tommieb

Hi and thanks in advance. My oil dip stick is stuck and can not remove it to check the oil on 58 olds 371 motor. The tube that the stick slides into is lose a little but it also will not pull out of block. Also stick is out about an inch.
I have tried vice grips even a small clamp with a slide hammer and no luck?
will the tube on this motor pull out of the block? getting ready to pull the oil pan HELP !!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh this is a good running car and I changed oil last spring

Ozzie

Very interesting. Since the oil looked relatively "normal"(I'm assuming) last spring, it probably isn't due to goop. That tube should be pressed into the lower part of the block and should pull out if pulled hard enough. I suppose that the "expanded" portion of the dip stick (near the top) could have broken and jammed itself in the tube. How did it feel (and appear) the last time you had it out? Oil pan removal is a significant job (especially with single exhaust). I'd probably try exploring all possibilities with the stick & tube first. But try not to break anything. Some replacement parts are hard to find.

tommieb

Ozzie oil was normal and dip stick worked fine last spring.The tube is louse but will only come up an inch or so and it jams and the stick is stuck in the tube. Dual exhaust so pan does not look to bad to drop and I have a lift. Thanks

Ozzie

If the dip stick is out about an inch, can it be pushed back down fully? If so, try pushing it down fully and then rotate it and try pulling up again. If absolutely nothing works, you may have to remove the oil pan, but that may not be a guaranteed resolution. You will likely see the bottom of the block with the dip stick extending from it. It's difficult for me to imagine what could be holding the dip stick below its entry to the oil pan area.

tommieb

No can not push the dip stick down at all it is jammed in the tube. I bet some one may have used the wrong one? or it slipped down in the tube and the crank hit it and bend it? Thinking back it was allways a little hard to pull in and out. Just recivied a pan gasket kit so will pull the pan end of week. Want to thank every one for your help.

Ozzie

If it's the incorrect stick that would be an explanation. I have never seen a stock dip stick to be tight in the tube. Be careful who you let "handle" your car. I suppose that it's possible, but somehow I doubt that it got hit & bent by the crankshaft unless the tube was really loose in the block and no one paid any attention to it. Best wishes on the job. At least it will provide a good opportunity for inspection (& cleaning?) if you haven't been it there before.

tommieb

tommieb

must have slid down in the pan and crank bent the heck out of it

Fun71

There's a bulge on the tube to prevent it from going too far into the block, so how could the tube go further and contact the crank?

Charlie Jones

These tubes slide up toward the top of the block to come out .
Looks like this one came loose and the crank caught it and bent the heck out of it .

Looks like it was repaired with a braze job . That might have had something to do with with the problem.
Time for a new (or good used ) dipstick and tube .

oldcutlass

Looks like someone did some brazing on it. That explains why it would not come out...

tommieb

ya I don't know for sure the motor was rebuilt back in 1992 before I bought the car. The dip stick slid down and who know what they did.

Tedd Thompson

Still a mystery to me how it got past the bulge .... Tedd

Charlie Jones

The tube didn't go down into the pan .
It came loose and probably turned enough for the crank to catch it .

D. Yaros

Have to wonder, what was going on here?

Ozzie

Thanks for the photo documentation so we all can learn a bit more.

tommieb

Your Welcome