How much oil?

[hawksa]

About to put some running in oil in my new 2.0 Zetec for the first time. How much do I need to put in?

 

Thanks

Simon.

[SootySport]

 I would fill with 3 litres, let it settle, take a dipstick reading and add 1/4litre at a time until the max mark is reached.   Run engine and then check the dipstick after oil has settled again.

[hawksa]

Thanks for the reply. Looking at the dipstick, there already appears to be some oil in it (although it is a brand new engine). It reads up to the top notch on the dipstick. Does this make sense?

 

I have just read some other threads quoting figures of 4-5 litres and then re-marking the dipstick due to the modified sump.

[SootySport]

May be running oil in there as in new cars but to be sure drain it and fill with your known oil.   Hopefully a Zetec owner will give you a more accurate fill amount for your engine, I have a Redtop.  From my understanding, you still fill to the Max mark whatever sump you have and only cut off the bottom bit of the dipstick if it is too long and will not fully insert into the dipstick tube.

[dombanks]

Mine just had 4.5l

[Pistol Pete]

Thanks for the reply. Looking at the dipstick, there already appears to be some oil in it (although it is a brand new engine). It reads up to the top notch on the dipstick. Does this make sense?

I have just read some other threads quoting figures of 4-5 litres and then re-marking the dipstick due to the modified sump.

I wouldn't have though you need bedding in oil on a create engine, the rings would already have gone through the process.

Make sure you change the can belt as I presume it will seven year old now.

[Hemsley]

Hi Simon. When I spoke to Mark before firing up my new Zetec he told me it is filled with a running in oil. Sorry but I can't remember how many miles he said it should run before changing.

[Pistol Pete]

Ok if thats what they recommend, i think subaru were one of the few that required a 1000 mile oil change.

[hawksa]

Hi Simon. When I spoke to Mark before firing up my new Zetec he told me it is filled with a running in oil. Sorry but I can't remember how many miles he said it should run before changing.

 

Thanks for the info. Saves me draining my engine and refilling it with exactly the same oil!

[hawksa]

Just spoke to Ian at Westfield and he has confirmed that the engine is supplied with running in oil which should be changed after 1000 miles.

[Rhett Turner - Black Country AO]

The advice Mark gave to me when I had mine was to run it in for 2000 miles keeping the revs below 4000rpm, he said the better the running in period the better the it would be for the engine, he advised an oil change (not filter) at 500 miles and then other (with filter change)  at 1000 but don't use expensive oil use semi-synthetic 10w40, which is what I did. Without a filter change I put 3.5 litres in, I've just done an oil and filter change and put 4Litres in and the oils at the top mark on the dip stick. (I was told it was 4.5 litres but it does not seem to need that much) 

 

From memory I did not use full throttle and kept it to 4000rpm for the first 1000 miles, between 1000 and 2000 miles I did use more throttle for very short busts and let it rev to 5000rpm for very short periods. As someone new to small light powerfull cars this approach also helped me get used to the car and it's characteristics more gradually. I was aware of how Sevens can bite having been lucky enough to have a go in a HPE Caterham at a corporate event where I experienced it spinning in a straight line if not treated with the utmost care when changing up from first to second.

[the stoat]

I just don't get all the be gentle for extended periods advice.  The only parts that have metal to metal contact are the rings and to a lesser extent the cams and lifters.  If you do the maths the number of times these parts contact at engine RPMs running in is done in minutes not many hours.

 

Use wide open throttle and throttle closed coast down to bed the rings and you are on the right track.  Watch temps and pressures and change the oil after a couple of hours running.  From doing this I get very consistent compression test results and very low leak down.

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

Was only talking about this with Chris in another thread. I 100% agree.

I sometimes wonder if manufacturers, (be it of parts, of engines or indeed of cars), feel ham strung by the threat of being sued by some muffin who's gone wrong, in to just giving out a Luke warm, lowest common denominator style advice of keep the revs down below X etc.

[Kingster]

Yep just ran mine in by hard acceleration and deceleration up to red line in first 2 miles. Then ran as normal for a few hundred not labouring or undue thrashing with mineral oil in. Then on the dyno with full synth oil change for mapping. 185bhp from std blacktop. It's running like a dream.

As to original question I drained the green oil it came with and put just over 4 litres in with new filter.

[dombanks]

Yep just ran mine in by hard acceleration and deceleration up to red line in first 2 miles. Then ran as normal for a few hundred not labouring or undue thrashing with mineral oil in. Then on the dyno with full synth oil change for mapping. 185bhp from std blacktop. It's running like a dream.

As to original question I drained the green oil it came with and put just over 4 litres in with new filter.

From what I've read/been told by people etc the comment about the "not labouring it" is the key thing. drive it normally but don't labour it. i.e set off in 2nd gear or try to get up a steep hill in 5th type stuff. Ranges have usually been in the 200-500 miles then change out the running in oil and filter and off you go.