My recently purchased 84 has had the stock oil pan replaced with a Milodon 7 QT pan. Can you use the stock dipstick with this pan or is there a special one that needs to be used?

The one that is on there now is a hacked up cheap chrome aftermarket and the whole housing and dipstick come out when you check the oil and I want to replace it. I have checked Summit and Jegs and there seems to be no special dipstick that goes with any of the aftermarket pans.

 

I've no experience with alternate oil pans.

However, my engineering background would suggest the original OEM dipstick should be used. My suggestion is based on the following:

ASSUMING THE OIL DIPSTICK TUBE attaches to either the block or at the same relative depth to the block as with the stock pan, then:

1. a deeper oil pan will just hold more oil, allowing it to cool a bit more and if the oil pump pick-up was lowered, also reducing the chance the oil pump could run dry due to 'G' force (e.g. on curves). However, the level requirements (relative to the block) should stay the same.

2. even if an alternate oil pump pick-up was used, it would only be lower (deeper in the pan), which means that again the oil level could be the same (downward relative to the block) and at worse cover the oil pick-up more (which is always a good thing to assure no loss of suction).

3. Engine Oil quantity is a compromise between cost of the oil, cooling ability of the oil, the time it take oil to drain from the top of the engine back to the pan, and underbody and frame clearances. More oil is always best, but cost of oil and clearance issues usually dominate the compromise, typically giving us the 5 qt oil change.

4. A larger oil pan's purpose is to allow for more oil, however a longer oil dipstick would negate the additional oil the pan made possible, and a shorter dipstick could allow for too much oil height and piston slapping of the oil --

so.. my suggestion -- get the OEM dipstick and you should be fine.

 

uh yeah what he said

 

". even if an alternate oil pump pick-up was used, it would only be lower (deeper in the pan), which means that again the oil level could be the same (downward relative to the block) and at worse cover the oil pick-up more (which is always a good thing to assure no loss of suction)."

One of the reasons people run deep pans is to get the oil level further away from the crank windage.

 

i got a canton oil pan and the stock dipstick on my camaro doesnt work. I'm currently looking to replace that somehow

 

[QUOTE=rodj;
One of the reasons people run deep pans is to get the oil level further away from the crank windage.[/QUOTE]

Interesting -- didn't consider that.

So, it would then require a deeper oil-pump pick-up and a longer dipstick.

 

If you change to a deeper pan, you'll have to change your oil pickup.
Chances are your also changing your oil pump at the same time too though, and would then just get the matching pickup with it. I'm using the stock dip stick with a Canton roadrace pan and it works fine.