New Dip Stick Tube

[LTZ C20]

Hey all. Thought I would share this small side project I did last night.

I put new headers on my truck and in doing so I had to remove my dipstick tube. In doing that I bent and put a small hole in the tube. So I decided to build a new one using my old stock dipstick tube.

I have a chrome stick and tube from Mr. Gasket, nothing special. Turns out the metal the tube is made out of is not that great.

Here is both sticks and tubes.

[LTZ C20]

Now here is the chrome tube damaged.

You can see here, I measured to two tubes, making sure they had the same arc, then using a tubing cutter, cut the stock tube to the same length as the chrome.

The two stick handles.

[LTZ C20]

I'm sorry the pics are out of order, I'm still learning how to post pics from my phone lol.

So then I primered the tube with engine enamel.

Then painted with low gloss black engine enamel.

Finally, I tried to stamp with a steel punch set, "SAE ROYAL PURPLE ONLY" into the opposite side of the dipstick. It didn't work, so I used an engraver instead. Doesn't look as good as I hoped but it's ok. That was kind of a stupid idea anyway. Haha.

[LTZ C20]

Will post the final installed pic tonight when done.

[bake74]

      Engravers are hard to keep steady, it takes patience and practice.  Both of which I have not mastered yet.   

[LTZ C20]

Lol me either. Here's the final product.

[LTZ C20]

Installed.

[bake74]

     Did you paint over the etching ?

[LTZ C20]

No I did not. I etched into the dipstick itself, which was chrome

[bake74]

No I did not. I etched into the dipstick itself, which was chrome

     Couldn't tell from the pic, but that makes since.

[LTZ C20]

Oh ok. Yea. I had the etcher on about medium cuz high felt like it was gonna grind a hole thru my workbench.