Spitfire people, how long is your dipstick !

[DippedHeadlights]

Here is a puzzle. I'm sure I've only ever had small crank 1147 and 1296 engines here, GA, GD, FD and GE. 

In my mixed up spares box today I find a dipstick, then another, then a third. All Triumph, all different lengths/oil levels. 

Any ideas? I'm pretty certain the one at the top came from a 1296 GE Herald, what about the others ?

Were there block differences ? All the blocks I can easily reach have that 35mm long extension tube for the Dipstick but I think that wasn't on early 1147s? 

Is there any other way to work out the correct oil level ?!

[thescrapman]

To check for correct dipstick, drain sump, and add the requisite amount of oil as per handbook.

the check it dips to max mark on dipstick.

[Anglefire]

I did that sometime ago on mine (1500) and was surprised that the oil level was very high up the dipstick.  
 

When I change it again I will measure it in again - though I also have to compensate for the oil cooler now fitted - though I doubt that much will drain out. 

[PeterH]

My Mk3 Spitfire - FD engine :-   from sealing washer   overall  length 180mm,     min mark  150mm    max mark  122mm    .     like the middle one in photo.

[DippedHeadlights]

Right, I got my anorak on, out to the shed and went through my engines (and dipsticks). I think I've worked this out. 

All 1147 GA and GD engines have a dipstick 133mm from felt washer to full mark. The same dipstick is used on the early type block that doesn't have the little extension tube. (So casting must be at same height as tube top - not noticed that before).

The same dipstick is also used in 1296 GE engines from Herald 13/60. That's the top dipstick in the pic 

Spitfire engines (FD) have a distance of 122mm so the oil level is 10mm higher as Pete noted above. I'm thinking that is to stop oil starvation when cornering? That's the middle dipstick in the pic.

The odd one with a distance of 215mm from felt washer to full line I reckon came from a FWD 1300 Dolomite with a DH block that was here once. That had the diff in the sump so longer stick makes sense. 

Oil capacities in my books are all over the place. Most quote 8 pints for all but some say 7.5 for the Herald 13/60 and 7 pints for all the 1147 engines. The oil pumps and sumps are the same on all the GA, GD, GE and FD aren't they?  So maybe Triumph intended slightly higher levels on the faster cars?

 

 

[Colin Lindsay]

39 minutes ago, DippedHeadlights said:

All 1147 GA and GD engines have a dipstick 133mm from felt washer to full mark. The same dipstick is used on the early type block that doesn't have the little extension tube. (So casting must be at same height as tube top - not noticed that before).

 I've just measured 7.5 inches from cap / felt washer to tip on my Herald sticks, which are all 1147.

The early block that doesn't have the tube has the casting in the actual block to exactly the same level as the later block with the extension tube fitted, so the same dipstick fits both and will be at the same height.