87 G30 Dipstick tube

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AvidlyMatthew

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Mar 21, 2019
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I have an 87 Chevy G30 and my engine recently blew out and had to be replaced. I *foolishly* bought a remanufactured engine from autozone(unaware that it was only the block and none of the parts that would normally complete it). The valve covers and dipstick tube from my previous engine don't work with the new one and I have not been able to find the tube in ANY JUNKYARDS in Houston and neither of these parts are manufactured anymore. Any tips or recommendations? My truck is actually fitted out as a coffee food truck and is my livelihood and I've been searching for weeks(and thus not making money)...
I'm pretty frustrated with autozone as NONE of this information was even insinuated before I bought the engine.
 
Welcome to the RV Forum AvidlyMatthew

My first thought is Autozone should be able to provide the correct parts for an engine they sold. I'm starting to wonder if they gave you the wrong engine if none of they parts off of the old engine will work.

Did you order the same engine that you are trying to replace?
 
Apparently the previous owner stuck a carbureted 86 in it and rigged it up to fit... So the engine they gave me is apparently the engine that should have been in it.
As to the having the parts... You would think so. But they don't. Literally NO ONE does. Which is why it's so infuriating that they sold it to me like that. I was at autozone for 3 hours today while the store manager scoured their systems, called their suppliers, and Googled in search of them to NO prevail..
 
Is there maybe an alternate dipstick tube? Or a way to rig it? I'm pretty desperate at this point(and starting to run low on funds :-[ )
 
I tried to do a search at advance Auto parts but my internet connection is a little jacked up. I thought I found one but I don't have the details on your engine......Check it out.

Other than that I will have to bow out and let some of the others chime in.
 
Dipsticks & the tubes are selected to match the particular engine installation, so there is not just one dipstick & tube for a given engine.  They come is various lengths and shapes. It's pretty common for an RV to have a different dipstick than a standard van.  Also different brackets for alternator & a/c, different belts & hoses, etc.

As for buying the incomplete engine, that's the normal way they are sold.  You can buy a "short block", a "long block", or a "crate engine", in ascending order of completeness.  Even the complete crate engine won't have things like alternator mounts (and probably not a dipstick tube either).  You have to know what to ask for when buying parts, and the clerks at places like Autozone aren't trained in anything except looking up parts on their computer and ringing up the sale.  A NAPA or Carquest professional parts store will usually have clerks who are more knowledgeable about vehicle parts.
 
Gary RV_Wizard said:
Dipsticks & the tubes are selected to match the particular engine installation, so there is not just one dipstick & tube for a given engine.  They come is various lengths and shapes. It's pretty common for an RV to have a different dipstick than a standard van.  Also different brackets for alternator & a/c, different belts & hoses, etc.

As for buying the incomplete engine, that's the normal way they are sold.  You can buy a "short block", a "long block", or a "crate engine", in ascending order of completeness.  Even the complete crate engine won't have things like alternator mounts (and probably not a dipstick tube either).  You have to know what to ask for when buying parts, and the clerks at places like Autozone aren't trained in anything except looking up parts on their computer and ringing up the sale.  A NAPA or Carquest professional parts store will usually have clerks who are more knowledgeable about vehicle parts.
Click to expand...

A painful lesson I have now learned... Will it negatively affect the operation of the truck if I put in a shorter tube? Or if I smooth down the broken one I currently have and install it?
 
Not at all. The dipstick and tube need to be paired and the Full/Add marks on the stick calibrated to yield the correct reading, but neither one affects the performance.
 
AvidlyMatthew said:
A painful lesson I have now learned... Will it negatively affect the operation of the truck if I put in a shorter tube? Or if I smooth down the broken one I currently have and install it?
Click to expand...

The critical distance is how far the dipstick extends into the engine from the mounting hole to the full/add marks on the dipstick.  This shows the correct oil level range for your engine.

Autozone (who sold you the engine) should tell you what this length is, then you just need a dipstick to match this measurement.

The length of the dipstick tube above the engine mounting hole is a matter of convenience.  A short or normal length tube means you'll have to open the inside engine cover to reach in and grab the dipstick handle.  A longer tube extends the handle to the front hood area so you can get to it without having to open the inside engine lid.

If your present dipstick and tube is damaged, make sure the damage doesn't change the length of the dipstick extending into the engine.
 
I wouldn't depend on AutoZone to tell me anything. I would get a dipstick and tube that I could reach, do an oil and filter change, minus one quart. Start the engine to fill the filter, then let it sit a few hours. Pull the dipstick and use a file to make an "add one quart" mark on it. Add the other quart, let it sit for a few hours, pull the stick, use a file to make a "full" mark.
One would be surprised just how far off factory marks are on old small block and big block Chevys.
 
Autozone is a retail sales agency, not an engine expert.  It would be like going to Walmart and asking how the microwave they sold you works.  About all Autozone can tell you is whatever the engine rebuilder puts in his online spec sheets.

Oil capacity and dipstick length varies by the size of the oil pan on the engine as well. The same engine size/model may be equipped with different pans depending on the application it was set up for.
 
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