Oil Change Cat C12

[Edward Buker]

I ran into some confusion with my first oil change yesterday and maybe this is just new news to me. I have a Cat C12, 505HP version, 1550 Ft Lbs of Torque.....love this motor. The Beaver manual indicated 36 quart capacity with filter. After draining, I prefilled the filter with four quarts and I added the remaining 32 quarts for my refill and my dipstick indicated that I was still 3/4 inch below the high mark. Given I bought the coach used I had no idea if the dipstick had ever been calibrated or if the manual capacity was correct. I called Ken Robertson, they had done the last oil charge as part of the PDI, but he was not sure what was going on and wanted me to call Cat which I did. The end result was that the C12s with serial numbers starting with 2KS have a center sump deep pan and they have a 40 quart capacity. This is probably for additional cooling for the 505HP version. Thought I would pass this info along in case someone else has the same problem. FYI..Cat also has High Efficiency oil filters for the C12 and the number is 1R-1808 in case you are still using the number in the manual....this filter is better.

later Ed

[Richard And Babs Ames]

Read
 http://www.catrvclub.org/eNews-August2009/eNewsletter_Tech%20Talk-DipstickCalibtation.htm
This is from the CAT RV Club Web Site

[Edward Buker]

Richard,

Before you calibrate the dipstick you have to know what the oil capacity of your engine really is. If I used the info in my Beaver Coach Manual for the C12 I would have calibrated the dipstick to be a gallon low. Not a good idea. The message here is do not assume that the Beaver manual is correct or accept any other information source other than the engine manufacturer using your engine serial number. Then you can calibrate the dipstick if needed....Hope this helps.
Later Ed

[Richard And Babs Ames]

Thanks ED there is a link on the CAT site to the CAT RV Hot Line you can call with your engine SN to verify the correct capacity. http://catrvclub.org/links.htm Gives the Contact Information.

[Edward Buker]

I wanted to pass along a follow up on my oil change post. The Cat manual lists my pan as a center sump pan with 36 quart capacity including the filter. The sevice manager at my local Cat dealership says that the 2KS serial number C12s with the center sump pan uses 40 quarts and that is what my dipstick also indicates. I get no blow by out the vent and also spoke with Cat techs at the RV hotline. They said if I was really 4 quarts overfilled then by design I would be seeing the excess oil being blown out of the vent system making a big mess within 150 miles and I see none of that. They said that each OEM chassis install varies some in oil capacity and Cat just adresses the pan and filter capacity. I was instructed that it was fine to run to the 40 quart capacity on my coach. Because this is a grey area from my perspective, I am just posting my experience for information and not any hard fast rule on any other C12 coaches oil capacity. Hope this helps....

later Ed

[Marty and Suzie Schenck]

Not to put a fly in the ointment but I have 2002 Patriot Thunder C-12-455hp center sump oil pan 2KS serial number and if I put more than 36 quarts of oil in at an oil change it would be over filled. My C-12 has the Cat installed dip-stick tube and dip stick not a chassis installed unit. At oil change I pre-fill the 1R-1808 oil filter with about .75 gallon of oil and I put the remainder (8.25 gallon) in the sump. I start the motor up, check for leaks and let it run about 5 min. and shut it off. I wait about 15 min. per the Cat manual and then check the oil level. My oil level is about 1/8in. below the full mark on the dip stick or about one quart low. I leave it there and every time I get to where I'm going I check it after I have parked, leveled-up and set up camp. It seems to just stay right there. Don't get me wrong here I'm not trying to start an argument I'm just saying that each coach could be a little different and as owners we need to pay attention to the who the way and the how of the people (if not ourselves) that take care of our coaches so they don't get over or under filled with oil or any other product that has to do with the maintenance of our coach.  Marty

[Edward Buker]

Marty,

My coach also has the Cat installed dipstick. Since I wrote this post I have checked with additional sources within Cat, as well as the service manual, and have verified that the center sump oil pan does indeed take 36 quarts with the filter. There have been no changes to that oil pan, to raise oil capacity, as the engine output was raised.

It would appear that my dipstick through several prior owners and a PDI at Beaver Coach Sales never got calibrated. It would also appear, from my local Cat Dealer service manager, that they routinely fill to the dipstick marks in trucks equipped with the C12 2KS serial number engines using 40Qts and in fact they call it a 40Qt sump. My guess is that these dipstick tubes were systematically produced about 3/4 longer than need be and from the 40Qt sump misconception I would have to conclude that many of them out on the road have never been calibrated.

Cat tech support assured me that using 40Qts in this pan does not create any engine issues and at that level will not vent out the breather tube which I can attest to. Mine evidently has been running 40Qts for the last 8 years. I plan on running the 40Qts for now and calibrating the dipstick on my next oil change.  My lesson... I would not assume that what a Cat service manager tells you is correct....I apologize for my confusion on this matter and any confusion that I may have created.

I completely agree that the owner has to seek the knowledge to assure themselves that proper work is being done on their coach. It is not always easy...

Later Ed