Oil level on early A4 in Triton

[Kemp]

working on issues for the spring and one of them from last year was the oil level on the dipstick of my old A4. It has marks 1-4 and the oil level (I was told) was supposed to be around 2 1/2 for the engines mounting angle. Last year we had one occasion where she leaked about 1/4 of a quart (guess) where from I am not sure. This was after I had filled it up to the number 3 mark since I was going to be out on a week long cruise. I think it came from the front seal since there was a small drop of oil present at that point. Closer inspection was dificult since I didn't have sufficient mirrors to look down there. Further motor sailing after adding a little more oil didn't present such a large spill but after motoring for five hours it needed about another 1/2 qt. So, she runs great for a 1961 but do I pull the engine based on this or wait and see if I get the same results in the spring?
Thanks

[Don Moyer]

Kemp,

My answer is in two parts:

1) With the advent of the late model engine, Universal got completely away from the idea of adjusting oil level dependant upon the angle of the engine. On your early model dip stick, the uppermost mark (there are usually 4) is equivalent to the "Full" mark on late model engines, so our recommendation is to keep your oil up to the uppermost mark on you dip stick.

2) Your second issue relates to oil consumption. In the face of your good performance, I don't consider 1/2 quart in 5 hours to be adequate reason for rebuilding an engine, unless your spark plugs are fouling every couple hours or so.

Don

[jhwelch]

Did you lose the 1/2 quart due to a leak? You use the word "spill"
in your posting but it's not clear in the second half of your message
if there was still a leak somewhere or if the 1/2 quart was burned up.

Due to the angle most engines are installed at I would think a leak
at the front seal would be unusual. I'd be more inclined to look
around the water pump; I had a very minor leak there for a while
until I was able to take the pump off and install a gasket properly.

[Kemp Dawson]

Don,
The loss of oil was from a leak but from where I don't know on the engine. Oil in the bilge isn't normal and I will keep an eye on it when we start up this spring. I have a absorbent mat under the engine to measure any leak and locate its position with the mat. Having taken care during the winterization I expect a good start up this spring and hopefully a continued smooth operation going out on the bay. The Atomic 4 is such a smooth running engine it's unique, and if I have to I will just replace or overhaul it.
Thanks,
Kemp

[Don Moyer]

Kemp,

Good plan. My guess is that the oil leak will not prove to be serious. The absorbent pad should help you to locate the leak. As John pointed out, with the engine slanting to the rear, oil from most leaks will tend to migrate to the rear of the engine and mistakenly appear to come from the rear seal. Wiping the engine down as much as possible in the spring will help locate the origin of the leak.

Don