Hello All,
I'm trying to figure out where to get an oil dipstick tube for a 1987 Trans Am GTA with a 350. From what I've read on the forums the 1987 oil dipstick tube is unique and all the other dipstick tubes don't fit "depth" wise correctly. The actual tube for this has been discontinued and I can't find it anywhere online or locally at junkyards.
A. My question is, does anyone know what other Vehicles made that year that I could pull one from that would match.
B. Has anyone found a good after market one that would fit this year/model.
Any help would be appreciated.

 

Take yours out and take some measurements, The only critical measurement will be how far it sticks into the block, the rest is just for accessibility in the engine bay.

 

I was going to do that but the tube must have rusted and the previous owner cut some of the center of the tube out and used a hose to connect the two pieces.

 

That is a huge no-no, as you could be several quarts low on oil or several quarts overfilled and have no idea. How much do you value the bearings in your engine? Get a new one asap. As for finding a replacement, I see no reason why there would be a special dipstick tube. Small block is small block, as long as the oil sump didn't change.

 

From what I've read, This particular year the tube was placed lower on the block and others have said they used the wrong one and were getting no reading. If I can' figure it out, I'll have to put in an aftermarket one, drain the oil, put in the recommended amount and mark the new dipstick.

 

Too bad I no longer have the original dipstick for my car! I would look at an aftermarket one, as long as its not a deep sump one or something it should work. Check out summit racing, I bet they will have something

 

There is no difference specific to 87 in that way.

It's a small block Chevy. The hole was in the same place in ALL up to the early 80, then moved to a new place where they ALL were up to the present (although of course they only came in vehicles up to 2000, they're a "service replacement part" only since then).

A brief search of the entire Summit catalog returned these results. It was almost as easy as using the google.

1987 CHEVROLET CAMARO Engine Oil Dipsticks Oiling Systems Engines & Components Parts & Accessories | Summit Racing

 

I had done the same search. The Mr. Gaskets show as only fitting the 305 engines not the 350. The GM parts list has a separate tube for 87 and 88 with the 350 as opposed to the 305. Would a 305 and a 350 share the same dipstick tube? If so why did they sell two separate tubes? I'm not trying to be difficult, I'm just new to these cars. I've only worked on International up until now.

 

I’m sure someone else will chime in as well, but to my knowledge the 305 and 350 blocks are more or less identical, it’s just the bore that is a different size. The dipstick tube should be the same for both and should insert in the same location.

 

305 and 350 in any given year were IDENTICAL IN EVERY WAY on the outside. The ONLY difference, besides the numbers cast into them, was the bore diameter. The same thing applies to the 262.5, 265, 267, 283, 302, 307, and 327, in all the years those were available. The 400 was very slightly different externally from other motors in some years though: some had 3 core plugs down the side instead of 2, and of course the crank damper and flex plate were different; but even that CID used the same oil level gauge & tube assembly as all the other sizes that were made in the same year.

Probably changed something profound like the color of the little plastic plug in the end of the tubing the handle is made out of. After all, I know I've seen green ones and yellow ones, and I think I've seen red ones. Maybe they updated the part # when they made some production change to replacement parts in the one listing but failed to update the other, because they were selling so few that nobody bothered to notice. Who knows?

Yes of course. Why wouldn't they? Why would they be different? Think of it that way instead of the way you asked it.

I learned A LONG TIME AGO not to be bothered asking questions like this. Could be ANY NUMBER of things, none of which has anything to do with what actually "fits" what. Trying to decipher "why" GM did something of that sort (or what was more likely, how it "just happened"), 35 years after the fact, is about as useless and non-productive a pursuit as I can think of. Unless you just want to wrap your brain all up into a twist and bewilder yourself.

Go ahead and get one for a 305 if that's all you can find listings for. It'll fit and work and do everything it's supposed to, because a 350 one would be the same anyway. Do be aware though, the little mounting tab on the tube, attaches to an exhaust manifold stud; and if you have headers installed on the car instead of the original manifolds, it won't fit just exactly right. You'll have to tweeeek it a little bit.

 

I can tell you my 89 305 dipstick didn't fit on my 87 350 out of an Iroc. When I picked up the 350 engine the dipstick tube was bent up so I tried to use the 89 305 dipstick and I remember it not fitting, cant remember exactly why maybe it had something to do with me going to headers? I wound up using an aftermarket dipstick on my 87 engine and had to make my own notch at the full level because it wasn't calibrated just right.

 

Ok, Just to give some closure to anyone else looking for this info. The Mr Gasket 6238 or the 6238MRG, fits the 1987 trans am gta with the 350 engine. The tube fits perfectly and the bracket lines up perfectly to secure the tube. The dipstick is the same length as the old dipstick, so I used the new tube with the old dipstick. I drained the oil and put in exactly 5 quarts and the dipstick reads exactly at the full line. By the way, its a little tight and your going to want to pull on the tube bracket to get it in. Don't, it will snap off. I found that out the hard way. Thanks to everyone for your input.

 

 

I have a Mr gasket one in my car now for years
chrome works mint. Zero issues