So I have a 71 supreme with a 455. Its had some work done to it. I have installed the larger 1 7/8 Dougs headers and now I'm having trouble with the dipstick. 1. it will be resting on a header tube and 2. getting it pressed into the hole on the block. Any ideas? Saw an earlier post were the guy isn't using a dipstick. It seems I am trying to stuff 10lbs of s*** in a 5lb bag. The entire assembly barely fits in the frame.

 

I had to very slightly grind a VERY small amount of metal off around the flared section of the tube to get it into my block.Its now a snug fit, but wasnt so tight that i ruined the tube getting it in. If you do the same, perhaps you can bend it slightly so its not against the header.

 

The tops of the tube being close to the header is not an issue.

 

The dipstick tube is actually riding hard on the header tube. I'm worried about the excessive heat working its way down to the pan. Maybe I'm over thinking things. Thanks guys.

 

I don't that I would worry about it all that much. With the manifolds it is between the manifold and the head, so it gets plenty hot from the factory.

 

You are WAAAAAY overthinking this. Stop losing sleep over it. The oil is being splashed on the underside of the hot pistons inside the engine. The amount of heat conducted down the dipstick tube is negligible.

 

A crows foot wrench or an open end wrench with a helper is one way of driving it home into the block.

 

I'm new to headers, but will be installing a set on my project. The headers have a continuous flange, where the exhaust manifold has a notch for the dipstick tube. Do you install the dipstick tube after the headers are installed? Thanks!
Rodney

 

Yes. The real trick is pulling the tube out of the block without breaking it.

 

With my headers I had to file a small groove in the flange to get the dipstick tube to go through. Thank you all for your help. My mind is at ease