50farmtruck Posted June 12, 2011 Report Posted June 12, 2011 (edited) I bead blasted my dipstick & now the cap is totally free. Not such a big deal except that if the stick is not at the proper height then the reading will not be accurate. I was going to braze it in place till my mechanic friend told me I should make sure there isn't supposed to be some sort of gasket holding it in place. I haven't been able to find this information when I searched the forum. Any input on this would be much appreciated. Thank you, Bryan Edited June 14, 2011 by 50farmtruck forgot the picture Quote
50farmtruck Posted June 14, 2011 Author Report Posted June 14, 2011 No one? I just need to know if any of your caps are solidly mounted to the stick or is there some sort of rubber or leather piece up inside the cap holding it in place. I'd really like to know for sure before I go putting heat to this thing. Then there's the issue of the cap's location. There are 2 wear marks on the stick where it could go & the difference between the 2 could mean 1-2 quarts of oil. As it is, the stick does not stop till it hits something, maybe the bottom of the pan (not sure). My thought is that the cap should be what hits & stops the stick from hitting. I'm lost on this one & would really appreciate any help. Thanks, Bryan Quote
Merle Coggins Posted June 14, 2011 Report Posted June 14, 2011 I don't believe my dipstick has any seal or gasket up in the cap. It's just sort of crimped to the stick as I recall. Merle Quote
ggdad1951 Posted June 14, 2011 Report Posted June 14, 2011 yah, what Merle said, mine is loosely on there with a crimp type gig. No gasket or solid connection. Quote
Dave72dt Posted June 14, 2011 Report Posted June 14, 2011 I think he needs a length also for refastening the cap in the right place. I can't help. No flathead and no dipstick for one. Quote
50farmtruck Posted June 14, 2011 Author Report Posted June 14, 2011 (edited) Thank you guys. That's a big help. At least now I wont stress on brazing the thing. I was thinking that would be a bad idea if the stick is made of spring steel or even if it is tempered. I can try to figure out where it is hitting & go from there to get my level correct but if anyone can help with a measurement that would be great too. Thanks again, Bryan Edited June 14, 2011 by 50farmtruck Quote
JBNeal Posted June 17, 2011 Report Posted June 17, 2011 (edited) I finally got some time to look at the dipsticks on the '48 & '49 and took a few pics of what I found. The '51 has the dipstick with the round loop handle, with the tube cap brazed on but no gasket. The '48 has a '53 Plymouth motor in it, and its tube cap is brazed on as well. It appears to have a cork gasket shoved up in there that is gummed up. But the '49 has some interesting details, including a gasket made of the same material as the strip that catches oil on the flywheel cover. The tube cap is not brazed, and it is loose, allowed to float around when the loop handle is squeezed together. When the loop handle is released, there is a clear gab between the spring steel legs that you could drop a paper clip through. I reckon I'm gonna try my hand at getting that dipstick brazed like the others, and make a small gasket for all of them. It's a small detail I can do anytime, and will help keep trash out of the crankcase. Edited August 25, 2021 by JBNeal revised pictures Quote
50farmtruck Posted June 17, 2011 Author Report Posted June 17, 2011 I finally got some time to look at the dipsticks on the '48 & '49 and took a few pics of what I found. The '51 has the dipstick with the round loop handle, with the tube cap brazed on but no gasket. The '48 has a '53 Plymouth motor in it, and its tube cap is brazed on as well. It appears to have a cork gasket shoved up in there that is gummed up.But the '49 has some interesting details, including a gasket made of the same material as the strip that catches oil on the flywheel cover. The tube cap is not brazed, and it is loose, allowed to float around when the loop handle is squeezed together. When the loop handle is released, there is a clear gab between the spring steel legs that you could drop a paper clip through. I reckon I'm gonna try my hand at getting that dipstick brazed like the others, and make a small gasket for all of them. It's a small detail I can do anytime, and will help keep trash out of the crankcase. Very interesting indeed. Thank you for that info & for the pictures! Bryan Quote
JBNeal Posted August 25, 2021 Report Posted August 25, 2021 I found some NOS dipsticks awhile back and was able to verify that a felt type gasket was originally used to seal off the dipstick tube 1 Quote
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