Toocool

The oil dipstick in my 330 Vista Cruiser is hard to pull out and harder to put back in. The stick has to be turned just right and even then its very hard to push in without it bending. Sometimes it takes 5-6 tries to get it in and seated, then have to do it all over again to check the oil with a clean stick. I have reamed out the top of the tube to make sure its not squeezed together or smashed in any way. Is there a replacement tube and stick that would make it easier? How hard is it to replace on a small block Olds? Its very annoying since my car does use a little oil so I have to keep a close eye on it.

olds 307 and 403

It must have a bend somewhere, probably near the base. They aren't hard to remove once broken off, done that many times. A slide hammer should do the trick. I usually put a self tapping screw in, vise grips on it and tap up with a hammer.

Greg Rogers

Well you may be opening a can of worms. (MAW worms...) Yes the broken off tube is easy to remove if you have the engine out or at least the exhaust manifold. I have cut the tube off leaving enough tube to put a bolt or something like that in it, then use vise grips and I have gotten them out-maybe, or broken them off at the block- then you're screwed. You then have to fix it which means taking off the oil pan to tap tube out from the bottom (probably remove engine). If you don't fix it after breaking it off you will leak oil out of the tube. Good luck but I would live with it until you are planning to do other work where you can get easy clearance. Meanwhile try not to bend that tube as it probably is smashed and will break off if it gets bent back and forth a few times. Good luck with it.

Fun71

No need to pull the engine or oil pan. As olds 307 and 403 said above, this is where the screw into the broken end and a slide hammer are used. I did that the last time I broke the tube off flush with the block.

Greg Rogers

I suppose that might work actually.... I still wouldn't try it unless it had already broken off. Well anyway keep us posted, Toocool if you do it.