crg53

I am doing spring maintenance on my car, and needed to drain the oil, but had no chance of warming up the engine, as many items are disconnected. Pulled the plug in the crank case and drained all the oil from there, total of 8.5 liters, then I pulled the plug on the thermostat, and only a trickle of oil came out. Is that normal, that the major part of the oil drains back into the crank case, or is there supposed to be a check valve somewhere upstream?
I realize there are still about 2 liters of oil in the cooler + hoses, but I thought more oil would stay in the tank.

Rocket Rob

Yes, its normal for oil to drain into the engine case. Not sure the exact speed but I think you engine is fine.

crg53

Rob, the car has not been started for 4 month, so plenty of time to drain, but glad to hear that it is normal, the alternative would have been expensive.