timfitz63
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 15, 2010
- Messages
- 1,146
- Location
- Pittsburgh / South & Centrl TX
- Corvette
- '98 Aztec Gold Coupe; '04 Millennium Yellow 'Vert'
OK. This is probably going to come across as a bit anally-retentive; but I'm an engineer, so try not to hold it against me... 
Recently had the oil changed on my 'Vette. I supplied my trusted independent mechanic shop with all the oil and a filter, and just had them do the oil change while they were performing the annual Texas state inspection.
The quantity of oil with which I supplied them was somewhere between the recommended 6.5 quarts and 7 quarts (four 1-quart bottles; and approximately 2.75-3 quarts in a 5-quart jug that I had remaining from a previously oil change). In spite of my instructions to use only 6.5 quarts and return the remainder (0.25-0.5 quart) to me, they dumped all of it in... I was a bit miffed, although the dipstick seemed to show the level just at the top of the 'fill band' (which I realize is the real indicator of oil capacity -- although it's somewhat difficult to tell with new oil and the "slop" that seems to get dragged up the dipstick when you pull it out); and the oil pressure gauge indicated normally during the drive home. And I realize some of the oil gets 'soaked up' and contained inside the new oil filter; but that's not a particularly big oil filter on the C5...
So, I've potentially got 0.25-0.5 quarts of extra oil in the crankcase. Already knowing too much oil can be bad (and with the Owner's Manual dire warning about overfilling the oil in a big, bold font), I thought I'd pose the question: exactly how much excess oil is too much for the LS1...? Consultation of various online resources doesn't really answer the question directly; most acknowledge the amount of my overfill should not pose any issues (which is how I tend to lean on the topic); but there are a few naysayers that maintain even a little can lead to serious problems, depending on the engine and oil pan design.
So: what say the C5/LS1 gurus...?

Recently had the oil changed on my 'Vette. I supplied my trusted independent mechanic shop with all the oil and a filter, and just had them do the oil change while they were performing the annual Texas state inspection.
The quantity of oil with which I supplied them was somewhere between the recommended 6.5 quarts and 7 quarts (four 1-quart bottles; and approximately 2.75-3 quarts in a 5-quart jug that I had remaining from a previously oil change). In spite of my instructions to use only 6.5 quarts and return the remainder (0.25-0.5 quart) to me, they dumped all of it in... I was a bit miffed, although the dipstick seemed to show the level just at the top of the 'fill band' (which I realize is the real indicator of oil capacity -- although it's somewhat difficult to tell with new oil and the "slop" that seems to get dragged up the dipstick when you pull it out); and the oil pressure gauge indicated normally during the drive home. And I realize some of the oil gets 'soaked up' and contained inside the new oil filter; but that's not a particularly big oil filter on the C5...
So, I've potentially got 0.25-0.5 quarts of extra oil in the crankcase. Already knowing too much oil can be bad (and with the Owner's Manual dire warning about overfilling the oil in a big, bold font), I thought I'd pose the question: exactly how much excess oil is too much for the LS1...? Consultation of various online resources doesn't really answer the question directly; most acknowledge the amount of my overfill should not pose any issues (which is how I tend to lean on the topic); but there are a few naysayers that maintain even a little can lead to serious problems, depending on the engine and oil pan design.
So: what say the C5/LS1 gurus...?