How long is your dipstick?

[timdog]

Kind of a personal question I know... here's why I'm asking...

I have a 200ci 1978 engine (head and block) in my 66 Mustang. It has a front sump oil pan and the dipstick tube appears to be located towards the REAR of the engine. I notice a small freeze plug toward the front that appears(?) to be an alternate location for a dipstick tube.

The day I bought it the previous owner had the dipstick sticking about 3" out of the tube, because he explained to me, if it was pushed all the way down you could hear the crank rattling and hitting the dipstick. Pulling it up the 3" aleviates the problem, but then oil comes out the top of the tube and splatters around. However, if it's pushed all the way down, it appears to read correctly (I verified by changing oil and adding 5 qts then checking the level).

I'm not sure the previous owner was too savy - he had a 1.5" carb and the intake manifold has a 1.75" bore... I'm thinking it may be the wrong dipstick? I went to a junk yard and took the dipstick off a 1976 Maverick - but it's significantly shorter. I'm highly confused...

Should the dipstick tube be located in the front or the rear? Does it matter whether it's a front or a rear sump? How long should the dipstick tube stick out of the engine? How long should the dipstick be?

I plan on taking off the oil pan soon anyway and this would be a good time to move the dipstick tube if needed.

Thanks for your help!

 

[JackFish]

I think the fox-bodies had the longer dipstick, and uses the rear boss.
They have a different shaped oil pan to clear the crossmember.
Not sure about the mavericks though.

 

[CoupeBoy]

I've got a 170 from a 1970 Maverick sitting on my shop floor. I will check out the location and the length when I get home.

-ron

 

[rocklord]

Never had a complaint yet.

 

[bubba22349]

Dip sticks always need to be matched to the oil pan used. Your engine came out of a Fox chassis car so oil pan needed to be changed from rear sump to a front sump and so will the dip stick and tube.

 

[Asa]

Longer than my longest finger, shorter than my foot.

Dipstick in my '67 is roughly 11 3/4" and sits between the distributor and fuel pump

 

[64falconsix]

I have 2 front sump dip sticks, 1 is 10" and the other is 12" the 10" is out of a 60 144 that I took out to install the 78 200, am not sure what year the 12" is from, it's from a old six I tore down looking for forged rods. just pull the tube and put the plug in the rear hole and get a stick and tube for the front. I filled the sump with the proper oil capacity then checked the level on the stick, it showed a little low so I cut a little off the tube with a tubing cutter..... reads good now. NPD has a repop of the tube and stick if you don't have one, http://www.npdlink.com/store/products/m ... -2845.html