How many quarts of oil? 5 or 6?

[9646gt]

My 03 Explorer with the 4.6 calls for 6 quarts of oil. But my 01 GT calls for 5 quarts. Wasn't there a revision somewhere that updated the requirements to 6 quarts or something? How many do you guys run? Maybe my explorer just has a larger pan or something?

 

[flstang65]

5 qts. The truck based 4.6's get a bigger pan.

 

[streethorse]

Mine likes a six pack.

 

[Stangdriver13]

5.5 is what I put in

 

[squeak93]

My 04 too about 5.5, my 98 with the o3 motor (98 pan) takes 6.

 

[CobraRed_96_GT]

mine take 6. I'll be soon using close to 7 with stock pan.

 

[timeless2]

6 here.

 

[tank_567]

6 no more, no less also the change it from 5w30 to 5w20

 

[bdcardinal]

i always tell people that come in to the dealer to buy 6 quarts, add 5 and check. if it needs 6, add the last one, if it takes 5, you have an extra quart.

 

[urban96]

5.5 reads full

 

[jivepepper]

I run almost 7 in mine. Still well below the crank scrapper and far below the top of the oil pan. After 2001 ford started calling for 6 instead of 5. The pans never changed size just the dipstick reading. I have a 2000 pan with an 02 dipstick.

This is what a manual that came with a 2002 GT says.

SVTP has a great thread where a user pulled the pan and showed capacities in the pan. 7 quarts in pan still had the scapers above the oil level. plus there is never a full 7 quarts in the pan.

Stock 4.6 pan below.

2.5 Quarts

3 Quarts

4 Quarts

6 Quarts

7 Quarts

9 Quarts

 

[CobraRed_96_GT]

At idle your like 3 quarts down anyways

 

[9646gt]

Awesome replies I will prob run 6 quarts. Wanted to try castrol edge but it was 34 bucks for 5 quarts where mobil 1 syn was only 26.

 

[timeless2]

Moved to 4.6 Tech on account of post #11. Nice photos.

 

[Mustang5L5]

My '03 took 6


I used 5w-30 and not 5w-20

 

[4tun8]

My 97 took 6.5 last change, I have no idea why. It was the first oil change I had with it. I'm not sure on the motor's background though either it was a junk yard motor that we put heads/cams on.

 

[BurningRubber]

Now I am going to start using 6 quarts at each change...

I usually run 5.25 to 5.5 at the most as per reccomendation of the owners manual.

I'm kind of baffled that I havn't spun a bearing yet, the way that I drive and technically being a quart down.

 

[JayC]

7 here's why....... quote from a Ford R&D Tech......


"When at Ford, we ran with clear pans, windowed front covers and cam covers. The oil under high rpms gets slowed in the heads, the front cover and the front of the oil pan.
As the chain drives the cam system, the oil is trying to get down thru the cover area. Also the area around the front of the pan shares space with the oil pump and pickup tube. Oil is tryig to get back to the pan and everything is in the way.

The drain back holes are the same between 2v, 3v and 4v.

Ford conducts a WOT test for 100's of hours.

On the street you don't see consistent 6,500+ runs. On the track, I suggest you add 1 qt. Adding 1 qt does not over fill the pan to the point that the crank or rods run thru it. When at idle, you're 2 qts low anyways."

 

[playboyroy]

It sounds like this debate has been going on for a while. A lot of the mustang forums have the same debate.

I just had the same question for my 98 gt. I bought my 98 GT last fall, when i checked the oil it was barely touching the dipstick. So I added a 1/2 quart to be safe.

Then I went to an quick oil change place. All their material said 5.0 quarts like the owners manual. But I still had them a little more to be safe.

so this Friday, I went to a Ford Quicklane to get my oil change. They had the same problem. They put 5 quarts and was barely touching the dipstick. I questioned them about it and they said all their material said 5.0 quarts.

I called back after reading that a 97 gt uses 6.0 quarts. I spoke to Service Manager and he looked into it that a 98 gt uses 5 quarts. They stated that I might have a wrong dipstick. $29 for a new one.

So I call another Ford dealership, that service manager told me 6.0 quarts but then looked into. He said that all his material said 5.0 for 98 gt. Recommended to add a little to be safe.

I just can't believe that no one could answer this question. Is there a Ford Tech/Rep that can answer the question to kill this debate???

 

[9646gt]

humm...so what I gathered from this is to run 6 on the street and 7 for tracking and then I guess I need to drain the extra quart? Or is it safe to simply run 7 all the time.?