[DeTomaso] really dumb question about oil

[MikeLDrew at aol.com]

In a message dated 4/10/12 21 51 43, chrisvkimball at msn.com writes:


> Since the end of my dipstick tube was shortened, all I have to know is 
> the correct distance between the end of the tube and the leading edge of the 
> bar, and it will reveal how short my tube is (this has now moved into the 
> "how can anyone resiste that joke" territory...!)
> Anyone want to run out into their garage and take that measurement for me?
> 

I have an extra original dipstick and tube.

The length of the tube, from the flange where it enters the block, to the 
end of the tube where the dipstick enters, is right about roughly exactly 26 
inches.   It's difficult to measure it accurately; I used a piece of masking 
tape along the outside radius of the curve, then pulled the tape off and 
measured it.

As an aside, I feel like an idiot.

For years and years I've been telling people about the Ford TSB, that 
1971-72 Panteras came from the factory with a dipstick that was too long, and 
that it needed to be cut and shortened to measure exactly 38 inches, blah blah 
blah.   Cars with a proper-length dipstick then had their handles painted 
yellow to signify that the work had been done (and cars made after 12/72 came 
with right-length dipsticks).

While screwing around with my engine the past few weeks, I took the 
opportunity to buy a replacement dipstick and tube off E-bay, since the support had 
broken off my tube and was lost, so the tube flopped around in the breeze.  
 My new assembly arrived, stripped to bare metal, so I had the tube 
powdercoated and installed it.

The dipstick was in pretty rough shape, but the handle was yellow.   Mine 
was black, but I always assumed it had been painted black (when I bought my 
car the whole engine was black).   I decided to check, and lo and behold, my 
old dipstick was unmodified and thus too long!

So for the past 21 years I've been running around with my oil level too 
low!   DUH!!!!!

In comparing the lengths of the dipsticks, I could see that the 'full' mark 
on my dipstick is just about equal with the 'add' mark on the proper-length 
dipstick.   Rather than cut mine and braze it per the TSB, I'm just going 
to treat 'full' as 'add', and throw another quart in whenever it gets down to 
the 'full' mark.

Still, DUH!

Mike