I looked around and found online that the oil quantity at an oil change is 5 qts. I filled up my JDM F23A motor with 5 qts and primed the system prior to starting the engine for the first time. I noticed that the dipstick read half way between the low and high mark after the system had been primed (motor turned over with fuel pump fuse and spark plugs removed and cranked until the oil pressure light went out).

On my Fords, when I fill the motors up with the recommended amount at an oil change, the level ends up right on the high mark. I'm just wondering if Hondas are different and when you add the recommended amount at fill up, the level reads in the middle of the high and low marks? Or, maybe the motor was pretty much bone dry even though it wasn't a rebuild? Where does your F23A oil level read when you add the recommended oil at an oil and filter change?

This being my first Honda and motor swap, I'm just a little paranoid. Thanks in advance.

 

Is this a drain & fill? Or a "dry" fill like after a rebuild? Total oil is 6 or 7 quarts. So if you just swapped the engine, I bet while moving the engine around, you managed to drain more than the usual amount of oil.

So NEXT time you change oil, it'll be more normal. I often drain more than 5 quarts because I rotate tires while the oil is draining. Lifting each of the 4 corners of the car allows more than "normal" amount of oil to drain out.

Summary... Believe the DIPSTICK, not the number of quarts. Pretty sure it's about 1 quart difference between top & bottom of hash-marks on the dipstick.

 

Well, it's not a rebuild, just a used engine swap. I didn't see anything in the shop manual that mentioned how much a new "dry" engine would take. I'll admit I could have missed it. I did notice that the F23 oil pan was deeper than the F22 oil pan. I had both off and compared them side-by-side

I was planning to go off the dipstick, but this is another one of those cases where documentation and my own experience with the Accord don't match. The mismatch makes me a little uncomfortable, especially right before startup. I've got a lot invested up to this point and want to do everything I can to make sure it goes right. At times like this, it's tough to be an engineer. I can't leave it at work - it always seems to come home with me.

 

Well I hate to give you more info to "brew" on - I grew up with an engineer and then raised one.

From the manual I have - 5.9 US QT on engine overhaul.

Me - it is primed and the oil level is between that marks. I say you are good for start up. Let is run for a minute of so. Shut off and recheck.