Oil dipstick tube.

[mnemonicoverload]

Ok, I'm new here but I could really use a hand with this one.

My Festiva's oil dipstick tube is broken off at the base (the thing the dipstick slots into, not sure if there is a better name for it) and I've got oil going everywhere. I call the junk yard, they have one. Great, I think. But then they try to get it off the junker for an hour and a half, no dice. They even took off the oil pan and tried using a mallet to pop it out from the bottom. Is there a trick to getting these babies out?

EDIT: 93 1.3L EFI SOHC

[Festy46]

You could try heating the area where the tube enters the oil pump with a propane torch. The oil pump is aluminum and the dipstick tube is steel so the aluminum should expand more than the steel tube and make it easier to remove. If that doesn't work, you will have to buy the oil pump from the junk yard. Then cut or grind a notch in the oil pump housing where the tube goes in and take a cold chisel and break the housing off the tube.

[Damkid]

i still have my old B3 from when i pulled it, i could see if it'll come out easily

[mnemonicoverload]

You could try heating the area where the tube enters the oil pump with a propane torch. The oil pump is aluminum and the dipstick tube is steel so the aluminum should expand more than the steel tube and make it easier to remove. If that doesn't work, you will have to buy the oil pump from the junk yard. Then cut or grind a notch in the oil pump housing where the tube goes in and take a cold chisel and break the housing off the tube.

Ya, I don't see them letting me take a torch to it. I might have to buy the whole oil pump and then try that.

i still have my old B3 from when i pulled it, i could see if it'll come out easily

Cool. Here's the generic advice I was given for getting them off when they're not particularly stubborn:

"To get a complete tube off the pan for reuse again, the preferred method seems to be vise grips gripping as closely as possible to where the tube connects to the pan. It's well advised to wrap the tube where the vise grips grip with protective duct tape first. Gripping the vise firmly, tap the vise grips away from the pan to get the tube loose."

[wrestler3025]

I tried that with mine when the engine was OUT of the car, and I still couldn't get mine to budge. I had to take the oil pan off and use a deep socket that fit the hole tapping up on the socket from the bottom side. I also sprayed the top side with PB Blaster to lube the shaft.
I damaged my dipstick tube while trying to remove it, so I had to pick another one up.
I bought a Mr. Gasket dipstick tube and dipstick (in a kit) at Advance. It was for a shortblock Chevy application, but had the correct bends for it to work. I just took my old dipstick and put it next to my new one, and cut it to length. I then used a dremel on the lowest setting to make the necessary markings on the bottom of the dipstick.
Here are a couple pictures for you:

[Damkid]

^^Ooh shiny!! :lol:

[wrestler3025]

^^Ooh shiny!! :lol:

Yep...sure is hehehe. I like it better than the stock one because the handle won't snap off as easy .....oh yeah....and it's shiny :lol:

[mnemonicoverload]

Thanks for all your advice guys, I appreciate it. I ended up just screwing a 5/16" diameter lag bolt into the broken piece of dip-stick tube to plug it up as a temporary fix, which has been working fine for the last week. The added bonus being that it should make getting the broken stub out easier when I finally do find a replacement, I can just throw some penetrating oil on it and pull the whole works out with a claw-hammer hopefully.

Oh, and I spent about two hours at the wreckers today trying to pull a used tube out. The guy there actually said "Good luck" when I told him what I was after. Just for reference, if anyone else has this problem, this does NOT work. I tried just about everything on the two Festivas and three Aspires they had there to no avail.

At this point I'm just going to try and find a substitute like wrestler3025 posted above.

[freshtiva]

^^Ooh shiny!! :lol:

X 2 !! I love a clean engine bay !

[wrestler3025]

Oh, and I spent about two hours at the wreckers today trying to pull a used tube out. The guy there actually said "Good luck" when I told him what I was after. Just for reference, if anyone else has this problem, this does NOT work. I tried just about everything on the two Festivas and three Aspires they had there to no avail.

At this point I'm just going to try and find a substitute like wrestler3025 posted above.

Time is money!! I tried to save ya the effort, but I guess it didn't work:-) The Mr. Gasket ones are less than $20. Look at the small block ford ones as well. I looked at them at the parts store, and I couldn't find a Small block chevy one that looked anything near mine. I don't know if the one I bought was marked incorrectly or what. Just take a look at them in the performance
parts section of your local auto parts store.

[mnemonicoverload]

Time is money!! I tried to save ya the effort, but I guess it didn't work:-) The Mr. Gasket ones are less than $20. Look at the small block ford ones as well. I looked at them at the parts store, and I couldn't find a Small block chevy one that looked anything near mine. I don't know if the one I bought was marked incorrectly or what. Just take a look at them in the performance
parts section of your local auto parts store.

Hehe, I had to try anyway. Besides, I tend to have more time than money.

I checked at my usual local retail place (Partsource), but they apparently don't carry oil tube/stick kits so I'm going to have to scout around town at some stores I don't normally pop in to.

[wrestler3025]

Here ya go http://tinyurl.com/4br55h

Maybe that will make it easier for you.

Check carquest as well. I know they have those near you.

[mnemonicoverload]

Here ya go http://tinyurl.com/4br55h

Maybe that will make it easier for you.

Check carquest as well. I know they have those near you.

Thanks, that will definitely help me track it down. There's a Carquest a couple blocks from my house actually so I'll try there first.