Dipstick Tricks

[Idle_Chatter]

Well, I've been thinking of a litte "mod" to my dipstick to make reading it easier. This afternoon I was puttering around in the garage getting packed and ready to haul my stuff to Florida in a couple of days. I was freezin' my butt off in my dinky little garage and trying to read that dang dipstick in poor light. So I dug out the cordless drill and a 1/8" bit and fixed that sucker! I drilled a "pocket" about 1/16" deep in each of the notches. Not only does it make the level easy to see, but it also solves the "clean on the stick and dark in the pan" mystery! The oil film on that silvery plug is too thin to show color or level. The oil trapped in the drilled pockets is nice and ambery dark. You *do* have to dip the corner of a rag or paper towel into the pockets to empty them for a recheck, but it works great!! I adjusted my level and then went out to fuel up and when I checked oil again out in the dark in the diesel docks level was clear as a bell without squinting or cursing! This is 10 minutes well spent on an afternoon to make the dipstick readable. I'll try and get a photo up tomorrow.

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Tom Ashley
EMail (http://tashley680@hotmail.com)
PICs (http://photos.yahoo.com/tashley680)
EXCEL SPREADS (http://briefcase.yahoo.com/tashley680)
2001 DuraMax/Allison 2500HD Silverado LT
Lt Pewter/Graphite Lthr/ Ext Cab/Shrt Box/4x4
Line-X/Century Ultra Cap/ Husky Floorliners
Amsoil 2-Stg Aircleaner /Dual Remote Fltr
Fumoto Oil Drain/ Amsoil 3000 5W30 Syn
American 43gal x-bed aux tank

[SoCalDMAX]

That's pretty ingenious!

Sounds like you might've been an ex nuc sub sailor! Be honest, you were really trying to find a way to use EB green on it, weren't you?

I'm gonna be the first to build a ram air scoop entirely out of EB green and stir sticks. Who says I never learned anything...

Regards, Steve

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'02 2500HD 2WD LS, grey, CC, SB, D/A, locking diff., alloys, trailer and towing pkg. Delivered 11/09/01
So far:
Bully Dog Max Power Plug, 255/85-16 Dunlop Radial Rover A/T tires,
Pillar mounted SPA Boost/EGT/oil press./temp gauges, Valentine One
Aiwa CD/MP3 head, 4- Pioneer TS-C1653 6.5" component spkrs, 2-10" Tsunami subs,1200W of Visonik amps
Jordan 2020 Ultima Brake Controller, Lucerix mirrors, Line-X, Bed X-tender, DeeZee running boards
PIAA headlights, Power tailgate lock, Invinca-shield, Husky flaps and tinted windows
Amsoil air filter and gear lube, Fumoto valve

Up next:
PS2000 propane, 4" exhaust, high idle, Allison deep sump, tranny oil temp., rear diff. oil temp., Mag-Hytech diff. cover, Spare fuel tank?
Truck Pictures (http://www.pbase.com/sfrakes/2002_silverado)

[Idle_Chatter]

Well, you know what they say, SoCal, you can take the sailor out of the sub, but you can't take the sub out of the sailor! Maybe the familiar taste & smell of a diesel exhaust haze makes us dedicated to our diesel trucks. I like to sit in the garage with the engine running and eat stiff baloney on hard bread while reading a dog-eared crotch novel and washing it down with warm bug juice. Now, If I could only get the DMax to pop my ears like the head valve taking a dunk!

Idle_Chatter, MM1(SS), LELT, USS Lapon (SSN-661) 12/72-08/76

[Kennedy]

I drilled mine completely through. You can blow the oil out then. Definitely makes life easier!

------------------
John Kennedy
www.kennedydiesel.com (http://www.kennedydiesel.com)
John@kennedydiesel.com
2002 Chev. K2500HD Dmax/Allison Crew Cab Long Bed Pewter/Tan LT Driving it!!!
1996 GMC K2500HD 6.5TD Ex.Cab LWB 260+ Rw H.P.
1984 K30 SRW 6.2NA Headers and custom 2 into 1 exhaust FOR SALE
'01 FXDWG Black/Chrome Yellow (2 into 1 Thunderheader <naturally> ) (100+ RwHP)
"If I had to explain, you wouldn't understand"

[This message has been edited by kennedy (edited 02-13-2002).]

