Hey fellas,

I was putting the passenger side header on my GTA today, and was having heck with the dipstick. When I tried to take the nut holding the dipstick off, it locked onto the stud, and mangled up the hold-down tab for the dipstick. I then had to fight it like crazy to get it out of the block, and I bent the end some in the process.

Does anyone know of a source for a factory style dipstick tube replacement? I saw the Mr. Gasket chrome ones, but I'd really like to retain my factory dipstick, as well as being able to bolt it back down to the correct header bolt. If there is no such replacement, can anyone recommend a good quality dipstick for a passenger side mounting? Thanks in advance for the help.

-cal30sniper

 

Try a chevy dealership. They might have the dipstick tube in stock.

 

I did the same thing....what you do is got to the junkyard (early, your gonna need time to do some muscling...) your gonna have to find between a certain year(s) of certain cars and muscule 1 out. I had to do this....real btch.

 

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/LO...5001/?rtype=10

Not cheap but it fits like a glove with headers. IIRC, I bought mine on Amazon a few bucks cheaper.

 

Does that have a threaded cap? Dose it seal?

 

I went to the dealership this morning, they wanted $60. I managed to get the one I had straightened out and all but 1/4 of an inch from all the way in. I think I'm going to leave it like that until I pull the motor next year. Either that, or I'm going to get one of the Mr. Gasket chrome tubes and check to see if it's the same length as my factory dipstick.

 

I'd probably hit the junkyards and try to find a match. $60 doesn't sound that bad for a new stick and tube. Plus like you said, you've got to pay to play. I don't advise you to leave the tube unsealed as you will invariably suck in dust.

 

It's not "unsealed". There's a good 2" of it inside the block, and it's so tight that it won't go in any further. It took a good hour just to wiggle the thing out the first time.

There's no stick included in that $60, just the tube. That sounds like a horrible deal.

 

Ok, I thought you couldn't get the dipstick all the way in. It's just the tube that won't go into the block. If you think $60 is expensive for that, go price a fuel pickup and gauge assembly from the dealer. Talk about getting ripped a new one. No stick, man that is chincy but I guess they probably used the tube on more than one oil pan setup.

 

Nah, it's almost all the way in. The full mark on the stick is now halfway between add and full. It'll be fine until I pull the engine out next year, I just don't necessary like leaving it that way. My spare Vortec longblock back home has a like new dipstick on it, so that's what'll be going back in next time.

I've heard horror stories from the dealership. I've got about 2 thirdgens worth of spare parts laying around right now just for that reason. Only problem is, my other dipstick was trash too.

 

Story of my life. I've got plenty of good car parts, just never the ones I need. Then there's the little museum of broken stuff that I took off that the factory put on, like wires, cap, rotor, alt, air pump, injectors blah blah. I might have to start culling that back because it's taking up too much space. I'm sort of a hoarder and I can't throw anything original from the car away when it breaks. I don't keep dead bulbs.

 

Threaded cap? Anyways, no drips at all. 100% sealed.

 

I used a tight fitting open end wrench with a soft nylon hammer to tap mine back in and welded a new tab to the broken one and drilled a new hole. Hillbilly engineering at it's finest!

 

i have one off a 96 vortech truck engine. fits like a glove. even mounts to the manifold stud the same. fairly easy to remove in the yards.

 

Great idea! Why didn't I think of that before I put the starter and y-pipe back in... The good news, it's in the block so dang tight that the tab is no longer necessary to hold the tube steady.

My spare longblock back home has a good dipstick on it. The shortblock is out of a '90 TBI truck, and I added the Vortec heads. The dipstick on it might work, but I'm slightly concerned there will be interference with the A/C compressor. On the trucks, the serpentine brackets place the accessories higher up. The cars have them lower to clear the hood-line and TPI tubing. The truck dipstick is angled right towards the lines that exit the rear of the A/C compressor. It would work on a V-belt 3rd Gen, but I'm pretty certain it will hit the A/C lines on a Serpentine belt car. Does yours angle forward like that, or did they run them some other way on the real Vortec trucks?