the oil level seems to have solved my oil leakage issues. Maybe I lucked out and the main seals are ok. Time will tell?

 

I wouldn't worry about over filling it a little. By the time the engine is running more than half of the oil is in the engine most of the time. Not the pan. I know on a typical V8 with a 5 quart oil pan 3 quarts are in the engine on average and only 2 left in the pan. I guess about the same amount of oil should be in an inline 6.

 

My truck has dealer installed A/C. As such, the air pump was relocated to make room the the A/C compressor to sit above the alt.
Since it is an early production 80, I suspect the engine brackets were from the previous generation trucks, aside from the PS. That was the only belt I could buy, from having it looked up. The rest I had to measure in order to get the right size. After that first ordeal, I kept the belt numbers written down......

 

Using the SEARCH feature, I found a similar thread from 2012. In it, I described how I custom calibrated the dip stick for my truck.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...e-help-me.html

Easy and once done, you can see what the actual level is.

Glad it sounds like you have straightend this out! Good job!