[TopBanana 2500]

Idle_chatter...
Good idea! I'll try it.
I hear driving a DMax off a cliff makes your ears pop!

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2500hd D/A White,SLE

[SoCalDMAX]

I hear that!

The wife still looks at me funny when I ask for midrats, tear down appliances for PMS, rig for red at night or schedule drills on the midwatch. She told me where to stick the watchbill.

There's a good side, though. The berthing arrangements are much better (I sure don't mind hot-racking with her) now that I'm out of the Navy and married, chow is MUCH better and I can take her along (if she wants) to HI 2-3 times/yr.

We're still working out a few issues. When I bellow "fall out and muster at the vehicle in 10 mins.!" All I get is the bathroom door locking. And another 1hr wait. Her dad was retired Navy, and she blew him off, too. http://www.62-65-dieselpage.com/ubb/wink.gif

Just to stay on topic, I may drill a little on my dipstick, too. (Boy that came out wrong!)

ET1(SS) NAV/ESM "Everything Tech", USS Plunger (SSN 595), '86-'89 and USS Helena (SSN-725) '92-'94.

Fair winds and following seas! Steve

------------------
'02 2500HD 2WD LS, grey, CC, SB, D/A, locking diff., alloys, trailer and towing pkg. Delivered 11/09/01
So far:
Bully Dog Max Power Plug, 255/85-16 Dunlop Radial Rover A/T tires,
Pillar mounted SPA Boost/EGT/oil press./temp gauges, Valentine One
Aiwa CD/MP3 head, 4- Pioneer TS-C1653 6.5" component spkrs, 2-10" Tsunami subs,1200W of Visonik amps
Jordan 2020 Ultima Brake Controller, Lucerix mirrors, Line-X, Bed X-tender, DeeZee running boards
PIAA headlights, Power tailgate lock, Invinca-shield, Husky flaps and tinted windows
Amsoil air filter and gear lube, Fumoto valve

Up next:
PS2000 propane, 4" exhaust, high idle, Allison deep sump, tranny oil temp., rear diff. oil temp., Mag-Hytech diff. cover, Spare fuel tank?
Truck Pictures (http://www.pbase.com/sfrakes/2002_silverado)

[56Nomad]

Great idea..... I just finished doing mine.
I used a drill bit a little smaller than 1/8
and drilled thru the "plumb bob" marks.

Using too big a drill bit might ruin the
integrity of the end if you stray from the
center.

Thanks!

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2002 Chevy 3500HD, ExtCab Duramax/Allison 4x4, White/Graphite

http://www.picturetrail.com/56nomad1

[Idle_Chatter]

Well, I just put some photos up on my photo link for those interested in a look before doing. Man! I wish I had gone ahead and done this *months* ago when I first thought of it! It sure makes checking the oil less of a pain in the rear!!

------------------
Tom Ashley
EMail (http://tashley680@hotmail.com)
PICs (http://photos.yahoo.com/tashley680)
EXCEL SPREADS (http://briefcase.yahoo.com/tashley680)
2001 DuraMax/Allison 2500HD Silverado LT
Lt Pewter/Graphite Lthr/ Ext Cab/Shrt Box/4x4
Line-X/Century Ultra Cap/ Husky Floorliners
Amsoil 2-Stg Aircleaner /Dual Remote Fltr
Fumoto Oil Drain/ Amsoil 3000 5W30 Syn
American 43gal x-bed aux tank

[AKDmax]

How about just taking the ridges off with a file? seems to work pretty good for me . ;)

[Maxter]

Too risky for me... Think about the oil level imbalance you just created by doing that :D

[Amianthus]

F****N' Nukes! tongue.gif

(MM2/SS/DV Almost everything Nuke, USS Tautog SSN-639 '92-'96) :D

[AKDmax]

Amianthus,
You gotta stop sniffin those diesel fumes dude :D !

[Idle_Chatter]

Amianthus, took you 5 months to come up with *that*? I can see by your signature that you weren't a "bus rider" so I guess you must have been on a "Northern Run!" I've got a digital picture that I picked up somewhere of a crazy-a**ed Seal "surfing" the top of the sail of the Tautog as she's underway with just the top of the sail and some scopes above the surface! Another "Fast and Black and Never Comes Back" Nuke - MM1(SS)/LELT/Diver, USS Lapon SSN 661, 12/72-8/76