How to seal dipstick?

[Silverado]

When I first built my 383 small block, UOA's showed that I was getting some junk in my engine. Not a whole lot, but Terry suggested I check for a vacuum leak or PCV leak. I believe I've tracked it to the dipstick tube not being sealed at the insertion point at the block. What would be the best product to seal it there?

 

[Ray H]

You could just be right. The dipstick tubes are generally a press fit into the block and sealed with an o-ring. Remove the tube to check whether the sealing o-ring has crumbled from heat and time. Shouldn't be a major problem to obtain a replacement o-ring from a bow-tie dealer.

 

[Robert Herndon]

The best product is Loctite 574 Flange Sealant. This orange, anerobic sealant is widely used for Porsche, Ferarri, Lamborghini and Mercedes-Benz engines and transaxles where a metal-to-metal flange (without a gasket)needs to be sealed.

Contact your local Porsche agency or www.automotion.com.

The biggest air leak is often where the dipstick inserts into the tube.

You can obtain a small lip seal from most automatic transmission shops that will form an adequate seal.

I hope this information is helpful...Robert