Has anyone used the flexible dip sticks. I have no room to run a dipstick on my daily driver. The block is pre-79 and the exhaust manifolds are post 80. There is no way to put a solid tube in there? Is the actual stick the same as a stock stick? or is it a more flexible piece? Im guessing Ill need a 45 to 75 degree angle to get out from under the manifold. Thanks Dane
flexible dipsticks suck, the tube is so small it is hard to get the oil into it. I'd shorten a stocker cut a hole in the floor for access before I'd run a flexible one.
oh.....the only flexible dipsticks I've seen are for transmissions, so I just assumed it was for a trans, not the engine...doh....you were talking about a SBC. I'd put the early manifold on it.
The flexible ones work fine, just like the trans ones. Sometimes they are slightly harder to get the teflon stick back in, but when you need a way around something, they are an easy way out.
I guess I'm gonna have to subscribe to Street Rodder magazine so I can keep up with the latest stuff....
Don't know about the oil but with them being shiny trans fluid dosen't show up very good. Lightly sand it and score the full line to make it easier to see.
I ran into the same problem you are having, older block with newer manifolds....in my experience nothing will work. The flexible tubes for the dipsticks still have a solid end that sticks up out of the block too far and hits the manifold. You may get lucky and find something that works, I went with headers so problem solved there. Some early Novas had a dipstick in the side of the oil pan like a BBC does...maybe another route.
On the subject of TRANS dipsticks, I have a TH350 that I need a solution for. The Lokar ones are nice, but I want to make my own. My thought is to cut both ends off of my OEM unit and slide them in the I.D. of a piece of braided stainless and hose clamp them.
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