L88 dip stick vs L72 dip stick
10-06-2018, 12:27 AM
#1
Burning Brakes
Thread Starter
L88 dip stick vs L72 dip stick
I am running a 454 BBC short block with a 427 L72 top end. I am using a factory L88 oil pan which has a 3 inch welded deep sump. Its ugly but that how the factory made it. My problem is my dipstick indicates it is full after I add 4 quarts to an empty pan. This pan is suppose to hold 6 quarts. Did the L88 have a unique dipstick and diptstick tube or dip they use the stock L72 stick and tube and users had to remark the dipstick for 6 quarts?
10-06-2018, 06:09 AM
#2
Team Owner
Member Since: Feb 2003
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The L88 had no special pan. Same pan as all 65-74 B.B.
10-06-2018, 07:30 AM
#3
Race Director
Can you post a picture of your oil pan? It sounds more like an aftermarket piece but not sure. Maybe Chevrolet did market a pan like that in their High Performance parts. Those deepened oil pans are a menace on the street if your car sits at a factory height. After I bottomed mine on a dip at a bridge years ago I go rid of it and put an factory 6 qt (5+1 in the filter) pan on it.
10-06-2018, 07:32 AM
#4
Melting Slicks
It sounds like you have a factory deep sump oil pan that GM designed for drag racing. (quite rare) This pan started life as a standard 65-67 pan that had about 3" added to the sump area. It was never used in production but was available in service from the HD section of the parts book. A unique dip stick and tube was not used/shown for this pan.
The oil level would have been the same as a standard oil pan so the original dip stick and upper tube would be the same as an L72 425 HP.
The GM pan was made using two oil pans. One was sliced near the bottom just above the rounded section and the 2nd was sliced about an inch or two higher. Then the sections from both pans are welded together. If it's a factory deep sump pan, it will have only one weld bead going around the bottom. If it's a home made deep sump pan, it will most likely have two wld beads indicating that just a section was added to a stock pan.
I don't remember how many additional quarts of oil would be required but probably at least two or three.
If your dip stick shows full with only 4 quarts, I think either the dip stick or tube is incorrect. Maybe from a 68 and later engine?
The oil level would have been the same as a standard oil pan so the original dip stick and upper tube would be the same as an L72 425 HP.
The GM pan was made using two oil pans. One was sliced near the bottom just above the rounded section and the 2nd was sliced about an inch or two higher. Then the sections from both pans are welded together. If it's a factory deep sump pan, it will have only one weld bead going around the bottom. If it's a home made deep sump pan, it will most likely have two wld beads indicating that just a section was added to a stock pan.
I don't remember how many additional quarts of oil would be required but probably at least two or three.
If your dip stick shows full with only 4 quarts, I think either the dip stick or tube is incorrect. Maybe from a 68 and later engine?
Last edited by Critter1; 10-06-2018 at 07:48 AM.
10-06-2018, 09:25 AM
#5
Burning Brakes
Thread Starter
It sounds like you have a factory deep sump oil pan that GM designed for drag racing. (quite rare) This pan started life as a standard 65-67 pan that had about 3" added to the sump area. It was never used in production but was available in service from the HD section of the parts book. A unique dip stick and tube was not used/shown for this pan.
The oil level would have been the same as a standard oil pan so the original dip stick and upper tube would be the same as an L72 425 HP.
The GM pan was made using two oil pans. One was sliced near the bottom just above the rounded section and the 2nd was sliced about an inch or two higher. Then the sections from both pans are welded together. If it's a factory deep sump pan, it will have only one weld bead going around the bottom. If it's a home made deep sump pan, it will most likely have two wld beads indicating that just a section was added to a stock pan.
I don't remember how many additional quarts of oil would be required but probably at least two or three.
If your dip stick shows full with only 4 quarts, I think either the dip stick or tube is incorrect. Maybe from a 68 and later engine?
The oil level would have been the same as a standard oil pan so the original dip stick and upper tube would be the same as an L72 425 HP.
The GM pan was made using two oil pans. One was sliced near the bottom just above the rounded section and the 2nd was sliced about an inch or two higher. Then the sections from both pans are welded together. If it's a factory deep sump pan, it will have only one weld bead going around the bottom. If it's a home made deep sump pan, it will most likely have two wld beads indicating that just a section was added to a stock pan.
I don't remember how many additional quarts of oil would be required but probably at least two or three.
If your dip stick shows full with only 4 quarts, I think either the dip stick or tube is incorrect. Maybe from a 68 and later engine?
10-06-2018, 09:51 AM
#6
Team Owner
Member Since: Mar 2003
Location: Greenville, Indiana
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It sounds like you have a factory deep sump oil pan that GM designed for drag racing. (quite rare) This pan started life as a standard 65-67 pan that had about 3" added to the sump area. It was never used in production but was available in service from the HD section of the parts book. A unique dip stick and tube was not used/shown for this pan.
The oil level would have been the same as a standard oil pan so the original dip stick and upper tube would be the same as an L72 425 HP.
The GM pan was made using two oil pans. One was sliced near the bottom just above the rounded section and the 2nd was sliced about an inch or two higher. Then the sections from both pans are welded together. If it's a factory deep sump pan, it will have only one weld bead going around the bottom. If it's a home made deep sump pan, it will most likely have two wld beads indicating that just a section was added to a stock pan.
I don't remember how many additional quarts of oil would be required but probably at least two or three.
If your dip stick shows full with only 4 quarts, I think either the dip stick or tube is incorrect. Maybe from a 68 and later engine?
The oil level would have been the same as a standard oil pan so the original dip stick and upper tube would be the same as an L72 425 HP.
The GM pan was made using two oil pans. One was sliced near the bottom just above the rounded section and the 2nd was sliced about an inch or two higher. Then the sections from both pans are welded together. If it's a factory deep sump pan, it will have only one weld bead going around the bottom. If it's a home made deep sump pan, it will most likely have two wld beads indicating that just a section was added to a stock pan.
I don't remember how many additional quarts of oil would be required but probably at least two or three.
If your dip stick shows full with only 4 quarts, I think either the dip stick or tube is incorrect. Maybe from a 68 and later engine?
Is this it? Looks a little back yard. Maybe home made? Maybe real deal?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/GM-Counter-...p2047675.l2557
10-06-2018, 10:02 AM
#7
Racer
Your description sounds like what I have. A single weld all the way around the extended sump. I just can't figure out why the dipstick reads incorrectly. Who sells a correct stick and tube for a '66 427? I checked ebay and there are 'red tip' sticks and tubes available for BBCs. Not sure if they are marked correctly.
Last edited by 427425; 10-06-2018 at 10:05 AM.
10-06-2018, 10:25 AM
#8
Melting Slicks
Is this it? Looks a little back yard. Maybe home made? Maybe real deal?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/GM-Counter-...p2047675.l2557
https://www.ebay.com/itm/GM-Counter-...p2047675.l2557
10-06-2018, 07:05 PM
#9
Burning Brakes
Thread Starter
Is this it? Looks a little back yard. Maybe home made? Maybe real deal?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/GM-Counter-...p2047675.l2557
https://www.ebay.com/itm/GM-Counter-...p2047675.l2557