My Cure for Broken Leaking Dipsticks

I got tired of replacing dipsticks tubes every time I pulled an engine that had a cracked or broken one. The fix is best applied while the oil pan is off. At that time you can also drive the broken off piece, of old tube, out of the passage in the block with a hammer and a punch. A little brake cleaner and compressed air clears the metal partials away.


You don’t have to drill anything because the hole in the block is already the right size for tapping to 1/8 NPT. You tap it about ¾ inch deep. Then when you are done with assembling the engine, screw in the fitting with loc-tite on the threads. The fitting is a 1/8 NPT – 3/8 compression fitting.


Next measure the length of the broken off piece. Insert the broken piece or a new tube in to the fitting and mark the length off from the block to whatever your measurement was and cut it with a tubing cutter. With the tube inserted in to the fitting tighten the compression nut.



Do not over tighten the fitting into the block it is brass and to much force will break it. I don’t leave the fitting in the block until it’s time to assembly the front of the engine because the fitting is the thing sticking out the farthest. If you set the block with the front down, you can break it.


You now have a removable dipstick tube, that won’t crack at the base where the tube goes in to the block.

View attachment dipstick2.jpg

View attachment dipstick4.jpg

View attachment dipstick5.jpg