Ive got the hedman shorties (68470 I think), and Ive been trying to find a way to secure the oil dipstick. I ended up buying a new dipstick and tube because my "parts" motor was accidently thrown away (a whole other story). It doesnt seem to be a press fit, becuause it moves in and out pretty easily. Its got a tab where it would mount to the stock exhaust manifolds, but with my hedmans I cant get it to go in. Has anyone modified their stock dipstick to secure it, other than zip-tieing it off to the AIR tubes, which I dont have?

 

First off... what style block is this? Pass side dipstick or drivers side?

I had to get a different dipstick and tube for my 350, it uses a drivers side dipstick, unlike the 305 it replaced.

The dipstick tube I got was a loose fit in the 350 block, but all I had to do to make it fit snug was use a bench vise to very slightly ovalize the bottom of the tube (that slides into the block) and use a flat screwdriver and hammer to gently tap it into the block on the little lip on the dipstick tube.

 

the block is out of a late 80s G van, 350, pass side dipstick.

So your sayin I might have to get a different dipstick, or do you mean if the block is a driver side dipstick? does it matter if the dipsticks for a 305 or 350, or just what type of block it came out of?

EDIT: Reread your post. So if I ovalize the bottom of the dipstick, to where its a press fit kinda, I dont have to secure it otherwise? And if I do ovalize the bottom, wouldnt that allow for some kind of small oil leak?

 

Just the type of block is all I wanted to know... if it was pass side dipstick, or drivers side.

Pass side dipstick, I would just bend the tube if you can without kinking it, to make it meet up to the header bolt. Or make a bracket that hangs off that header bolt.