Anyone have any suggestions?

This actually isn't even on my Olds, but I was pulling the heads off my truck (350 Chev) and the cheap chrome dipstick tube cracked off at the bulge. There's still a small lip sticking out that I can grab with vice grips, but of course there's no way to get any leverage on it, and I don't want to deform or destroy the remainder of the top without some assurance that I'm doing something other than making it impossible to get at it from the top.

Would applying heat help? I really, really don't want to have to pull the engine to get at the tube from the bottom...

 

Oh geeze that definitely bites...and I can empathize. I took my car in to have some headers installed and the shop broke the dipstick tube off. We had to pull the exhaust manifold, use a chisle to pound the stick into a narrow piece. Then we used a punch to pound it down into the pan. (Careful not to score the hole of course) Then, we had to drop the pan and use a magnetic tool retriever to fish it out. Luckily there was just enough clearance between the cross member or we would have had to unbolt the motor mounts and jack the engine up to get the pan dropped. The pick up screen sits right over the top drain plug so you can't just fish it out from the bottom through the plug hole. Grrr...New pan gasket, new front and rear seals, new oil, and new dipstick tube.

It's a big ole' pain in the ***...Sorry to hear about your plight. Like I said, been there done that. Hope this helps and good luck.

 

Hows about glueing a 5/16? or 1/4 bolt into the tube and after it sets up you have something to pull on??

 

Or take a piece of stainless (or some other strong metal bar or wire) with a slightly smaller diameter than the tube, put a small hook on the end of it with a handle on the other end and try and pull it out.

 

ive heard good success by threading a bolt the right size into the hole, click on vice grips and hammer up on the vice grips

 

Good thoughts.

I'll work out what order to try some of those in, from smallest PITA to biggest PITA.

Sadly, no matter what works, it's still going to be a PITA :-)

 

I've used a slide hammer with a sheet metal type threaded bolt that fits tightly in the dip stick tube. I've removed a couple this way and once you get a good fit with the screw the tube came out pretty easily. John

 

Use a fine thread tap the right size for the tube with grease so no metal goes into the pan. It's also a good idea to stuff some kleenex into the tube. Then screw a fine thread bolt as far as you can into the tube & use vice grips with the slide hammer attachment. The only time this doesnt work is if the tube is too badly rusted. If that's the case, your only option is to pull the oil pan. Good luck. Let us know what works for you.

 

When all else fails and you still have a little left to nibble on use and EZ-OUT and call it a night....sweet....

 

X2 on the slide hammer. What I've done is get two bolts, one that threads into the tube and one that threads into the fitting on my slide hammer. Weld them together end-to-end and it works great.

 

Got very lucky on this. Vaselined the tube, ran a tap into it (sadly, it was slightly too small; made half-cut threads, basically - but didn't make much grindings!), put a bolt into that, pulled the bolt right out without dislodging the tube.

BUT - the tube did shift while I was fiddling with it, so I threw caution to the wind, clamped onto the end with visegrips and twisted.

Popped right out.

:-)

 

I had a friend come over with a really large long set of needle nose pliers. reached down, and wiggled it right out.

 

Im trying to pull out mine right now. I have headers in the way and tried to put a screw in now all I have to do is pull that screw out but can't get to it please help.

 

I used an EZout also. Screwed it until snug and used a pair of visegrips on it to wiggle it out. Not a problem.

 

Vise grips won't reach but I managed to get it out with long needle nose pliers. But now my new transdapt #9404 won't fit?

 

I've used my slide hammer w/a screw attachment with success. Small block in a g-body with headers!!!!! Catastrophe avoided!!!!!