Oil sight gauge issue

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jachady
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Oil sight gauge issue

Post by jachady » Wed Sep 11, 2019 3:41 pm

Hey guys, just installed an oil sight gauge. The oil level doesn't appear to change. It was at this level (above the upper petcock) before I added a quart of oil. And it was still at that level after I added a quart of oil. No oil came out of the upper petcock when first opened and just a little trickled out after adding the quart. How do I get rid of the vacuum in the tube so the reading is trustable?

Also, how do I get pictures orientated correct? Lol
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Scott_Conger
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Re: Oil sight gauge issue

Post by Scott_Conger » Wed Sep 11, 2019 3:50 pm

The top should be vented
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CudaMan
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Re: Oil sight gauge issue

Post by CudaMan » Wed Sep 11, 2019 4:02 pm

What Scott said. There is probably a vent hole in the top, but it may be blocked by a non-original gasket. :)
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Norman Kling
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Re: Oil sight gauge issue

Post by Norman Kling » Wed Sep 11, 2019 4:36 pm

Try running a wire into the upper petcock while it is open. If it is clogged, you might have enough oil, but it won't flow out. If it flows freely, it is over filled. I personally don't trust those sight gauges. They can easily be damaged and you will lose your oil. The original petcock is better, or the dip stick is also better.
Norm

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Ruxstel24
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Re: Oil sight gauge issue

Post by Ruxstel24 » Wed Sep 11, 2019 4:48 pm

There's been a sight glass on my car for over 50 years and tens of thousands of miles.
Only problem I ever had was I overfilled it and it leaked out the vent on top till it was happy again.


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Re: Oil sight gauge issue

Post by Erik Barrett » Wed Sep 11, 2019 5:52 pm

I have repaired two engines damaged when these sight glasses broke on gravel roads.

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Doug Keppler
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Re: Oil sight gauge issue

Post by Doug Keppler » Wed Sep 11, 2019 6:57 pm

Did exactly the same thing Dave
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Rich Bingham
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Re: Oil sight gauge issue

Post by Rich Bingham » Wed Sep 11, 2019 7:05 pm

:shock: amazing what one learns here. An oil sight glass will break on a gravel road, but a glass sediment bowl never will. :lol:
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Re: Oil sight gauge issue

Post by Scott_Conger » Wed Sep 11, 2019 7:11 pm

Rich

I fought the urge to state the obvious, but now you have gone and done it...whatever shall we do with you?
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Rich Bingham
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Re: Oil sight gauge issue

Post by Rich Bingham » Wed Sep 11, 2019 7:14 pm

:lol: Scott, I got tired of biting my tongue. Sometimes it just hurts too much ! ;)
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Re: Oil sight gauge issue

Post by Scott_Conger » Wed Sep 11, 2019 7:19 pm

Well, I'm sure it tastes better than shoe leather...I got a taste of that recently with some really dumb/bad advice I gave on a recent post...didn't know I was still flexible enough to put my foot in my mouth... :lol:
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Les Schubert
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Re: Oil sight gauge issue

Post by Les Schubert » Wed Sep 11, 2019 8:11 pm

Which is why I like to add a dipstick to my T engines.
Glass sediment bowl; I’ve never seen one under a T

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TRDxB2
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Re: Oil sight gauge issue

Post by TRDxB2 » Wed Sep 11, 2019 8:13 pm

Did someone say dip stick?
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Scott_Conger
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Re: Oil sight gauge issue

Post by Scott_Conger » Wed Sep 11, 2019 8:20 pm

Les

you must have missed it. They were all the rage last week.
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Dallas Landers
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Re: Oil sight gauge issue

Post by Dallas Landers » Wed Sep 11, 2019 8:35 pm

The dipstick in my T is behind the sreering wheel! :D

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Re: Oil sight gauge issue

Post by Steve Jelf » Wed Sep 11, 2019 9:00 pm

If I was at home I'd post a picture of my oil sight tube. Just a short piece of clear plastic tubing clamped on both petcocks. To check the oil I just open both petcocks and watch the oil reach its level. When the level is down to halfway between the petcocks I add a quart. You drive with the petcocks closed so if you lose the tube you lose no oil.
The inevitable often happens.
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D Stroud
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Re: Oil sight gauge issue

Post by D Stroud » Thu Sep 12, 2019 4:36 am

Dallas, the steering wheel in the TT was well adjusted to a dipstick before you got it!!! ;) ;) Dave
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Re: Oil sight gauge issue

Post by BHarper » Thu Sep 12, 2019 1:54 pm

Steve's oil gauge:
Steve Jelf Oil Gauge 369916.jpg
[/size]

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George N Lake Ozark
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Re: Oil sight gauge issue

