Where do I fill to on my dipstick

[David Hopkins]

I can't find the answer to this very basic question. Where do I want to keep my oil level at? A photo of my dipstick is enclosed. It looks to me like the mark at the base of the stick (4) and the mark at the top of the flattened part (1) are the high/low marks. But there are also marks (2&3) around the number 584 which is in the middle of the flattened part of the dipstick.

Engine is a Universal M3-20.

What is the significance of 584?

 

[Benny17441]

The dipstick is not a precision gauge. Along the middle by the 584 should be fine. Keep it above the minimum line and below the top line.

 

[RoyS]

Disgraceful design. How did this travesty ever see the light of day? Engine designed by a pot smoker?

 

[LeslieTroyer]

Could 15841 be the part number???

 

[markwbird]

owners manual

 

[Elysium_Van_Isl]

I'm going with Benny and Leslie on that one.... the inner two marks are the exact same width as the numbers are, which is thinner than the outer two marks. 15841 would be my take.
Looks like SailNet also discussed it:
http://www.sailnet.com/forums/diesel/78911-universal-3m-20-oil-level.html

 

[brazenarticle]

the owners manual is not a great help - see attached pages.
When I change the oil I try to get all removed from the sump pan, change the filter, then fill with the specified amount (a bit over three quarts) and see where it lands on the dipstick. It is usually pretty close to the top mark. When I used a vacuum pump to get the oil out through the dipstick hole it left some in the sump, as a result I overfilled and had to drain a bit. Now I feed the vacuum pump up the drain hose attached to the oil pan to get it all out.

 

[Richard Bryer]

My take would be that the 15841 is a part number- the "1"s are a bit smaller than the actual marks - your 1 and 4 which I would take to be the max and min marks. ie don't fill over mark 1 and when the oil level reaches 4 you must add.

 

[Meriachee]

My take would be that the 15841 is a part number

It's pretty clear that these marks are not the same size or shape as the low and high marks.
Pump it out, then record what it takes to put you at the 2/3 level or there about. As has been mentioned it's not an exact science. Some of the old oil is always going to remain in the engine, and depending on how much in up in the galleries, you will never use the same amount.

 

[scherzoja]

Yep, 15841 is part of the part number. 1 and 4 are your min. and max. Like the others said, it's not exact. I have an M50 with factory dipstick. Engine sits at an angle (10 or so degrees???), bell housing end lower than end with dipstick. It's been like that for 30 years. Recently took engine out for cleaning and when it was sitting level, dip stick showed over the max. line. I drained about 1 quart from the engine to bring it down to the "full" mark. I then simulated the angle it sits in the boat and the oil level was right-close to the min. mark on the stick. So, in reality, if you engine is sitting at an angle, reading full, the level might be way-full or way-low, depending if your stick is on the high end or the low end.

It appears that the M3-20 uses a Kubota D640 block.
http://www.sailnet.com/forums/atomic-4/101332-atomic-diesel-5432-fresh-water-pump-2.html

I could not find a Kubota tractor model that uses this block, but Cub Cadet has a lawn mower that uses this block.
http://www.tractordata.com/lawn-tractors/001/1/2/1124-cub-cadet-1782-engine.html

If you find a Kubota tractor model thatuses the D640 block, you can go here to find the parts catalog. Enter the tractor model (not block model)
http://kubota.com/part/partsList.aspx#

The Cub Cadet 1782 use the D640 block ad here is the parts page listing the dip stick (aka Oil Gauge).
https://www.partstree.com/parts/cub...adet-garden-tractor-sn-800000-821059/oil-pan/

 

[RoyS]

This is worse than I thought. Dip stick should be centered longitudinally in the crankcase to minimize, if not eliminate, the effects of aligning the engine with the prop shaft. Dip stick technology has been around since the Model T and these guys tried to reinvent it? And then failed?

 

[Ron20324]

[QUOTE="scherzoja, post:... if you engine is sitting at an angle, reading full, the level might be way-full or way-low, depending if your stick is on the high end or the low end...

It seems a lot of people use that angle of the engine to mis-figure oil level. I've no doubt that Yanmar or whoever built it had considered that when they designed the engine/dipstick for marine use, and supplied to proper dipstick to the boat builder. My engine owner service book shows different capacities- dependent on the angle of the engine when installed. Another view is, if a tractor installation, how much of an angle does the tractor go up and down the hills? It still lubes the block okay.