I can't get it back in there. It doesn't clear the tubes. Any secrets I need to know? Let me guess...another hammer and blow torch treatment? <sigh>

 

my dad and i struggled with it for about an hour. We were doing it with the header loose still. just try to get it lined up and push. Once it was in we blocked the header in place with wood and then bent the dipstick by prying for more clearance move the header and get bolts started. We then put the two end bolts in, removed the center ones, put in the gasket, then with everything tightened down bent the dipstick off the primarys.

Maybe your headers are a lil different and you can try testfitting and prebending it into shape a little out of the car. We didn't think that was feasable since it was hard to bend and it was just too darn little clearance for us to get it exact enough. I really didn't want to ruin the paint with teh acetalyne torch either.

 

I tried and didnt go all the way in. The bracket is about 1/4-1/2 in away from letting me thread the bolt and bolt the dipstick to the block. Right now the dipstick is jammed into its hole the best I could get it and zip tied to an a/c rubber hose so it doesnt flail around. I'm about to take it to a shop so they can f*** with the dipstick.

 

I had to bend my tube slightly to get it to clear the primaries, and I lined up the hole in the block with the tube, and there should be a little flange on the tube about halfway up. I took the longest screwdriver I could find, and put it on the flange through the top of the engine bay, and tapped the end of it very carefully until it went all the way down. (I had to do this twice and it worked both times.)

 

I tried tapping on the flange but mine wont budge. I'd rather not waste money on some shop to put it all the way in, but it seems to be ok as is right now. Either way I need to secure the dipstick as soon as possible.

 

First of all the dipstick goes in much easier if you sand the hell outta it.. sand all the paint off the base at a minimun and clean it well afterwards duh. Second try freezing it and then quickly slipping it in after coating it with some silcone lube/wd 40 type stuff. With a helper I got the thing in in about 5 minutes. I don't see what the big deal is one person should push/wiggle from the top and bend it as it becomes necessary while the other should pull from the bottom.

If the thing is touching a primary or the engine block than bend it by prying it against the engine or a primary or something hard in the engine bay.. slip and bend, slip more and bend more.. it'll go right in.

I'll admit the freezing probably isn't possible for those of you who don't have a freezer in or near your garage but I say every little bit helps.

The hardest part for me was that after I had gotten the thing all the way inserted the bracket was in no position to bolt up to the block since I bent the stick so darn much.. that was a bit of a pain IMO.

Oh, and don't cut any off the base of the tube!!! that is not a good idea... curse and throw wrenches or beat the neighbors dog (j/k) but don't cut any off if you can't get it. Just try try again.

Have fun

 

I got it. I took the bench grinder to it to clean off all the paint on the lower part of the tube and coated it with some synthetic oil. Also, I figured out what was causing the bind and held the tube over the strut tower and gave it a slight back bend about mid way up the tube. After that it slid right in

 

You see, removing that paint goes a long way

 

He he. Cut mine.
Went in easy, little dab of RTV and a bolt holds it in so whats the big deal. Mine is fine so far.

 

I'll tell you what the big deal is. That tube protects the dipstick and without the full length of it then the dipstick is likely to get the tip broken off probably by the windage tray. Do a search, that quick remedy has caused this same problem for a number of board members here. Odds are that once the tip is broken off it'll just sink to the bottom of the pan without damaging any internals BUT do you really think it's worth the risk? Heck, do you want to be constatly replacing the dipstick when this happens? Do you think you can fish the end outta the drain plug with a magnet or will you drop the pan.. or maybe just leave it in there?

Do a search and you'll see what I'm talking about. Cutting the dipstick tube is NOT a good idea.. in fact it's a bad idea.

My .02

 

Hey if people have had problems with it then I believe you, I can,t for the life of me see how the windage tray could take out the tip of the dipstick though. The windage tray does not move and the end of the dipstick stuck out from the tube to begin with.
Not saying your wrong or anything and don,t want to start a flame war cause I can and have been wrong before.
I will check out the orientation of the dipstick and maybe bend it a little so it stays more to the side of the pan.

 

After more consideration, I have come to the conclusion that the dipstick is allowed to much freeplay and is basically bouncing up and down in the oil pan and making contact with something (crankshaft or rods) and that is what may be breaking it.
I did a search but found nothing on it. I will keep an eye on it and hopefully everything will be ok.

 

wouldnt cutting the tube give u a wrong reading of the oil level on the stick?? That might pose a prob. ya think??

 

YUP

 

Nope. He is talking about, I assume, cutting what is inside the pan. there is a stop that prevents the tube from going in too far. As long as the stop is against the block, the dipstick itself will be in the same place and give the same reading.