SamGrant951

Anyone have both laying around to compare?

Just curious as my car has an 86 pan with a late dipstick on it, was swapped in during the motor swap...lengths the same?

If anyone has an early one I might be interested in picking it up if they are indeed different.

Thanks-

Don 944 LA

" You Dipstick !!! "

Oh, J/K

I have an early and a late (86 turbo). They are parked on different levels of a parking garage.
If I can, I'll pull them together and check the differences

blown 944

they are different

The 86 has a thinner dipstick the 87 is beefier

Cory9584

I had 2 86's and they were both had different dipsticks

87944turbo

Hey Sam, your local parts source has both and they are different. Sorry I can't upload any pics, I guess it's down or something. I will see if it works tomorrow. If you want to check them out, let me know.

SamGrant951

Haha, I should have known Ben

Since the later one is beefier I may just keep it as it sits but I just wanted to see them next to each other. Thanks.

95ONE

Hijack.
Mine has never fit properly and I need to get the correct set up while the motor's out of the car. Tube that is, not necessarily the stick itself. Does anyone have a pic of one installed in the pan? Mine just kinda moves around.
I would also like to know if the sticks are the exact same length. Hoping for pics here.

87944turbo

Here you go. Early on top and late on the bottom. As you can see, tubes and sticks are different. I tried to line up the part (washer?) that contacts the pan so you can see the lengths seem to be a little different. I should have pulled them to see the actual length of the dipstick, but from the looks of things, if you put a late stick in an early tube, you could end up with a measurement that is actually lower than what it should be.

SamGrant951

Ahh, thank you! Exactly what I wanted to see.

Puccini's is awesome!

Zero10

So the early has a flat shorter dipstick and the late has a round longer dipstick. Interesting! That means my 87-with-an-86-engine does indeed have the 86 dipstick. That will help when I order the new one Thanks!

cb951

I checked with Sunset this past summer (when I had the IM off for venturi delete/vac hoses, etc.) about getting a new dipstick tube for my '86, as the original has a goodly amount of surface rust on the outside in the area near the turbo.

The old tube is discontinued and replaced by the later tube along with the later dipstick. There's also a spacer required with the newer version (whether for the late or early alike), whereas the earlier tube has a larger flange built in where it connects to the block/pan, as seen in the pics in an earlier post.

I ended up just replacing the rubber o-ring for now.

Don 944 LA

so the top one ( flat with 2 twists ) is the proper for an 86 Turbo ???
If so I have the correct one. I have wondered, because it's a real PITA to get in/out.
TIA
Don

cb951

Yes, the top one is the same as the one in my '86. Either setup can be used on the '86, though.

Getting it out isn't so bad. It's getting the bolt started back in that's the problem. Many people have slotted the mounting tab on the tube, so you can start the bolt without the tube in the way (of your hands), and then slide the tab on and tighten it down. I opted to not slot, since I had the manifold off anyway. It's easier to start the bolt with the tube attached when the manifold is raised up just a touch. The tube still sits in its hole in the block/pan. Then the manifold is fully seated, and everything can be tightened down.

Make sure to use a new rubber o-ring.

ekoz

So based on this posts, it appears that the new dipstick will not work with the old tube. I just received a new dipstick and it will not go all the way down. It is the same length as the old one, but apparently the ball on the towards the end of the new one is what is stopping it from going all the way in.

Anyone have a different experience? Just wanting to double check before I purchase a new tube. thanks.

Chris White

I believe that Porsche raised the oil level marks after 86 (just a little) - so you actually have to put more oil in the later engiens.

BY - the really old Dipsticks need little blue pills to be able to get them to go all the way in to the dipstick tube....