[DeTomaso] really dumb question about oil

[Christopher Kimball]

I find some measure of reassurance that you had the dipstick issue.  If it can happen to you, I guess it can happen to anyone!
I'll fill everyone in on my final analysis in my next list serve email.
Sincerely,
Chris

From: MikeLDrew at aol.com
Date: Wed, 11 Apr 2012 23:57:00 -0400
Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] really dumb question about oil
To: chrisvkimball at msn.com; detomaso at realbig.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