Mine seemed to have something on it, maybe just old RTV silicone. Is there supposed to be a seal/o-ring/gasket?
Or do people just put a smear of silicone on it?
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Dear Jmardy,
There is a small cup/depression at the entrance of the dipstick tube into the block. There is a small ridge on the dipstick to match the depression/cup in the block. There is a small O-ring that sits just below the ridge and into the depression. It has either disintegrated or been left off of most engines, in my experience.
Over the course of several engines, I found that, before I discovered the O-ring, RTV silicone doesn't work that well unless a large amount is used. If you clean up the dipstick and the cup/depression of residual silicone and place a commonplace O-ring with "just a dab" of silicone, then sealing is much better. FWIW.
Warmest regards, Chuck Engles
Thank you Chuck!
To add to Chuck's description, there are two pieces to the Pantera dipstick tube guide. They meet at the block surface and the sealant is to leak proof the joint. Maybe your upper tube came loose and sealant got inside. The loose fitting guide clamp behind the alternator sometimes gets rotated 180 degrees and misaligns the two guide pieces down below.
The Mustang 351-C dipstick did not have the upper tube so on early Panteras, to check oil you had to remove the engine screen, reach forward and grope for the short dipstick. Returning it to the hole was virtually impossible unless you laid on top of the engine with a flashlight! That long bent extension added for Panteras was an engine saver, as otherwise most owners wouldn't regularly check the oil! The situation is shown in the BLUE '71 Owners Manual (p38) but was fixed even before the TSBs came out.
...Go with a Thick O-Ring, tight on the tubing.
MJ