Dipstick Replacement

My OEM dipstick was sort of loose in the block fitting, suggesting it wasn't even press fitted in. I gooped it in better with some black stuff from a tube a couple of years ago. Maybe your present short dipstick is just 'cemented' in and not pressed in as snuggly as you may fear. I'd hit it with some rust penetrating fluid first, that bolt loosener stuff, Liquid Wrench. Last time I looked, I wasn't leaking oil from my Permatexed in OEM dipstick, so must not be getting much 'oil presuure' at that location.

Mine took very little effort, I think the suggestion to soak the area with a liquid penetrant is a good one. Then I sort of "wiggled" it back and forth and it slid out.

Good luck
Gary #06984

SwenDog,

Try to just pull it out first. After unbolting it, mine came right out! If it wasn't budging, I'd spray some rust penetrator and try the steel rod inside. If that still didn't work, I'd take the the rod out and pray that crushing it with a vise-grip would dislodge it. I'm sure you realize that if it does break inside the block, you've got a hell of a problem on your hands.

In my '74, I removed the original long dipstick and replaced it with a short one. (I relocated the alternator next to the A/C, so access to the short dipstick was not a problem.) The long dipstick came right out, and the short one went right in. What I did was put a small o-ring on the dipstick tube just under the block stop. When I bolted it to the head, that put a slight downward pressure on the o-ring. If your new OEM dipstick is not very snug, try this approach before sealing or cemeting it in.

Michael

Thanks guys for all of the responses. I'll give it a shot and let you know how it worked out.

If you have to use vice grips, I'd put a bolt in the top of the dip tube to avoid crushing the tube flat. Grip onto the bolt over the tube. First try and dislodge it while the motor is cold, then apply the penetrant and try again later. If that doesn't work, get the motor hot and apply more penetrant and pull it out hot. Wipe off excess penetrant overflow, might be flammable in a heat zone.