thecoolone

iTrader: (1)

Well I did the searches, and everything came up that the oil dipstick just slides out of the block, and for those that it didnt work like that, they are left with a mangled one.

Mine won't come out, yet at the same time I don't want to mangle it. I can't think of anyway of getting it out of the way. It's already starting to get bent to hell.

Any ideas on how to get a stubborn dipstick out?

Red Devil

That's one of those things that seem like some people have the luck and others don't. Have yoy made sure the bolt tab isn't binding on anything (like the manifold)?

five7kid

iTrader: (14)

Are you doing this for header install or something?

Assuming you've already unbolted it, put a small vice grip on the expanded part of the tube just above where it goes into the block, using as little squeeze as possible. Wiggle it back and forth and up.

A little pentrating fluid first probably wouldn't hurt, either.

87Formula4bbl

Good luck my friend. I'll tell you what, I had my old engine OUT OF THE CAR and coudln't get the dipstick out. It was frozen. I don't know what the deal is, I guess it's like Red Devil said, some people are lucky, some aren't because I had two mechanics say that it should come out fairly easy. I think I even tried punching it out from the inside with the engine disassembled, never did come out. Anyway, good luck with that!

ShiftyCapone

iTrader: (7)

I am one of the unlucky ones as well. I used every lubricant on the shelf and mine still won't come out. I mangled it with a header install and tried to put a new one it. I tried vice grips, long screw dirvers and everything. I only hope I can get it out when i pull the motor to get more leverage.

Air_Adam

Might have to do what I did (worked quite well actually).

Get under the car with a flat screw driver and a hammer. Put the tip of the screw driver under the "lip" at the bottom of the tube, and tap it with the hammer. It should slowly push it out, and do no damage. It'll scratch it, but hell, big deal


* this was on a '79 350 though, it might be a little different for a pass. side dipstick block, but you get the idea.

thecoolone

iTrader: (1)

Thanks guys, I'll try those techniques here sometime soon.

Yea it's for a header install. Trying to get that little tab holding it onto the manifold was a pita. What purpose could that possible serve... the dipstick surely seems strong enough to not flex on its own. Actually, everything has been a pita. The far back passenger side bolt was not only hard to get to, but was rounded off by someone previously. One thing after another... ugh.

I laughed at one of my friends one time for being po'd enough that he threw the shop light.

...Let's just say I've gone through 3 bulbs in 2 weeks of working on the car lol.

87Formula4bbl

I hear ya on that. I throw or hit the closest thing to me, usually wrenches, screwdrivers, etc (I try and refrain from doing it to the visible surfaces of my car though).

josh1988

haha, i had the same issue one time, trying to pull the stick so i could get the &^%$#@ passenger side header installed, i couldn't get it, it was like 1 in the morning and raining out (i don't have a garage) i got so heated I threw a torque wrench at the side of my house and took out a big chunk of siding... that was almost three years ago and my mother still yells at me for it.

GTA-SPD

You guys are funny as hell, throwing stuff around and getting all pissed. I used to do that, but after having to replace a couple Snap-On wrenches and a ratchet I decided to handle it another way, cuss like there is no tomorrow. Try to invent a new combination of expletives. Try it, once you actually make yourself laugh, things don't seem so bad. Of course, it's a good idea to make sure you are alone first, you don't want your toddler to call Grandma any of your new, choice combos.

When I did my headers, I took a pair of vice grips and clamped them on the tube(or as it became known a $&**@@@#%^&%**@!#$$&**) as close to the block as possible (not hard enough to crush it, but pretty firm) and then used a hammer from under the car to tap it out. I had to twist it back & forth and tap, tap, tap, twist, twist... You get the idea. I also had to push it back in a little a couple times, but it came out pretty easy. If you think getting it out is a pain, wait until you try to get it back in. It goes so far, and then stops, far from sealing. Good luck.

Air_Adam

That makes you stronger too... the heavier the cuss word(s), the easier it is to bust bolts loose!!

thecoolone

iTrader: (1)

lol.

Well, I think we all get tired of bolts that must have some sort of close relationship with the car, because they just won't let go and move on. When I watch NASCAR races, they replace a radiator in about 10minutes. Actually, pretty much everything in 10minutes or less. it urks me because all I can think of is "yea, because their bolts aren't rusted on or haven't tweaked themselves tighter over 15 years! #$@#$%@"

And these shop lights will never stay how you want them, and they always get caught on something, or they are in the way and you never seem to learn that the back of the thing is pretty hot.

urbanhunter44

iTrader: (3)

I try to remember to cuss in german instead of english whenever i'm around other people.

