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Old 06-15-2019, 05:18 PM   #1
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Oil Change question

I have a 2017 Thor Four Winds Class C with the V10 motor. From what I can find a oil change with filter should take 7 qts to refill. But when I change it and refill it it only needs 6 qts till it shows full on the dip stick.
Any of you that change your own oil, on the V10 how much does yours take?

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Old 06-15-2019, 05:37 PM   #2
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How much oil came out when you drained?
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Old 06-15-2019, 05:46 PM   #3
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Do you fill the new filter with oil before installing it ? Filter holds about a quart.
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Old 06-15-2019, 05:53 PM   #4
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Check your owner's manual if you have one.
Put in 6 1/2 quarts. Start the engine and let it run a minute or so. Wait a couple of minutes to let the oil drain into the pan. Recheck the oil level on the dipstick.
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Old 06-15-2019, 06:07 PM   #5
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I don't prefill the filter. I did let the engine run a few minutes after refilling the oit then checked the dip stick and it shows full. The owners manuall for that engine says it should use 7 qts.
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Old 06-15-2019, 07:43 PM   #6
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You should always fill the new filter with oil before starting the engine that way the engine will always have oil upon start up. If you don't, it takes a short time for the filter to fill leaving your engine dry during that time period.
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Old 06-17-2019, 02:38 AM   #7
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If you’re sure you let all of the old oil drain out and you replaced the filter you should follow the owners manual and add 7 qts. Or at least that’s what I’d do. If it still worries you it is fine to put 6 and a half in and just keep an eye on it. The “normal” (crosshatched area on the dip stick) range is a full quart.
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Old 06-17-2019, 08:57 AM   #8
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Originally Posted by dlbeck27 View Post
Check your owner's manual if you have one.
Put in 6 1/2 quarts. Start the engine and let it run a minute or so. Wait a couple of minutes to let the oil drain into the pan. Recheck the oil level on the dipstick.
This a good way to do it yourself.
Also, when putting the dipstick back in, don't rush to pull it back out, allow half a minute to assure a good reading.

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Originally Posted by paulwadley View Post
You should always fill the new filter with oil before starting the engine that way the engine will always have oil upon start up. If you don't, it takes a short time for the filter to fill leaving your engine dry during that time period.
In an engine's internal oiling system, the filter is the last stop before joining the reservoir, then sumped back up to cycle again.
The only dry running is an empty oil filter.
Don't let that momentary lack of oil pressure, or oil light on, fool you if a sufficient amount oil has been put in.
Once the filter is full, oil backs up and pressure is developed!

Oil cycle: in oil pan > picked up by oil pump sump> goes through the oil pump > goes through the oil galley > then distributed to various engine components > some drips down to the oil pan lubricating different parts along the way, and at the end of the galley line, the excess oil being pumped goes through the oil filter and back to the pan.

Pressure is a direct reflection to the restriction of flow!
Air in the oil filter presents no restriction, thus the momentary lack of pressure, when a new one is put on empty.

Filling the filter first, you can do this if it makes you feel better, a lot of times it just presents itself as a messy problem.
Some oil filters mount horizontally on some engine applications.

At engine start up, if after 4-7 seconds & the light does not go off, or a pressure gauge doesn't read, then turn the engine off, look for a dipstick reading, and/or a puddle of oil beneath if nothing on the dipstick. Repeat if oil level good and add if needed, don't overfill!

(Honestly, I have often wondered about what the proper oil pressure is of a running engine in my earlier days as an apprentice. The pressure reading tells you a lot about what is happening. I would think concerns at low end would be at the lesser of 10 psi, less than that and a heavier oil is needed to fill the tolerances worn in. High pressures, greater than 25-30, would tell me maybe too thick of a viscosity, and reaching up around 50 psi, or +... would make me start to wonder if good oil lubricating flow was present, at that point I would check manufacturer's recommendations on oil type, grade, and pressures to be expected. On the RV/daily automobile end of the spectrum 10 psi to 30-35 psi should be good. Greater does not necessarily equal better!)
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Old 06-17-2019, 12:57 PM   #9
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My dealer put in 1 quart too much. Cant fault him, many V10s call for 7 quarts but my Ford manual says 6. Be sure you look at your manual and inform the person doing it about the correct amount.


Tried putting a hose down the fill pipe but no way on a class A!



I guess the only way to get it out is by removing the drain plug. Super messy and hard to judge just 1 quart. Any other ideas?
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Old 06-17-2019, 01:15 PM   #10
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Make sure the engine oil is hot, too hot to touch the filter with a bare hand, before you drain the oil. This way the oil is stirred-up and the particles that have settled to the bottom of the oil pan are in suspension. Also the oil drains very fast.
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Old 06-17-2019, 01:37 PM   #11
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I’m of the opinion that regardless of the manual capacity, the dip stick gives the most accurate indication of the proper amount of oil.

