98 lesabre tranny dipstick tube broke,now what?

Z

ziggy

Joined
Aug 8, 2005
Messages
2,095
Location
stamford, CT
Hi again all! 98 buick lesabre.past werk,the transmission tube,near base, broke off.all that's holding it,is dipstick..tinkered with it tiday,hoping to refit it,and use steel putty,in was a pita,squeezing n trying too make it stay. Didn't work.
of autozone,ebay,carid,advance,napa,partsgeek..no one has a new transmission tube.
Saw some quick YouTube vids,popped up in searches..looks like it's basically threaded,the dipstick hole,and plugged with a bolt then.
Is thie r anywhere,not a junkyard,too get a new tube?or is it more thread n bolt time? If so..mechanic then.
 
Pretty sure that dipstick tube is discontinued from GM. It has a Hold Down Bolt that secures the tube to the Trans Case via a spot welded strap. The Tube is sealed to the Case by a Boot Seal.

Probably a million 4T65E Tubes sitting around in wreaking yards all over the US.

I've brazed a ton of ATF dipstick tube straps back tube....But I don't live/work where salt is applied to roads.
 
Yeah,it has a boot seal. My thought,was home depot..find a thin enough small pipe,metal, hopefully it will just got inside the granny tube. Use it too hold both tubes,then apply some jb weld steel putty around outside. I thought finding a small steel coupling,or water pipe stuff,you know,ginger length stuff..n try for it outside both dipstick tube ends,but the part that's still in/on transmosdion,I sure nothing will just got over it.so have too fit inside it.
 
I'm not sure what all those words mean, but I would glue up the outside of the broken part, sleeve it with another tube, and then carefully clean and coat the outside of the mounted stub. Make sure you have a way to check 'seated' distance or depth. If you're 1/4 off you kinda' blew the whole point....
 
I see.what I was saying above,was 2 guys,youtube,had broken granny dipstick tubes too.they both,removed the broken e d part,from tranny.then used a manual threader, and put bolts in the hole,where tube was.
What I'm thinking,is find a small metal pipe connector,home depot,and use that.one end,fit in dipstick hole,other end,place the dipstick tube on. Then use steel putty around edges,deal it up.
 
Seriously, your best bet is a used one. One bolt and go. Maybe a new boot seal, which I assume those are still in production.

If its broken right where it goes into the transmission that will be very difficult to repair. I guess it broke because the bracket broke off, you will need to repair that also to prevent it from breaking at the base again.
 
still thier,the tube looks it it broke off,where it meets the bracket.
I measured the tube..2 cm across. Got 2 bolts from home de pot.one 1/2 inch and the other was 5/8 I think.short stuby ish bilts.about 2 inches long each. Gun na put one in the transmission tube bracket,dipstick hole where it broke off. seal it up temperary. Air is getting in,via that hole.tranny runs somewhat different. Weirdish. Know it's not good driving it. Saw smoke in tranny hole after pulling over,tube fell off.
Gun na do morning. Worst case,use the 5/8 smaller bolt,steel putty, entomb the hole,till I figure out where to get new one.
The dipstick itself,and upper tube,lol,fell off driving home.had too pull over,for our into street n get it..only thing holding tube on,is the dipstick.
 
Last edited:
It won't work to just plug up the hole because the tube is also the vent. This isn't one of the newfangled sealed "lifetime" transmissions. If you were to drive with the hole plugged, pressure will build up inside the pan and at the least blow your plug out.
 
Maybe,home depot has hollow metal tubes,2 cm diameter..make a new tube filler tube!?possible?the GM tube is long discontinued.
 
How about, a similar long pips that would fit in where it broke off? Then use dipstick too close too of it? Or oil resistant hose that fits ?
 
^^^ I like it!
I would have to become creative and find some tubing(OTR trucking) that will slip over the part of the dipstick tube, measure, cut, bend to work for you. Make sure that you get some form of a baseline reading on the dipstick prior to your work.
 
There's a bajillion of them across the GM body line in the junkyards. Buy, clean, paint if needed, poke 'er in and done right.
Kluged together jury rig is not the best answer.
 
Don’t go trying to cobble together something that already exists. You’ll spend more time and likely end up with something doesn’t work nearly as well.

Find a junkyard with one by searching on line. Go get a tube. Bolt it in. Done.
 
^^^Yes, that is the best way of doing it.(y) However if Ziggy can't find a suitable tube from a bone yard or online, making one was just a thought.
 
How about!!! A transmission dipstick tube,from a 1998-2001 buick p ark avenue!?th e 98 park avenue,is the same engine and transmission I believe!
 
I don't know if anyone actually knows the answer to your question(tranny tube for the oil tube) without actually having experimented with that exactly, for themselves. I mean, maaaaybee someone knows but, good luck with that...Hay, how'bout you experiment and give us some feedback. Not that we'll ever need this information but, who knows? ;)
 
My mechaniv,was able too source out one from I forget,illinois? It's coming friday.so,made appointment for mid next week,too install it. I didn't wanna do the coupling,small pipe n use broken tube,so it's very cool,he found a grant fill tube, from some car yard.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Z
  • Locked
98 corolla, doing fluid flush, do i need locktite?
Replies
11
Views
4K
Subdued
Back
Top