Broke off dipstick tube... Need help!
#2714070
11/08/19 08:06 PM
11/08/19 08:06 PM
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Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 4,220 West Plains, MO
DrCharles
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OP
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Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 4,220
West Plains, MO
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Today I put the stud girdle and windage tray back on my 451 (K-frame and pan are still off). So far so good. So I thought, "While I'm under there, let me line up the dipstick bracket with the unused engine mount ear, and put the bolt in." It's an aftermarket chrome one (I know, I know) which never did fit quite right. The 13-year-old Permatex #1 or #2 I sealed it with is now hard as concrete, and while trying to tap the bottom of the tube in (small wrench around the base, tap with hammer) I managed to crack the tube. OK, I'll drive it back out. WRONG! Tore it right off at the base with about 1/8" stump sticking up. Fortunately the access to the area is good - but I can't get that #$%^ stump out of there! I can push a screwdriver or a punch right through it from below, but can't catch the edge. Not enough on top to grab with a vise-grip. I tried to tap it and thread a bolt in but 1/4-20 is just a bit too small and it pulled out. May be able to use M8 or 5/16. I may borrow or buy a right-angle drill and try enlarging it a little at a time. It's pretty soft steel, probably left-over coat hangers. Or perhaps weld something to it and drive it out, or maybe use a slide hammer if I can get around the header tube. Any other tricks? I'm nervous about heating it (might crack the block there)...
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Re: Broke off dipstick tube... Need help!
[Re: DrCharles]
#2714401
11/10/19 12:06 AM
11/10/19 12:06 AM
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Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 835 Alberta
4mulaS
super stock
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super stock
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 835
Alberta
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I’ve used a small socket to tap it out from the bottom
66Scar
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Re: Broke off dipstick tube... Need help!
[Re: DrCharles]
#2714546
11/10/19 02:40 PM
11/10/19 02:40 PM
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Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 4,220 West Plains, MO
DrCharles
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Got it! First I tried punching around the top to try and collapse the tube. No dice, chips just kept breaking off the top. I took a long 1/4" drill bit. and a long extension, and had JUST enough of a straight shot past #1 tube to drill the center of the tube. Then I tapped it for 5/16 coarse thread as far as the tap would go. (Supposed to use a 17/64" bit, just a hair bigger, but I didn't have that handy, and wanted deep threads anyway). Next step was to use a Grade 8 bolt in the new threads. Tried using a small socket with a couple washers on top, and turning the bolt as a puller. Naturally, that didn't go deep enough so it stripped the top few threads So I put the washers under the bolt and screwed it all the way in until it bottomed. Tried a slide hammer, but couldn't get a good purchase with the hook tip and didn't feel like making a bracket to adapt the larger threaded end of the slide hammer. Finally, used a punch to poke the end of the bolt from below... and the bolt+tube slid right out with a couple of decent whacks. This would have been much harder with the steering box, K-frame, and oil pan in the way. Oh well, lesson learned... When I put in the replacement dipstick, I will make it a snug fit, not an interference fit, use a non-hardening sealer like Hylomar, and the mounting ear will keep it bottomed. No more "hammer it in" for me!
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Re: Broke off dipstick tube... Need help!
[Re: DrCharles]
#2714726
11/11/19 09:59 AM
11/11/19 09:59 AM
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Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 4,793 Holland MI Ottawa
2boltmain
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master
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 4,793
Holland MI Ottawa
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Learned this from Bobby Likis car Clinic. Find a small deepwell socket that fits tight in the remainder of the tube/block. Tap or push socket in. Grip the tube (now reinforced with the socket) with vise grips and work, pry- slide hammer out. This assumes some tube is available to grab.
Keep old mopars alive.
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Re: Broke off dipstick tube... Need help!
[Re: TJP]
#2716868
11/17/19 08:15 PM
11/17/19 08:15 PM
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Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 4,220 West Plains, MO
DrCharles
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West Plains, MO
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Most of the new tubes I buy and use need to be ground down some on the oil pan tip end to get them to start, most but not all need this. If it will start a tiny bit you can use a 1/4 inch bolt stuck into the top of the tube to drive it in all the way, you may need to straighten the top part of the tube so it will drive the tube straight in instead of bending first I always modify as needed for a "slip fit" and use a bit of RTV, knowing that someone, somewhere down the road will thank me . Got my new dipstick in black (on ebay, $12.95 shipped) this weekend. About 0.374" at the business end, and it would not start by hand. I worked it with emery cloth and a file for a few minutes, and got it down to a nice round 0.369". A light push would get it halfway in. A thin coating of ultra RTV and a (small) plastic-faced hammer, and tapped it gently in. Bolt through the engine mount ear and hopefully THAT won't be a problem any more As best as I can measure, the full mark on the stick lines up with the top of the sump baffle. Once the RTV cures overnight on the new Superformance pan gasket and I can torque the pan rail fasteners, I'll put 7 qts in and doublecheck where that ends up (Milodon says the 30930 is 7 qts).
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Re: Broke off dipstick tube... Need help!
[Re: Cab_Burge]
#2718515
11/23/19 12:16 AM
11/23/19 12:16 AM
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Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 4,220 West Plains, MO
DrCharles
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Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 4,220
West Plains, MO
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This week I finally got everything back together, including reseating the studs so they protruded the correct amount, and Loctiting them in place. With Andy's reinforcing rails and the windage tray added, the six 3/4" bolts supplied with the girdle were too short so I replaced them with 1" (after carefully checking depth on the two holes in the rear main cap). I just poured seven quarts of oil in (Milodon says it's a seven quart pan), and after waiting an hour, rechecked the dipstick. The level is about 1/3 of the distance above the ADD line to the FULL line... If I measured correctly, the FULL line should be just above the top of the sump baffle. Will run it with 7 qts initially. On the street I won't be launching hard enough to worry about the possible need for an extra quart.
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Re: Broke off dipstick tube... Need help!
[Re: DrCharles]
#2718523
11/23/19 12:49 AM
11/23/19 12:49 AM
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Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 43,308 Bend,OR USA
Cab_Burge
I Win
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I Win
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 43,308
Bend,OR USA
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It's not the launch that causes oil starvation in most BB Mopars, it is lack of oil returning to the oil pan fast enough to keep the pick up covered in oil Which usually occurs in high gear above 5000 RPM or when you let off at the end of a 1/4 mile run A good crankshaft scraper is your friend on this
Last edited by Cab_Burge; 11/23/19 12:52 AM.
Mr.Cab Racing and winning with Mopars since 1964. (Old F--t, Huh)
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