1996 Marquis 4.6L oil dipstick tube removal

[sam1drake]

I am trying to remove the oil dipstick tube from the engine block. I have it unbolted at the top but it is tight in the block. Can't twist it loose. Is it fastened in there somehow. I don't see any screws. It appears that it might just be rusted tight but I don't want to apply too much force to remove it until I find out what holds it in there. Need to remove the tube so I can remove the head with the exhaust manifold attached.

[way2old]

It is a press fit into the block. I believe you are right on the rust. Spraying lubricant and patiently twisting it will eventually break it free. Good luck

[sam1drake]

Hey way2old, I got some great help over on the Caravan forum (instrument cluster). Here you pop up again. Are you sure you are way too old?

Thanks, I will be shortly taking ice pick and digging all the rust loose I can, PB blasting a bit and then it is going to come out even if I have to destroy it.

I am replacing a blown headgasket resulting from the infamous pastic intake manifold. The tube needs to come out so I can lift the head off without removing the exhaust manifold. Haynes is a hit or miss, and it missed the oil diptstick tube.

[way2old]

You must have me confused. I don't go to Dodge forums unless I am requested to go there.( So far I haven't been asked. ) Good luck with the 4.6. If you have 2 people, you might be able to wiggle the head and manifold assembly up and over the tube bracket. We have bent the bracket a little and straighten it back out on installation. Be careful if you try this, The bracket can break easily.

[sam1drake]

OOP's its me that is way too old. I now remember that you helped me earlier on this forum on the same day I was trying to help a friend in need with a Dodge carvan. I must say that forum is very active. Got a lot of reponses. A lot of people having dead instrument clusters. I will stick with the Ford.

I got the tube out today by clamping onto it at the top, then used a pry bar to pull up on it, kinda stretched the curves out, then tied the pry bar in that position with a wire to maintain the tension, then got underneath and pryed the tube back and forth (wiggle) until it came out. It was stubborn. Even after it pulled loose at the bottom I had to slide the head toward the fender quite a way before the tube curve would pull around the engine mount.

My heads are going to need machining. Can they do that with the camshaft and valves and exhaust manifold on it or do they havre to be removed.

I was amazed at the clean combustion chambers. Close to 90 thousand miles and nothing but bare metal on the poston tops and dome in head. Its a shame about the intake manifold. That engine was running like new.

I am also wondering if there is anything that I need to do to help get the coolant out of the rings. Two cylinders were getting water in them.

[way2old]

A machine shop should remove and replace the valve train for you. At least the one I use areoun here does it. So, I guess you just need to ask how far you need to strip them. As far as coolant in the rings, don't worry about that. It will run down through thew gaps and into the poil pan. Just remember to change the oil as the last thing you do on the motor.

[sam1drake]

I have another decision to make. The machine shop will mill the heads for $40 each with the camshaft still in place. For an additional $120 they will do a "head job" which I don't think is needed except for questions about the umbrella seals. Did the overheating deteriorate the umbrella seals? I wouldn't mind if this car lasted another 100K miles.

Anyone have a comment about the durability of the umbrella seals in these cars? I remember that the umbrella seals in cars built back in the 60's and 70's would deterioriate in just a few years of driving and you would have a oil burner that only needed umbrella seals replaced.

[way2old]

If it were mine and I was expecting to keep it for a while, I would invest in the complete head repair. Nothing is worse than having to go back in and repair something small that should have been done previouslyIf the heads have never been off, the seals are more than likely due for replacement anyway. Good luck with the project.

[sam1drake]

New wrinkle. --- The guru at the shop where I took the heads to be milled, checked the bow in the heads. A .009" feeler gauge goes under the middle of a straight edge laying along the length of the block (both heads). He says that if he machines that much material off the head that the camshaft journals will be pulled into a bow when the head is torqued down and that it frequently causes problems. I have not seen this mentined in any repair procedures but it made sense.

Another man I talked to said that he took a head like that and insteaad of milling it he torqued it back down on the block with no gasket and when he removed the head most of the bow was gone. I find that a little far fetched but I learn things every day that i didn't expect to.