[DeTomaso] Dipstick photos and measurements // that's my final answer

[MikeLDrew at aol.com]

In a message dated 4/16/12 10 31 14, b.hower3400 at yahoo.com writes:


> So I now believe Ken has a valid point. If in fact the Mustang/Torino 
> engines were mounted at a 4 degree tilt and carburetor mounting surface was 
> then level. If in fact De Tomaso installed the engines in the Pantera level 
> and that all De Tomaso did originally was extent  the handle of the 
> dipstick  --  leaving the same distance from bottom of ridge to the full mark as it 
> came in the Ford shipped engine. Then with 5 qts of oil in the engine the 
> dipstick would read over full. This may be the reason the TSB had you 
> shorten the stick -- it should then read full with the 5 quarts in engine.
> 

It took a long time for us to all get around to this point, but I believe 
that's a brilliant deduction.   In fact, I'd hazard a guess that the stock 
Ford dipstick I'm going to test later this week will measure roughly the same 
as the too-long De Tomaso dipstick.   The Clue Light came on sometime in 
late 1972 and the dipsticks were then shortened to account for the 
level-versus-tilted orientation of the engine.

We'll see if this hypothesis is proven....

Mike