Oil Dipstick Check

Oil Dipstick Check

There is a very common problem among 1955-57 Thunderbirds which if left unrecognized can cause damage to your car's rear main seal. The problem exists with your car's dipstick. Ken Smizinski has provided me with this helpful advice. On many early Thunderbirds the dipstick does not correctly measure the level of oil present in your car's engine. An estimated 75-80% of Thunderbirds still in existence have improperly gauged dipsticks. The problem has been aggravated by poor replacement parts and switched dipsticks from other engines over the course of time. Most of these incorrect dipsticks read "low" when your car actually has the correct amount of oil present in your engine. Adding too much oil to your engine can cause undue oil pressure to be applied to your rear main seal. This added pressure can cause your rear main seal to fail causing your car to leak oil from the rear of the engine. As many Thunderbird owners can attest, this is a very common problem with 1955-57 Thunderbirds. As such, if you have recently had yourengine rebuilt, or would like to preserve your existing rear main seal, Ken advises that you should change your oil and filter and make a mark on your dipstick at the point your dipstick registers the level of your oil. Make sure you fill your engine with the correct amount of oil! For those of you with original "canister" oil filters, you will need a total of six quarts of oil when you change your oil and filter. The new spin-on paper filters with Motorcraft part number FL-1A will require only 5 1/2 quarts of oil when you change your oil and filter. Make sure you let your car run for approximately five minutes, then turn it off to insure that you get an accurate oil level reading on your dipstick. In addition, make sure your car is level. Now you will have a point of reference on your dipstick which will correctly tell you when your car needs more oil. A simple solution to a very common problem indeed. Thank you Ken for providing another "Tech-Tip."