aww crud! Help! Oil spraying out of dipstick

[streetdak]

So I got everything buttoned up on my 73, trying to get her ready to make a trip to the exhaust shop. So I took her for her newest maiden voyage after the cleanup/header project.

After once around the block I get her back in my driveway and see Oil spraying out from where the dipstick tube meets the block.

I know # 1 that yeah the disptick tube seems to have a hole where the seam is. I'm hoping all I have to do is replace the dipstick tube and voila i'm fixed.

However, with my new aluminum valve covers im only running a breather on one and a oil fill cap on the other. My question is am I building too much pressure in the crankcase meaning if I put in a new dipstick tube oil will still shoot up and out of it, or is my solution going to be installing a PVC system. The oil is spraying, not just leaking.

Any help I'd appreciate!

 

[moper]

The tube is probably cracked where it's flanged to the part that slides into the block. The goo news is that's not a big deal and it's just splashed oil coming out. The bad news is if there's oil coming out, you will need to be very careful removing the old one, as if it breaks off in the block, it's a royal PITA to get the stump out... In fact, I've never been able to do it without dropping the pan and tapping it up and out from the bottom...

 

[1968FormulaS340]

Sounds like you have excess crankcase pressure to me but you really need to fix the known leak to really see where you are.

 

[streetdak]

The tube is probably cracked where it's flanged to the part that slides into the block. The goo news is that's not a big deal and it's just splashed oil coming out. The bad news is if there's oil coming out, you will need to be very careful removing the old one, as if it breaks off in the block, it's a royal PITA to get the stump out... In fact, I've never been able to do it without dropping the pan and tapping it up and out from the bottom...

Well I think your absolutely right!

And I've had to do this once before on a 318 I had in my Dakota. I may have got lucky, but I was able to find a bolt that was just big enough to thread in about 3/4 of a inch. Then from underneath with a screw driver on the head of the bolt I tapped it right out.

I hope if I have to do this again I get lucky like I did that time!

Sounds like you have excess crankcase pressure to me but you really need to fix the known leak to really see where you are.

I hope just replacing the dipstick works, but if not, is PVC my solution?

 

[RedFish]

Oil is pushed up the tube when the engine is running. That's the reason it leaks so when the tube cracks. Look through my previous posts on the topic for explanation of making a slide hammer to pull the stub out of the block from the top.

 

[streetdak]

awesome, will do, thanks redfish!