How Much Oil Does a ISC Cummins Hold? (350, 450 Capacity)
Lubrication is king. Without proper lubrication, no matter how powerful your motor is, it just won’t run. With the lubrication filled to capacity, you should be able to reap the benefits of that top engine under your hood.
The Cummins ISC 350 holds 24 quarts of oil or 6 gallons. You have to be careful not to overfill the oil tank. The engine will get rid of it but it may not look good when it does. When you add in the filter, the 450 needs about 26 quarts.
To learn more about this engine’s oil capacity just continue to read our article. It has the information you want to know about so you can fill your oil tank right. There may be a trick or two to help you fill it without overfilling it.
ISC Cummins Oil 101
How Many Liters is an ISC Cummins?
The 350 is an 8.3L engine. It has been this way ever since it was first introduced. The literature on the 350 ISC goes back to at least 1998 making it a fairly old motor.
The same should hold true for the 450 models. This engine was an improvement on the old 8.3C engines that Cummins built in 1985. One of those improvements is the switch to a rail injection system for cleaner emissions.
One of the more common issues that take place is that this engine will lose a large chunk of its lock at about 6000 to 8000 hours of service. However, Cummins seemed to have overcome this problem when they put the engine in RVs.
How Much Oil Does an ISC Cummins Hold?
This total depends on if you are going to count the oil filter or not. The standard answer is 24 quarts or 6 gallons. However, that does not always include the filter which can hold another 2 quarts.
Some people have said that their engines have held a total of 7 gallons but they may have overfilled their oil tanks. It is hard to say as most people give the 24 to 26-quart answer.
Of course, the official word from Cummins is a bit different. Their spec sheet says 6.3 gallons. If you figure that out, it works out to roughly 27 quarts. Check your manual and see what it says as your model may be a bit different.
Cummins ISC 350 Oil Capacity
This is going to be the same as mentioned above. It may only be 24 quarts with 2 for the filter or it may be 6.3 gallons With 4 quarts to a gallon that works out to almost 28 quarts.
This may be due to all the improvements Cummins made to the 8.3 C series engine that came before the 8.3 ISC. The word is that this engine may burn a lot of oil in between oil changes.
Some owners reported losing about 3 quarts in between oil changes. The standard, if you are not doing a lot of driving is 1 quart per 2000 miles. If you do a lot of driving, then it is about 1 quart per 500 miles.
Cummins ISC 330 Oil Capacity
It seems that the filter on this engine can hold up to 4 quarts. The owner of one put in 20 quarts for the oil tank and another 4 for the filter. Cummins also said that the oil capacity for this engine was 6.3 gallons but personal experience seems to disagree.
The way to put the oil in the tank is to put 4 quarts in the filter first. Then put 15 quarts in the oil pan. After that, you need to run your engine till it is up to regular oil pressure.
At that point, turn the engine off and let it sit for an hour for the oil to settle. Your dipstick should read, after all of this, 1 quart low. Add your final quart.
Cummins 8.9 Oil Capacity
This engine seems to hold up to 24 quarts and no more. It should have 15W 40 inside the oil tank or you can use 10W 30 oil. Either one and this difference should not harm the engine or ruin performance.
The engine was a 280 to 400 HP and got between700 to 1255 lb-ft of torque. But this engine also came with about 16 common problems that were not easy or cheap to fix. Those problems include the turbo hose falling off and the water pump failing.
Other common problems were EGR cooler breaks, Grid heater plugging, Camshaft Failure, Crankshaft Failure, Lifter/Roller Failure, Connecting Rod Failure, Spun Crankshaft Bearings, Cracked Cylinder Head, Scored Pistons and Liners.
Cummins ISL 400 Oil Capacity
The 2006 model held approx. 7 gallons of oil. That is 28 quarts in total. Cummins will say 7.3 gallons which equal roughly 27.63 quarts. People will round up but be careful as you do not want to overfill the oil tank.
If you have questions about your engine, you can always go to Cummins Quick Serve and feed it your motor’s serial number. The results page should give you the same info your dealer has on the engine.
This engine is also an 8.9 L engine which means unless Cummins made some improvements, it will suffer from some of the same 8.9 L problems mentioned above. But your experience may be different and never had a problem with this engine.
Cummins ISL 450 Oil Capacity
This version of Cummins engines takes about 26 quarts including the filter. That means the oil tank has about a 22-quart capacity and the filter still holds 4 quarts. This engine came with 206 to 395 HP.
Along with 1143 to 1260 lb-ft of torque. It is supposed to be a very flexible power choice for an 8.9 L engine. Plus, it is supposed to be a lighter weight engine than its competitors.
Then its design was for heavy-duty applications just like the larger, heavier Cummins were designed to do. Its total weight was 800 kg. And that translates into roughly 1700 pounds. The ISL 450 is a light weight engine in weight only not performance or delivery of benefits.
What Oil Does An 8.3 Cummins Take?
The brand does not really matter it is the viscosity that is important. Usually, you should put 15W 40 oil in the oil pan. Some people have been able to use 10W 30 but if you can swing it, stick to the former viscosity.
Also, since this is a diesel engine, you need to make sure the oil container says diesel oil on it. Oil for the gas engine may not work as well. The oil companies do make a difference between the two and they state it right on the label.
The key is not to assume when you buy oil. If you are not sure, do not buy it until you double-check with your manual. That booklet should have all the right information inside of it including the type of oil.
Cummins ISC Oil Change Interval
The manual should give you this information as well. But if it doesn’t, then you are looking at changing the oil every 15,000 miles, or every 500 hours, or every 6 months.
This is based on zero idling ours. If you have low idling time, then those figures may drop to 10,000 miles and then 8,000 miles if your RV has high idle hours.
If you are not sure, you can always double-check with Cummins. Just make sure to have the pertinent engine information on hand to get an accurate answer. Or talk to your dealer or a trusted mechanic to find out the proper answer if these numbers do not work for you.
Cummins ISC Oil Pressure Specs
The specs we are about to provide came out in 2003 and how many years they apply to is anyone’s guess. For oil pressure, you are looking at 10 PSI when idling, and 30 when at the rated RPM.
The oil change interval is the same as reported above and the oil filter should be changed at the same time. For the valve adjustment, you are looking at every 150,000 Miles, 5000 Hours, or 4 Years depending on how much you drive your RV.
These specs are for the motors that got 240 to 330 HP and 660 to 950 lb-ft of torque. The fuel filter number is LF9009 & FF5488 just in case you need it. This filter should be changed at the same time as the oil and oil filter.
Some Final Words
If in doubt always check the manual first for when you need fluid capacities. That is the quickest way to get the right answer. Do not be shocked if you hear quote sin gallons and not quarts.
These engines are big and they need a lot of oil for all their parts to be lubricated correctly. Just make sure to use the right type of oil and that it is made for diesel engines.
