Stupid me!! Too Much Oil

[Bob G ✝︎]

I know now I put  too oil in the engine when I did the oil change today. When I checked the oil stick it was beyond the second hash mark. I do not know how I let this happen. But sunday I will have to drain the pan and refill it. The filter is new and I drained the oil cooler .
Please some one tomorrow morning I would like to see answer to my post how many quarts of oil when changing filter and draining oil cooler does the engine need? 280SL 1968.

I put Castro 20/50 motor oil in. do I need to warm the engine again? silly!

also some one tell me a simple way to get the firkin 17MM bolt loose quicker on the oil cartridge. It took me for ever and it's is a messy job. I even got a black eye some how banging into something on the chassis. Any short cuts would Be appreciated.
The bad part is I was not intoxicated perhaps then I  can really blame my self.
Sincerely
Bob Geco

[bpossel]

Hi Bob,

I always warm the engine a bit prior to draining.  I open the main drain plug first, then the oil cooler drain.  Once both of those slow to a slight drip and it seems most of the oil is drained, I then remove the oil filter.  I slide under the car at an angle behind the front left tire and reach up and remove the 17mm bolt using a ratcheting wrench from Sears.  This works well for me.
Once all drain plugs back on and new filter and housing back on...  I fill with 6 quarts.  I then check level, usually having to add another 1/2 quart or so.  I then start engine, check for leaks, etc...  Stop engine, have a beer and relax for a bit, then check level again..  may have to add a slight bit more at that point...
Hope this helps..
Bob 

[dseretakis]

I too remove the fliter from behind the front tire but found that it is easier to install it from up top - it is easier to thread the bolt in place from that position.  I then get back down under the car behind the front tire and tighten.  I used a wrench but was wishing that I had a ratcheting wrench at that point. 

Does the oil cooler drain bolt come off easily?

Dimitri

[waqas]

In order to lower the oil level a little bit, you do not have to drain all the oil!

You can just remove the filter canister, drain the oil there, and re-install. Run the engine a bit, switch off and then check oil level. Repeat until oil level is back to normal.

[Ulf]

Hi Bob,
  I fill with 6 quarts.  I then check level, usually having to add another 1/2 quart or so.  I then start engine, check for leaks, etc...  Stop engine, have a beer and relax for a bit, then check level again..  may have to add a slight bit more at that point...
Hope this helps..
Bob 

A bit more beer or a bit more oil???

[dseretakis]

One beer for every 1.5 hours you work on the car and one more at the end of the job even if you had one 10 minutes ago.

A bit more beer or a bit more oil???

[Longtooth]

The W113 total Oil capacity, with oil filter change is 6 liters... which is 6.34 US Quarts.  I use 6.5 quarts, but no more.  The extra half quart can be used to top-off in case your engine is using oil over the course of time until the next change.

The oil capacity without the oil filter change is 5.5 liters.... or 5.8 qts.  I use 5 3/4's qts.  Ditto above the extra quarter quart. 

Total capacity includes the oil cooler capacity.

Ref: MB Service Manual (aka Big Blue Book; aka BBB)

[tuultyme]

Put tubing on to the Dip stick tube and pump out the extra oil.  There numerous oil extractor on the market.  I used a peristaltic pump to pump out the oil via the dip stick tube from the boat we used to have.

[ja17]

Hello Bob,

If you have a bit too much oil, just drain the oil cooler. It is easy to get to and right up front.  Start the engine up and then turn it off and re-check the level. If it is still overfilled, drain the oil cooler again etc. no big deal.

If you drained  the oil cooler, it seems like these engines held 7.0 US quarts with the oil cooler and filter. The latest version "ribbed" oil pan increased the oil capacity from original also.

The easiest way to make sure not to overfill,  next time, is add six quarts and then  start the engine.  Stop the engine and check the level and add as needed.  Remember that the quantity between the upper and lower marks is 2 quarts.

[Ulf]

Just out of curiousity - what happens to the engine, when running with too much oil in it?

Ulf

[ja17]

Hello Ulf,

If the engine oil level is too high, the crankshaft actually beats the oil into a foam and the engine suffers from lack of lubrication as it tries to circulate all those air bubles. You will see a dramatic drop in oil pressure as a result.

[Ulf]

Mine is appr. a cm. above the high mark on the dipstick, should I be concerned about that?
I'm going to put 300 miles on the car in the next few days on a trip to Sweden.
I used to drive Triumphs and MGs and I'm not yet used to a 44 year old car who doesn't use oil and doesn't need constant refilling...
Ulf

[jameshoward]

Ulf,

Presumably the marks on the dipstick are there to indicate hi/low levels within spec.

I would be concerned if I were you. Removing excess oil is pretty simple using any of the methods mentioned on the site. I used a thingy from a plant spayer.

Once you've set the oil to a reasonable level, you might want to monitor it and see if it's rising. I had a problem with rising oil levels (and put a post on the forum about it). It was solved by an expert to whom I sent my pump and made a huge different to my MPG figures once it was sorted.

James

[Ulf]

Thanks James, it was a mistake made by myself as I measured the level too soon after my wife took it for a 100 km+ drive (YES, I reluctantly let her drive it from time to time), found the level too low and topped it up. Now with a cold engine, the level is too high on the dipstick. But I've made arrangements with my mechanic that we'll do a complete oil change to the correct level within an hour - a great opportunity for me to get my hands macho-dirty during my lunch break after spending the entire morning writing girlish ads and commercials for a cosmetics brand....
I know that you are talking about fuel contaminating the oil causing the level to rise (the opposite of what I was used to in my TR6 and MGA), which has also been the case for me due to a 14 degrees slack in the old timing chain and a poor linkage adjustement, but seems to be cured now.

Have a nice day

Ulf