450RT

I am working getting our 1976/77 911s up and running. I have installed a factory trombone oil cooler with hard lines and got it all plumbed up as this car did not have one. I am going to fill with oil and would like to check compression and eventually try and start it up for the first time. How do you go about filling up the oil considering that the oil lines and cooler are empty? What I plan to do is put in about 8-9 quarts of oil (as needed to NOT overfill it), crank it a few times to build oil pressure and start it up. Then when it warms up check the oil and add what may be another 4 quarts or so as needed. Is that right? Does the oil regulator open up at a certain temp to allow oil in the lines that go out to the trombone? I don't want to run it with too low of oil level, but uncertain of how to do it any other way.

r911

yes, do it that way & keep an eye on the dipstick level

the oil regulator does open up at a certain temp so drive it on a hot day uphill, etc.

watch the Oil Pressure gauge - the crs run fine while "low" on oil level; it the pressure that counts

theiceman

your method is fine, just get it to operating temp to check oil , i m sure you know the drill, operating temp, level ground idling..

wareaglescott

I did this recently as you described with no issues. I think it was about 180 on my dash gauge before the oil started flowing into the hard lines to the trombone cooler. I was checking the hard lines by touch periodically and you could definitely tell when the warm oil started flowing. My engine and lines were bone dry and everyone said about 12-13 quarts. I ended up using a little more than 14 before I got a satisfactory dipstick reading with the engine running.
Keep in mind with the external tank you are putting way more in initially than you need to safely run the motor so dont be to overly concerned you are running it with to little even when the hard lines start filling up. If you start with 8-9 you will be fine.

theiceman

on a related note , when im changing the oil on mine i do it immediately after a drive ( with everything ready including buckets and wrenches ) ... i drive the last 1/2 mile to my house in low gear which really spikes the temp. then i know the stat is open when i pull into the garage and drain the oil.. i usually can get 12 quarts back in no problem when i do it this way.

wareaglescott

Can you further explain the operation of the thermostat? If you have it hot enough to be open and drain the oil immediately and it drains most the oil from the hard lines going up to the cooler does it stay open for you to get the oil back in or do you put a partial amount in and then get it hot enough to open again and then add the rest? I really dont know how it operates other than it opens at a certain temp. What keeps it open or makes it close?