Dipstick

[Joe C.]

A couple questions about dipsticks for 1965 327 SHP. Does the original type dipstick tube taper at the top, or is the diameter constant. The only vendor that advertises this tapered style tube is Paragon. Also, should there be a lower tube inside the oil pan (inserted from the bottom of the dipstick tube hole in the block). I didn't install one.

How important is the windage tray attached to the main caps? I didn't install one of these either.

My dipstick tube broke off inside the block. I can try to get it from the outside. I can also remove the pan and tap it out from the inside, While I am in there, I can install the lower tube, and windage tray, IF THESE TWO ITEMS ARE NECESSARY.

As always, thank you in advance.

Joe

[Craig S.]

Re: Dipstick

Joe - no lower tube I am aware of...but the windage tray keeps entrained oil off the crankshaft to prevent horsepower reduction. At high rpms, there is a lot of oil spraying in there, and the windage tray reduces the horsepower loss...Craig

[Joe L.]

Re: Dipstick

Joe-----

The original upper dipstick tube used for 1965 was GM #3860319. I believe that this tube had the swaged down area at the top. This tube was discontinued from SERVICE in October, 1965 and from PRODUCTION about the same time and replaced by tube GM #3876784. This tube was used in PRODUCTION on 66-74 Corvettes. I believe that this tube does have the swaged down top just like the former tube. However, I don't know how it otherwise differs from the earlier.

In July, 1974 the GM #3876784 tube was discontinued from SERVICE and was replaced by GM #3865664. This tube has the same length as the above-referenced tubes, but it lacks the swaged down top. It is still available in SERVICE.

Your engine originally used a lower dipstick tube. This tube is inserted into the block dipstick tube hole prior to the installation of the upper dipstick tube. Originally, this tube was GM #3837233 and was 8-1/4" long. This tube was discontinued in 1969 and is replaced by tube GM #3951600 which I believe is still available.

If your engine uses a "5 quart" oil pan, then it never had an external oil baffle mounted to crank studs. If it has a "6 quart" pan, then it did originally use such a baffle. That baffle, GM #3769768, is discontinued but is available in reproduction. It is not absolutely essential for normal street operation, but if it were me and if you have the "6 quart" oil pan, I would install it.

You can remove the upper dipstick tube remnant from your block without removing the oil pan by making a "puller" from a piece of tubing or pipe of slightly larger diameter than the dip stick tube and a self tapping screw of sufficient size to "engage" the dipstick tube. Place the pipe on the block boss over the dipstick tube remnant, insert the screw (with a thick flatwasher) and draw the remnant out of the hole.

[Craig S.]

Re: Dipstick- live and learn!

I didn't realize there was a lower dipstick tube....was that just on certain small blocks? Or, it has been too long since I had a SB apart with all the BB's I have worked on lately...Craig

[Joe L.]

Re: Dipstick- live and learn!

Craig-----

Many 57+ small blocks used the lower tube. I don't know, at the moment, if they all did, but I believe that all 57-82 Corvette small blocks did.

[Clem Z.]

the lower dip stick tube

is there to make sure that the dip stick does not get caught by the cranshaft and when you use the windage tray it is nessisary to make sure the dipstick goes thru the hole in the tray and not on top of it.

[Joe C.]

Thanks Joe , Clem! *NM*

[Craig S.]

Re: the lower dip stick tube

Thx Joe and Clem...guess I will need to check the next time I have the pan off my 67 L79...Craig