This is a late 5.0 question for restomods. When putting in the late 5.0 in a classic I know you have to change the oil pan and pump from rear sump to avoid the steering and cross member. But you also have to relocate the dipstick by drilling a hole in the timing cover and block. Obvious theres the risk of metal shavings and its not something you get a second chance at if you mess up. I would rather avoid that method so I've heard about a universial dipstick and tube that you put on the pan but never seen one, does anybody else know anything about a universial dipstick?

 

I was looking at the 351 on the engine stand in my garage, and it looks to me that the dipstick can be installed by drilling the timing cover only. This should be relativly easy to do with the engine out of the car and the pan off. I do not see how the block would need to be modified whatsoever. (I could be wrong about this, I was not looking real closely at this area of the block during assy. someone will tell me if I am wrong though!)

I have heard that even the late timing covers are "marked" as to where the dipstick would go, and that the "boss" that the dipstick fits into is present, just undrilled.I think that it would be a simple process to just drill the hole in the cover, probably easier than fitting a universal unit.

It sounds as if you will be removing the oil pan anyway, at the point that the pan is off you could remove the timing cover if you would feel better about doing it this way, and drill it out, or change the timing cover to an earlier unit. With the engine out of the car and the pan already off, it is really not too hard to remove the timing cover, the hardest part being the removal and re-instalation of the harmonic ballancer.