Although some of my co-workers are starting to go look up what i say, so maybe I will have to learn a third language lol

25THRSS

Get it from under the car and make sure you are pulling it out straight and not cocked at all. Should pull out easily that way.

RB83L69

They are very cheap to replace. Even if you gnarl it, I wouldn't worry too much about it; as long as you get it all out, so that you can put a new one in.

Last time I had to buy one for one of these cars, it was less than $20, for a chrome one at the speed shop. Not worth spending too much agony over trying to preserve it.

IROCThe5.7L

I pulled and twisted from the top, as my dad did from the bottom. Came out without much hassle. Didn't bend it at all, but now it sits pretty far back after the header install

vbMike

iTrader: (2)

Yea, I agree. Removing that dipstick is a total pain in the ace. I am currently in the process of installing hooker 2055. I now have both of the old manifolds off. Everything has gone well except the removal of the stupid dipstick. I read this post the other night when I was having trouble with it and tried everything that was suggested. Still no luck. First of all is there some kind of seal around the bottom of the tube where it goes into the block. Mine had a raised rough surface at the bottom of the tube. I had tried to pry the tube out by using a chisel. When I pried up against the rib that lumpy stuff around the base broke off. I thought it was part of the block but it’s not. It seems like it was some type of glue. I know it’s not part of the block because it burnt and got squishy when I heated it up. Am I going to have a problem with the dipstick tube leaking now?

Anyway I did get the dipstick tube out. After the glue or whatever that is at the base broke off I had about 1/8 inch between the block and the metal ring on the dipstick tube. I found this piece of metal which is about 1/16 inch thick. I drilled and cut the hole in one end to make a "U" or fork shape that would just fit around the dipstick tube. Disregard the other holes that are shown in the picture, they were already cut in the metal. Then I slipped this fork piece in between the block and the rib on the tube. Then I used two flat head screwdrivers and stuck one between the block and the bottom left side of the fork and the other screwdriver between the block and the right side of the fork. I hammered the two screw drivers in as far as I could and then gave them a pry. The tube then started to pull out of the block. My dipstick tube was really in there and this was the only thing I could get to work. It worked so well I thought I would add to this post.

thunderstick

well here's a question... when i rebuilt my motor i replaced the stick and tube cuz i mangled the tube getting it out, but... i replaced it with a tube and stick from chevrolet, so are they all a "standard" size for V-8's? reason i'm asking is cuz even though i know i put 5 qts oil in there, it ain't reading in the operating range on the stick. now i had turned the pump with a screwdriver to "prime" everything up but it doesn't look like there's enough in there. i don't have reason to believe (yet) that there's water in the oil or vice-versa, but like i said, it's a new engine, and i haven't gotten it completely ready to tune and time. it will start and run for now, that's about it. anyways, just thought it was odd that the stick isn't reading where it should. yes, the tube is seated all the way down and the bolt tab bolted down also. i didn't check the length of the old tube with the new one before i chucked it, just assumed they were the same...

KAM

red90bird

same thing happend to me (well actually just the dipstick not reading correctly) anyway my idea that I'm going to get around to is just get a longer dipstick. next time I change my oil I will put in three quarts then make a mark for "low" then add the other two and use that for "full". anyway thats just a suggestion

AJ_92RS

Stop the car.
Get out.
Walk over to Import.
Open the door.
Grab the dipstick by the arm and pull him/her out.
Walk him/her around to the passanger's side of your car.
Open door.
Insert dipstick into F-body.
Close door.
Show dipstick how it feels to ride in a REAL car!!!

z28cmr83

i was puttin in a set of edelbrock tes headders and by the time i got mine out it was in two pieces. I went to chevy and bought a new one for my car but id wouldnt go in, so i tried to bend the bottom where it goes into the block, but i only made it worse, so i ended up having to cut off half the piece where it actually goes into the block, and i just put gasket sealer around it. My mechanic told me that this would make no difference in accuracy, but my dipsitck is so messed up, when i pull it out oil runs up the entire length of the dipstick, not just up to the full mark why would this be? i cant get an acurate reading so i am forced to change my oil every 1500-2000 miles because i dont know if its low or notl.

z28cmr83

also, if our cars take 5quarts of oil, how many can they rele run on without harming the engine. not that i would ever try it, but will they run on 3 quarts?

25THRSS

It's always best to have it full, but it will run on 3 quarts just fine. To make a long story short, my truck ended up running for a long time with only enough oil to fill the filter. The SBC is very reliable!

vbMike

iTrader: (2)

Has anyone that removed their dipstick tube had a problem with it leaking when then reinstalled it? The tube came out really hard so I sanded some of the paint off the bottom so that it would go back in easier. It's a little loose now so I was wondering if it might leak.

z28cmr83

put some gasket sealer around it