Dipstick in front of my 302?

[xfactor]

Hey all,

The dipstick is in front of the engine on my '73 302? The 68 I used to have it was on the side. The dipstick has been trimmed and you can barely see a "safe" indicator line. Doesn't it have a tube that goes through the block?
It's measuring the oil level in the front (shallow part) of the pan, is this correct? Shouldn't that hole be on the side entering the block and going into the deep part of the pan?

Thanks,
Ray

 

[Nobody]

It's probably not the original motor. Front sump pans used a front dipstick. Duall sump pans like the EB MUST use the side dipstick. When I did the V8 conversion on my bronco II, I couldn't find a pan with a dipstick, so I tried to use the front dipstick and cut it down like yours is, and it does NOT work. I was thrilled when I changed the oil one time and about 2 quarts came out %)

 

[Jerrod4567]

Yeah, you have a timing chain cover off of a front sump pan engine. That will not work at all as it is measuring the oil incorrectly. There should be a bung in the side of your pan for the tube to enter and measure the oil level from the rear sump. If there is no bung it means that the oil pan came from a late model engine where the dipstick went through the side of the block rather than the pan. If that is the case you will need a new pan. Let me know if that is the case because I have one of those pans that I wouldnt mind selling.

 

[xfactor]

Thanks for the help.

One suggestion from a buudy was let all the oil drain for a couple of days and put 5 quarts back in (with a new filter), run the engine a few minutes and mark the dipstick with a drimmel tool.

Would the oil level in the pan be the same from back to front? Or am I missing something. I just had a new oilpan gasket put in and hate to redo it, but if it's wrong it's wrong.

Thanks

 

[Jerrod4567]

I think the problem with that is that the amount of oil in the front sump is not going to be consistant. The main oil supply is going to be stored in the rear sump. Say for instance your oil level is really low but you just so happen to have a good amount still trapped in the front sump, its going to give you a false reading. The front sump is much smaller and more shallow, I wouldn't trust my reading from that little sump by itself.

 

[BUCKETOBOLTS]

The factory EB pan had the dipstick in the pass side of the pan. If I recall right, that is about the only animal like this. Most 70's cars and 2wd trucks have the front sump pan and dipstick in the front cover. I'm not sure about vans. I think they are rears, but not sure. Then in the '80 most cars went to the double sump pan found in cars with rack and pinion steering. I believe this is when Ford began putting the dipstick in the block on the drivers side.

 

[xfactor]

So I get a new pan with the dipstick on the side-to-rear sump. What di I do with the hole/tube in the front/timing cover? Plug, does anyone know if it is screw in? Maybe I can put a bolt or some kind of plug there?

Thanks.
Ray

 

[BUCKETOBOLTS]

A 1/8" pipe plug works real good.

 

[Jerrod4567]

So I get a new pan with the dipstick on the side-to-rear sump. What di I do with the hole/tube in the front/timing cover? Plug, does anyone know if it is screw in? Maybe I can put a bolt or some kind of plug there?

Thanks.
Ray

Its not screw in you will need to tap it.

 

[unclebap]

Great! something else for me to worry about!
My dip stick is in the front and the side dipstick area has been welded up,do I have a problem?

 

[Jerrod4567]

Great! something else for me to worry about!
My dip stick is in the front and the side dipstick area has been welded up,do I have a problem?

I think its new oil pan time.

 

[73stallion]

I think its new oil pan time.

umm, that is a new oil pan he has. when the engine builder blew up the first engine on the dyno, he had to buy another oil pan for it.

 

[unclebap]

umm, that is a new oil pan he has. when the engine builder blew up the first engine on the dyno, he had to buy another oil pan for it.

Tis true, but am I getting a good oil reading?

 

[73stallion]

i personally don't know how far above teh sump the oil comes. what i'd do is just do an oil chance, and check it after you put 6 quarts in and start it.

 

[Jerrod4567]

umm, that is a new oil pan he has. when the engine builder blew up the first engine on the dyno, he had to buy another oil pan for it.

doh! lol So how did the hole get welded up for the dipstick tube?

 

[Jerrod4567]

i personally don't know how far above teh sump the oil comes. what i'd do is just do an oil chance, and check it after you put 6 quarts in and start it.

You cant trust that. That little front sump hardly holds any oil, the pickup is in the rear. Thats where the motor is drawing the oil and circulating it from. You could be quite low on oil and still get a good reading from the front sump simply because there is oil trapped in it.

I dont know that its worth it to yank the motor and change pans but I wouldnt trust the reading from the front sump, just not enough volume there, at least when you get a reading fromt he rear sump you know there is a lot of oil backing up that reading.

 

[chuck]

The problem with a double sump pan is the oil pick up is in the back part of the pan and the dip stick is measureing the oil in the front of the pan. So you can have NO oil in the oil pick up area (rear) and still read good level in the little front part. I am talking about the pans that have 2 drain plugs. You don't have to thread that front dip stick hole to plug it. They have freeze plugs just for that. The front dip stick was made for front sump pans but the EB front diff will hit a front sump.