8ba dipstick problems- header interference- need ideas!

[Chris Wiehle]

I have a set of Sanderson headers on my 8ba. They are center dumps and eliminate any possibility of reinstalling the dipstick. Does anyone have any ideas on how to remedy this, or am I going to have to pull the pan, drill a new hole and mount some kind of new dipstick. I currently have a bolt threaded into the dipstick mount in the pan.
Thanks Chris

[Henry Floored]

I guess your 8BA does'nt have the truck pan on it with the large access cover in the bottom right? That'd be too easy. Maybe you can cut the tube and stick real short and run a litte stubby if you can get to it???

[Chris Wiehle]

I'll double check but I am sure the collector covers it up pretty well.

[Flatdog]

Sounds like a great job of enginering on the part of sanderson.You could pull the oil pan and move the dipstick mount ,lot of work.What does sanderson say? Everybody uses REDs in calf,or makes their own.

[Chris Wiehle]

Actually this was the second set of headers Sanderson sent me. I realized the dipstick problem after I had them on so I gave up and just kept them on the car. Should have went with Red's! Live and Learn!

[Chris Wiehle]

anybody else?

[296 V8]

How about bending the tube then cutting down a more flexible late model stick.

[Rocky]

Yeah, new fords use a stick made from ultra flexible speedo-cable kinda stuff. Has increments on the white plastic tip and could be cut to length and brazed to your existing handle.

[Kevin Lee]

Go to a parts store and just buy a generic chorme SBC dipstick. Unscrew the Ford piece and cut it down to about half an inch long. SLOT IT lengthwise down to the threads with a hacksaw. Cut SBC part down and bend to fit. Slide the new tube inside the old and hold in place with a small hose clamp. The flexible dipstick should slide right in...snip it to length with some tin snips and mark it full with a swipe from a small file...That's how mine is iset up to clear my exhaust until it's swapped for something better (the dipstick AND the exhaust)

[Andy]

I put in a Chevy dip stick. My boss was threaded. Maybe they all are. I found a pipe to tubing brass fitting. Drilled thru it so the Chevy tube would pass thru it. Screwed in into the boss and installed the tube to clear everything. Tightened the compression fitting. The Chevy tube already had a bend in it. I just angled it to the back. Had to put a notch in the stick to show the level. Was too long and I cut it down.

[Chris Wiehle]

I can't remember what it looked like in the crankcase. Do you think there would be a possibility of the flexible stuff getting caught up in the crank? I would assume not but that would be bad if it did.
C