Post by George N Lake Ozark » Thu Sep 12, 2019 2:17 pm

Martyn Vowell had one of those unventilated sight gauges on his car. He thought he was good till I checked it by unscrewing the cap and watched it empty itself. Fortunately he was only a qt./ 1/2 low. We vented the cap and no issues since and he keeps the petcock closed

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VowellArt
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Re: Oil sight gauge issue

Post by VowellArt » Tue Sep 17, 2019 2:14 pm

I also marked it off in quarts, so I would what I needed to add if it ever did get low again.
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jachady
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Re: Oil sight gauge issue

Post by jachady » Wed Sep 18, 2019 10:18 pm

I took the sight tube off, no vent hole to be found. So I drilled one in. Now it reads correctly. For how much I drive this car, I am happy to have this quick way to make sure I have enough oil. Back to driving!

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CudaMan
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Re: Oil sight gauge issue

Post by CudaMan » Thu Sep 19, 2019 8:59 am

Keep an eye out on Ebay, I got lucky and found a petcock with pipe threads on both ends so that I could shut off the oil flow to my sight gage for driving and open it only when I want to check the level. :)
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Gordon C
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Re: Oil sight gauge issue

Post by Gordon C » Thu Sep 19, 2019 10:45 am

Always read the forum. I'm learning a lot from you folks
with more experience and knowledge than I.
It's great that so many of you are willing to take
the time to help and share your knowledge.

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Oldav8tor
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Re: Oil sight gauge issue

Post by Oldav8tor » Thu Sep 19, 2019 11:07 am

I almost bought a sight gauge but then decided to go with the dipstick sold by antique auto ranch. With my bum leg and less than perfect knees, I was looking for an easy way to verify oil level. Anything that required turning the oil petcocks on a regular basis had little appeal. I've had the dipstick installed for about 850 miles and am quite happy with it. Yeah, it's not "period" but I drive my car and consider it to be an important safety item.
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Re: Oil sight gauge issue

Post by Thorlick » Thu Sep 19, 2019 11:19 am


Steve, your idea of a piece of tubing for a sight gauge is interesting and indeed you can stay safe by shutting off the stopcocks when not in use. I had always assumed a sight gauge was designed so you could lean over and take a look at the gauge thereby determining oil level without having to lay down on the ground under your car. This advantage is lost if you have to open the stopcocks to read the gauge. The Jelf gauge does have the advantage that you don't have to dribble oil on the ground, however you must open both cocks simultaneously.

Mark's version requires only opening one gauge making it half the bother of Steve's version. A bit of gunk can get into the open tube, but that probably isn't a large issue and is outweighed by being able to tell how high the oil level rises even when the top cock is submerged.

Years ago I used to use a long rod to open my cocks without crawling under the car, but still planting a knee in the muck. A fellow club member, Jerry Dishong, made a rod which fastened permanently to his upper stopcock and ended in a knurled knob outside a hole drilled in his splash apron. This trades convenience and laundry expense for mutilation of his original 1913 aprons.

I have used various sight gauges (all old vintage aftermarket accessories) and even a gauge on my first 1913 car which consisted of a float chamber screwed into the lower cock. Inside was a cork float with a wire and a tiny red ball on top which could be read by it's height above the floorboards by the firewall. This has the property of not accurately depicting the oil level whilst in motion as much of the oil is being splashed around or in the process of running down the oil line and running through the dips. Accuracy will be obtained only by reading it a while after the engine has been shut off, a property shared by all of the oil measurement methods listed in this thread.

My all time favorite option is using the two stopcocks as designed. It is a real pain whilst travelling in the rain, but is a great conversation starter. If you don't believe me about that just ask your wife to check the oil level... see what conversation ensues!

TH
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Re: Oil sight gauge issue

Post by Hal » Thu Sep 19, 2019 5:00 pm

I've posted this numerous times, but will say it again for those who have not seen it before. I use the original pet cocks and a tool like others use to open them. However, I do NOT crawl under, NOR do I put my knee on the ground. I put my left knee on the left running board (or maybe the rear portion of the front right fender) and my right foot still on the ground. I then bend over and look under the fender. With my right hand, i use the pet cock tool to check the oil level. Its a lot easier than getting on the ground and then getting my fat butt back up.


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Re: Oil sight gauge issue

Post by D Stroud » Fri Sep 20, 2019 4:59 am

Hal, I'm guessing your back is in a lot better shape than mine!!! :) Dave
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Re: Oil sight gauge issue

Post by Hal » Fri Sep 20, 2019 7:09 am

Could be, but it does act up from time to time. I'd have to check exactly what all I do when I do this, but I'm kinda leaning (laying?) on the right front fender, holding on with my left hand, while looking under and checking with my right hand.

The TT is a breeze. No splash aprons.

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