Man D2848 LE403 oil levels

Well I know when I check in the morning my starboard engine shows over full mark and port at full mark. When I check hot they’re both usually midway between marks for whatever that’s worth. Like I said previously I don’t worry much about it because it doesn’t seem to “use” any oil and I haven’t had any issues. Btw I more frequently check them cold.

Interesting to see somewhat different instructions for such a basic check.
BTW, specifying to check the level with the engine horizontal is puzzling to say the least - in fact, it's not mentioned in my electronic version of the manual.
I mean, what is someone whose engines are installed aligned with the shaft rather than horizontal supposed to do?
Lift the boat and leave her on the slings at an angle, keeping the engines horizontal while checking the dipsticks?!?

Anyway, I just emailed you the full manual from which I extracted the above page, as per your PM request.
PM where you also specify that your engines are the LXE models, which is an older denomination I came across on some V12s but never on V10s.
Beware, as you will see from the manual cover, it's applicable to LE 401/402/407 versions of the V10 block, and LXE is not even mentioned.
TBH, I can't think of any logical reason why there should be any difference between the LXE and the LE401 (which was the 820hp version of the V10) in the way oil should be checked.
But... Hey-ho! I'm afraid I don't have an LXE-specific manual for cross-checking.

I laughed at the instructions too. Thanks for forwarding and if I can come across the digital LXE manuals I’ll forward to you.
Cheers

No remote mounts standard filter mounting on both engines.

FWIW, after an oil change our manual (V8 engine) says to run the engine "for a few minutes at low speed," shut down the engine, wait "about 20 minutes," then check oil levels.

-Chris

There’s nothing particularly new or a Charles Darwin sat under a tree pondering on gravity when a apple falls here .
In Ferrari world forums are full of guys struggling with dip stick levels .
The book says measure the oil out and replace , you should warm it so is already circulated so to speak .FWIW the “ book “ says 15 mins after a shut down to allow it to run back into the sump .

All this theses days has been removed in cars Behr invented a electronic oil level you access on the dash ……but only after it’s reaches a certain oil temp .So you have to really measure what goes in and take a small leap of faith there’s enough to get to the pick up to circulate the big end shell bearings while it’s warming up before the electronic thing works .

It does take out all this operator variance and the dash readings are accurate .

Old MAN s I think there’s a huge degree of latitude any how .
Just done mine 2876 le 401 s .Book says up to 37 L each , but I pump out 32 and est the filter cartridge ( 2876 has only one btw ) hold 2 L .

32 added back puts it cold after and hour in in the middle of the marks .
A start up and short dock run after an Hr it dropped to just on the lower mark .Add back the now 2 stored in the filter cartridge and we are back mid way between the marks .The book suggest mid way as I agree as because as well is the oil level ck , you need to ensure the fluid in the sump isn’t rising .In fact rising fluid is serious .Rarther see it drop over a season = burn + weeps than rise .
Mine never changes in the season btw .However in a long lay up say 3/4 months it does ALL drain down , the film layer etc . = and it rises but never exceeds the max mark .
I know this from doing the valve lash .
To protect the job ( figure out which tools etc ) I whipped a cover off one morning ( cooler to work on ) after a previous days run .Yes the thing was wet with oil as were the head valve gear nothing remarkable there I hear you say .
Fast Fwds 3 months and same covers and valve gear are literally bone dry .Kid you not not a trace of oil , not a smear , nothing .They were completely dry .I could have used the cover as soup bowl it as that dry .

Yes the dip sticks were at the top mark .

Q , Do todays marine MAN s have the Behr electronic oil level readers ?

I think with boats and tech it’s all well and good the march of time , but there is something reassuring doing morning checks in the ER with the mk 1 eyeball .Oil dip , the racor bowls , bilge floor and gen pipe connections .Hoes clip s etc etc .

I know there’s a low pressure alarm , but I would hate to commit the school boy error of attempting to fire up a MAN low , or empty of oil ! Forsake of a simple morning walk around the ER .

Yeah, or like Isaac Newton observing evolution over time and natural selection, just as another example...

I only have the MAN manual and ist says 20 minutes after shut down. Which does not work - at all.

Only good & consistent reading I get is after the engine has been sat for a night and all the oil has dripped back down into the pan. After 20 minutes, you can't get a single consistent reading out of ten! At least on my installation.

My MAN technician confirms "in the morning" is the way to do it.

This whole discussion about 5 minutes or 20 minutes or a night and a half has lost touch with reality. Consistent reading isn’t really the point of checking oil level; what matters is that the oil level falls into what the engine needs. The number of minutes after shut down can only be seen as a minimum.

You want consistent readings to see trend? check your oil in the morning nice and cold. Doesn’t matter if it s a MAN, Cat or Honda…

Q , Do todays marine MAN s have the Behr electronic oil level readers ?

I think with boats and tech it’s all well and good the march of time , but there is something reassuring doing morning checks in the ER with the mk 1 eyeball .Oil dip , the racor bowls , bilge floor and gen pipe connections .Hoes clip s etc etc .

I know there’s a low pressure alarm , but I would hate to commit the school boy error of attempting to fire up a MAN low , or empty of oil ! Forsake of a simple check.

My bad but juxtaposition of the two still kinda works …..you got the point .

As an FYI I have the exact same engines as the OP and have the exact same issue. The Port seems consistent whether 20 mins or 24 hrs in terms of oil level reading, my STB reads much more full after 24hrs vs 20 min's (goes from the middle to well over the top mark). My std side is remote filters and my guess has been this is a cause of the drain delay. The sticks are different length and the handles are red/green to distinguish. I took Mapism's approach a year ago and precisely measured in the oil and monitored it at the 20 min interval and they always have held in the same position between the marks when measured at this rather immediate and hot timeline. since sticking to this procedure. The stu side does take a bit more to fill. The engines seem to burn no discernible amount of oil even accounting for the minute drip leak at the remote stu manifold (its either the insert or the gasket around one of the mounting bolts)

Old thread but Butch I have the same engines in a 2000 47 Viking onbthe Chesapeake, and have same issue checking levels. Between my “testing” and talking with mechanic, said check cold. I do same as you, pull, check, clean (make sure to wipe full stick) and leave out for a couple minutes and recheck. I have remote filters and think that has to do with difference when check warm vs cold.

Difference seems to be about half of the min-max marks when check warm vs cold.