The seven quarts cited in the manual may (or may not) be for a “dry” engine. When draining, there’s an amount of oil that clings and pools to internal surfaces. You will not drain all the oil, even if hot.

Bottom line, the level in the oil pan is the best indicator of oil volume needed for safe and efficient operation.
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Old 06-17-2019, 03:43 PM   #12
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Thanks for input. My dip stick shows about 3/8 inch above full. Probably only about 1/2 gt. high??? I often wonder how much oil DOESN'T get in based on how much gets spilled during the filling process! It is almost impossible to get to and you have to use a funnel or tube to do it.
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Old 06-17-2019, 04:05 PM   #13
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Mine only takes 6 quarts to fill it about a quarter of a quart low of the full max line. I always just carry and extra quart with me and when on the road add if necessary. I have never filled the filter during an oil change, the pump is in the pan and that’s what pulls the oil into the cylinders so that seems like a wasted step.
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Old 06-17-2019, 05:12 PM   #14
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Thanks. If your fill is below the full mark and mine is 3/8 above it. That probably equates to a 1 quart over fill which make sense since they put in 7 qts, vs 6.
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Old 06-18-2019, 02:45 AM   #15
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My owners manual (2015 F53 version) says to use 7 qts for an oil and filter change and that puts me just a bit above the full mark on the dipstick. The last time I changed it I kept about a pint to carry for any future top up. I do seem to remember that some class C engines specify 6 qts so do check. Also know that some engines call for 5w30 instead of 5w20. My ford dealer service writer didn’t believe me until I showed him the owners manual and the filler cap. He recommended 5w20 anyway because that’s “what we always use”! Check YOUR manual, not someone else’s.
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Old 06-18-2019, 03:37 AM   #16
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Originally Posted by Pete'sMH View Post
Also know that some engines call for 5w30 instead of 5w20. My ford dealer service writer didn’t believe me until I showed him the owners manual and the filler cap. He recommended 5w20 anyway because that’s “what we always use”! Check YOUR manual, not someone else’s.
This got me thinking so I checked again. My manual, 2018 F-53, says 5W30 but the cap says 5W20. Going to use the 5W30. Also note that Ford does have a history of incorrect dipstick lengths on the older V-10s. I believe there was a TSB.
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Old 06-18-2019, 05:23 AM   #17
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So I wonder if some of the confusion comes from the differences in engines offered. In my manual there is an option for the 6.2 which takes 7 quarts and on the next page is the 6.8 that says it’s just 6 which is what I put in mine
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Old 06-18-2019, 01:14 PM   #18
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Here’s what my 2016 F53 manual says about oil maintenance. I consider this the definitive word on proper oil level.

Check the level before starting the engine.
Make sure that the level is between the MIN and the MAX marks.
1. Make sure that your vehicle is on level ground.
2. Turn the engine off and wait 10 minutes for the oil to drain into the oil pan.
3. Remove the dipstick and wipe it with a clean, lint-free cloth. Replace the dipstick and remove it again to check the oil level.
If the level is at the MIN mark, add oil immediately.

Adding Engine Oil
Do not add oil further than the MAX mark. Oil levels above the MAX mark may cause engine damage.

Change the engine oil and filter prior to storage because used engine oil contains contaminates which may cause engine damage.
• Start the engine every 15 days for a minimum of 15 minutes. Run at fast idle with the climate controls set to defrost until the engine reaches normal operating temperature.
• With your foot on the brake, shift through all the gears while the engine is running.
• We recommend that you change the engine oil before you use your vehicle again.
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Old 06-22-2019, 11:22 PM   #19
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Found the same thing on our windsport. Just a little over 6 quarts. Seems like 5 will fill it to the full mark, then after i start it for for a minute, add another quart and it's good to go.
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Old 06-23-2019, 02:54 AM   #20
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I agree completely with the reply about dipsticks. They are inaccurate and a slight length difference in the dipstick and tube will have different readings. If you are concerned with a half qt. difference in an engine this size, better to have the half qt. a little high than low. Mine calls for 7 quarts with filter change and that is what I put in. I've never concerned myself with a high dipstick reading with any engine I've ever owned and I've never blown an engine because of too much oil. You should be more concerned with not enough. It costs me $25 and 15 minutes to perform this oil change instead of leaving the RV for an entire day and spending over $100. They price themselves right out of a job.
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