Well, it's cracked. How bad is it?

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demon322

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Feeling pretty sick over here. Was attempting to remove the remnants of a broken dipstick tube. Tried a screw, a drill bit, and an easy out with little luck. Already frustrated, I noticed this in the dipstick tube passage. My heart sank.

Is it as bad as I'm afraid that it is? Can it be repaired? I have some JB weld if that might be an option.

Any advice or ideas? Pretty stressed at the moment.

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If it isn't cracked into a water jacket or oil passage I wouldn't be concerned about it. Don't look that bad from here.
 
If it isn't cracked into a water jacket or oil passage I wouldn't be concerned about it. Don't look that bad from here.
There isn't a water passage their that I know of, but I could be mistaken. As far as I can tell it just opens into the oil pan area.
 
Drill a 1/8"th hole where the crack ends, and call it a day.
I'm not sure I follow. Drill the hole at the bottom on the open area? I don't know that I could get to the top end of the crack with the crank still in.

Thanks for the replies. Perhaps it's not quite as bad as I had feared...
 
Grind off the broken piece so nothing can fall off and forget about it. Reinstall the dip stick tube and put it back together.
 
screw, a drill bit, and an easy out
The tube is "pressed", or a friction fit, in the block. All the methods chosen would've expanded it more, and increasing the difficulty. Acquire some drill rod just a smidgeon smaller than the tube's OD. From the top side, drive the remnant piece out. Flush the bore out with brake cleaner. Install the new one with some industrial epoxy at the bottom. Make sure there's release agent on the new tube so it is not glued in and can be removed if needed. The epoxy will give you a new "hole" and help hold things together.
 
get a hold of Mike, from MRL
he sells locking dipsticks that mount to the cylinder head
that should help keep it in place
Drill a 1/8"th hole where the crack ends, and call it a day.

he means, look up from where the crack goes upwards into the block, and drill a hole at the very end of the crack
this will prevent it from fracking any further
 
Used an old sbm pushrod to knock it out from the bottom. Knock that cracked piece off and smooth it out.
 
I'd just fill it with JB weld, let it harden, and redrill the hole. Not a huge problem there. There's no stress except what you added trying to get the busted off part out.
 
What's it look like from the outside? How much from "the other side" is NOT cracked?
 
Hard to tell where the crack stops, but if it's just that small amount, a dremel with a cut off wheel to remove that small Chuck, smooth it out and call it a day, or use some epoxy to fill the crack. Then When you re install the dipstick put a little bit of "the right stuff" sealer on it and stick it in the hole
 
My 383 block had a small crack at the pan rail, I used a little moroso a/b epoxy and it is still holding in there
 
The tube is "pressed", or a friction fit, in the block. All the methods chosen would've expanded it more, and increasing the difficulty. Acquire some drill rod just a smidgeon smaller than the tube's OD. From the top side, drive the remnant piece out. Flush the bore out with brake cleaner. Install the new one with some industrial epoxy at the bottom. Make sure there's release agent on the new tube so it is not glued in and can be removed if needed. The epoxy will give you a new "hole" and help hold things together.
Sounds reasonable. The tube looks pretty smooth on the inside so I'm not sure how much of it is still in there. I can see the beveled edge of the tube on the top so I know at least the top part is. So you are saying fix the crack with epoxy and install a new tube. What type of release agent do you recommend?
 
I'd just fill it with JB weld, let it harden, and redrill the hole. Not a huge problem there. There's no stress except what you added trying to get the busted off part out.
I agree that the crack was caused by my removal attempt. Are you saying fill the entire hole with JB and drill a completely new hole the size of the dipstick tube? I must be misunderstanding.
 
What's it look like from the outside? How much from "the other side" is NOT cracked?
The outside meaning the topside? There are no cracks on the top side of the block where the tube inserts if I am understanding you correctly. Not sure I am though. If you mean the underside, opposite the crack it seems to be ok.
 
Hard to tell where the crack stops, but if it's just that small amount, a dremel with a cut off wheel to remove that small Chuck, smooth it out and call it a day, or use some epoxy to fill the crack. Then When you re install the dipstick put a little bit of "the right stuff" sealer on it and stick it in the hole
Not sure what you mean by Chuck. The beveled part of the dipstick tube on the topside? Would you use JB weld to try to fill the crack and then try to smooth the hole enough to install a new dipstick tube?

Thanks all for the replies. I appreciate them and you helping to lower my stress level a bit.
 
I wouldn't, because even though the block is metal it is permeated with oil and glue's will have a hard time staying there and end up in the oil to get sucked up and pumped into the bearings.

I would SO reach in there and snap off that piece from the crack around towards the crank with a pair of needle nose then red RTV the new stick tube in and run that thing for 20 years.

I'd snap it off intentionally so it didn't snap off later and possibly get taken up by crank windage and get somewhere disastrous.
 
I wouldn't, because even though the block is metal it is permeated with oil and glue's will have a hard time staying there and end up in the oil to get sucked up and pumped into the bearings.

I would SO reach in there and snap off that piece from the crack around towards the crank with a pair of needle nose then red RTV the new stick tube in and run that thing for 20 years.

I'd snap it off intentionally so it didn't snap off later and possibly get taken up by crank windage and get somewhere disastrous.
That definitely is another way to go ha. I guess I am just afraid of what all else would snap off if I grab that and start moving it around. Not saying your wrong, it just makes me nervous. It doesn't seem to be loose or wiggling around now, would you not attempt a patch on it first? Your concern I guess is over time and under stress that crack could grow on its own and that piece would break off and I wouldn't know until it was too late. I guess that hole is just to help guide the dipstick to the right location? If that is the case I guess missing a section of it wouldn't be the worst thing, unless without the extra guide the stick hits the windage tray.
 
The outside meaning the topside? There are no cracks on the top side of the block where the tube inserts if I am understanding you correctly. Not sure I am though. If you mean the underside, opposite the crack it seems to be ok.

Yes, the outside. How far up to the outside of the hole does the crack come? I agree 100% thet you NEED to break that piece OFF and file the edges down. That in itself will stop the crack because the piece will break off AT the crack's end. Once broken off and filed, the crack will be fixed. As long as there is still enough length to the hole and the tube will still press in, it will be fine. Besides, doesn't the tube have a bracket on it that attaches to the head? If not, PUT one on it.
 
I did just that. Like I said though I do not think I can get to the top of the crack to drill it with the crank still in the engine.

Then remove it. How important is this to get right? Just a little bit, or a whole frikkin lot? I think "I" know the answer if you don't.
 
Yes, the outside. How far up to the outside of the hole does the crack come? I agree 100% thet you NEED to break that piece OFF and file the edges down. That in itself will stop the crack because the piece will break off AT the crack's end. Once broken off and filed, the crack will be fixed. As long as there is still enough length to the hole and the tube will still press in, it will be fine. Besides, doesn't the tube have a bracket on it that attaches to the head? If not, PUT one on it.
Another vote for breaking the piece off.

The outside doesn't appear to be cracked at all. The crack seems to be completely on the underside. I just worry how much will pull off with that piece if I grab on to it and try to break it off. But, like you said, no more crack. There should be plenty of length left to the hole as the tube does not push in very far at all from the top. There is a bracket on the head to attach the tube. So the hole on the underneath side I assume is just to help guide the stick where it needs to go? As long as it still routes past the windage tray I would be ok there.
 
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