Can Too Much Oil Damage Your Motor?, Mechanic Added Too Much Options

[windforfun]

Ran it for about 1 hr prior to draining excess oil. The motor is a "73 1.7. Thanks.

[emerygt350]

I do notice some different behavior as far as oil temp and pressure depending on filter. I mean, it is the most critical health component of these engines so a little attention here goes a long way for longevity, Particularly when you race it.

[Superhawk996]

I do notice some different behavior as far as oil temp and pressure depending on filter. I mean, it is the most critical health component of these engines so a little attention here goes a long way for longevity, Particularly when you race it.

I was being playful but realize my flippant response may have come across as me being an (IMG:style_emoticons/default/bootyshake.gif) clown.

We can do a whole dissertation on Tribology. There are engineers that do only Tribology for their whole career.

Here's the thing. Keep you oil & filter changed regularly (let's just go with the old 3,000 miles myth) on an air cooled engine and life will be good - generally speaking.

On temperature -- temperature and viscosity go hand in hand. Use multi viscosity oil to help offset the effect.

To dig deeper, an oil filter really does nothing for you w.r.t racing. It will catch chunks -- that's about it. If you're seriously taxing your oil, change it every race if need be. The most important thing that you can do for any engine is to have the bearing clearances set properly when the engine is built - race engine or otherwise. Here's the thing about pro racing, the engine only needs to last one race.

With respect to filter size -- fill oil, start car, shut down car, let sit a couple minutes, then recheck oil level. Once the oil filter has filled with oil, and you recheck the oil level, the size of the filter become irrelevant. It could be 1 pint, or 1 gallon, you would accommodate the volume lost from the sump to the filter on the recheck.

With respect to oil pressure loss across various filter brands -- Yup - it's true. Lower filtration efficiency = lower pressure loss (generally speaking).

We could go on about oil & all the nuances. That is what I was joking about.

But the bottom line is -- don't make this too hard. Fill with oil (to mark on dipstick), go drive (IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving.gif)

And to address OP question on over fill . . . . if it is overfilled, drain some. You did the right thing (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smilie_pokal.gif) Yet another good reason to do maintenance yourself . . . the world if full of dopes (IMG:style_emoticons/default/slap.gif) . . .. including me.

[bbrock]

Here's the thing. Keep you oil & filter changed regularly (let's just go with the old 3,000 miles myth) on an air cooled engine and life will be good - generally speaking.

Can you elaborate on this? I'm getting ready to do my first 3,000 mile oil change since rebuild which will happen regardless of answers here, but have been contemplating oil change intervals. Porsche recommended 5,000 mile oil changes with 50 year old single weight oil formulations. What's the rationale for shorter oil changes? More interesting, let's hear the myth busting. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/happy11.gif) My owner's manual says, "Under normal driving conditions it is unnecessary and uneconomical to change oil at intervals shorter than is described in the Service-Schedule of the Maintenance Record." And oil has advanced significantly over the 50 years since that was written.

[Big Len]

Here's the thing. Keep you oil & filter changed regularly (let's just go with the old 3,000 miles myth) on an air cooled engine and life will be good - generally speaking.

Can you elaborate on this? I'm getting ready to do my first 3,000 mile oil change since rebuild which will happen regardless of answers here, but have been contemplating oil change intervals. Porsche recommended 5,000 mile oil changes with 50 year old single weight oil formulations. What's the rationale for shorter oil changes? More interesting, let's hear the myth busting. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/happy11.gif) My owner's manual says, "Under normal driving conditions it is unnecessary and uneconomical to change oil at intervals shorter than is described in the Service-Schedule of the Maintenance Record." And oil has advanced significantly over the 50 years since that was written.

Lots of different opinions when it comes to oil.
My own is running synthetic is fine if you're using the car in cold winter. Syn flows better in cold than conventional, but since the molecules are smaller, they may get past older seals, hence the leaking comments.
If your only running the car during the typical driving months like I do, then conventional VR-1 20W-50 is fine.
My personal tip is once all the oil is drained out, I pour a couple of ounces of fresh oil in and let it run through the engine pushing all the old oil out. You'll see it come out dark, then light at the drain plug. Once that's done, screw the plug back on and fill'er up.