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View Full Version : not bashing, my 2 experiences with the bulltear dipstick combo.


3rdelement
10-20-2010, 10:07 AM
ok, so like the subject line says I'm not bashing. This is my experience with the part. The guys at bulltear have been great. Is this just a fluke? or did i get 2 badly fitting parts?

I bought one and it went in with some heavy persuasion, but the dipstick was hitting the baffle in the oil pan., I removed the tube, reinstalled it with a forward tilt, cleared the baffle this time. but with the last strike needed to seat the oiltube, it broke the ledge and punctured the tube. I was very lucky, and was able to get the broken shaft out from the block. I chalked it up to my inexperience. and called for a replacement part.

it arrived quickly enough, and was in good shape. the bend was slightly more extreme than the previous one. but this time i wasnt going to screw it up. So i called in some help: experienced engine builder for the last 30 years. first thing he did was to compare it to the stock oem dipstick. the oem one was shorter, and the part that goes into the block had a very slight bend. The new one was 1" longer in the part that goes into the block, and had a very definite curve also was .010 larger in outside diameter at the tip. after about a half hour of checking and rechecking, cleaning the hole it goes into. he attempted the installation. the tube made it maybe 3/4 of an inch, to the beginning of the curve in the oiltube. it wouldnt budge. so the modification began. we tried smoothing the surface of the tube...that didnt really help.

so at this point he made me a deal, he would modify it to fit. if it didnt work. he would buy the replacement part. :thumbsup: go for it buddy.
so here is what he did:
1.) removed 1" from the insertion portion of the oil tube(to match oem length)
installed.....still went in barely...curve was still the problem
2.) using a pipe bending tool, he slowly straightened the curve out of the insertion portion.
bending a lil and slowly it would install further and further
3.) next he used a round file and filed the surface of the remaining curve down. he also filed down the tip to be a slight taper.
installed a lil better again.
3.) next he used what he called emry paper( looked like blue sandpaper to me)
and with this the oiltube installed all the way to the small bumps below the ledge.

the dipstick is installed now, with a slightly forward rotation to clear the baffle, but thats as far as the part would go.

-if i were just reading all this, i would say...well your block just had some debris in the hole, thats why it was so hard to install.

-or, you are a moron...sell your jeep. :eek:

just seems like this was just a huge ordeal that really shouldnt have been.

jeepsr4ever
10-20-2010, 08:22 PM
Just so you know their is no difference between the $14.99 tube and ours they are the same tube their is only one mfg. We press ours in a die and then beartex wheel polish them. Both tubes should have the same arc in them only one looks more polished. Again they are made by the same mfg there arent two different tubes out there. The tube comes with a .345-.355 tang size. It will not fit into the block without snapping in stock form anymore. AMC made these tubes right at .334 for a press fit and for proper retention. I personally made the die to fix these tubes but you dont want to rely on a die to get your part withing .001 so it was designed to get it close then we use a beartex (like scotchbrite but harder) wheel to polish it into size. Some seem to think you can just grind a thin walled tube .020" and have a press fit without it snapping.

3rdelement
10-20-2010, 11:06 PM
so when i build my next 360, what is the trick to getting it to fit?

seems like a lot of modifying had to be done just to get it close to installed.

jeepsr4ever
10-21-2010, 01:26 PM
so when i build my next 360, what is the trick to getting it to fit?

seems like a lot of modifying had to be done just to get it close to installed.

What did you use to install it and break the top ring off?

3rdelement
10-21-2010, 03:16 PM
the first one I customized a section of steel pipe to grip most of the ring.

the second install he used the largest flathead screwdriver ide ever seen.

seventynine
10-22-2010, 09:20 AM
FWIW...After breaking an new tube from another vendor I bought one from Bulltear and it tapped right in...no modifications.

I gently locked a small pair of vice grips on to the tube right above the seat ring and tapped that with a long piece of steel rod and a hammer. It went in very easy.

3rdelement
10-22-2010, 09:22 AM
yeah thats what i had heard. and what i expected to have for my experience with the part.