8 speed....short or long dipstick?

[Martin 2,130]

you guys that have 8 speeds, do you have short or long dipsticks? i think this is more related to the later models, but I'm not positive on that. my 1995 416-8 (the one I'm rebuilding at the moment) has a short one as oem. i hate it already and i haven't even put oil in it yet, or tried to reach it through the seat pan.......

 

so what do you guys have? short or long? opinions good or bad? can't see why short would be good but if you think so, then tell me why.....

 

(not sure if I've opened a can of worms here yet, I'm hoping this thread won't go south before i get some idea...)

 

i found a long one from a spare trans and think i will be using it instead of the short one.....

 

Edited February 8, 2014 by Martin

[smoreau 658]

longer is almost always desired for the under seat fuel tanks. But I have noticed on the older tractors, they have the short one. I don't want to dig to find the dipstick just to check the oil level.

[dcrage 621]

OK guys; I don't understand -- I have a 310-8 -- I lift up the seat and there is a dip stick in a hole thru the seat pan that I pull to look at oil level in the rear end -- Is that long or short???

[Martin 2,130]

if its just under the seat pan you have a long. in my pic above, the short one I'm holding and you can see where the threads are on the tube. the dipstick handle is only just above, it almost sits on top of the transmission.....

 

the long one i have screwed in the transmission in the pic......

Edited February 8, 2014 by Martin

[rmaynard 14,952]

I'm not sure when they began to use the dipstick, but my 1976 and 1977 B-100's had dipstick envy. The short dipstick was made necessary by virtue of a bolted-on fender pan, and no hole in it for the longer dipstick tube to be accessed. The short dipstick could be removed from the rear by reaching under the fender pan.

[dcrage 621]

So the tube is screwed into the transmission case -- I obviously never looked -- I "assumed" it was a press fit

[AMC RULES 36,961]

Really Martin...  

you expect someone here to admit in public, they have a short one? 

[rmaynard 14,952]

It's a 1/2" NPT hole in the case for both, making either transmission interchangeable with the other. Just unscrew the tube and replace it with the one that will fit your model.

[Martin 2,130]

I'm not sure when they began to use the dipstick, but my 1976 and 1977 B-100's had dipstick envy. The short dipstick was made necessary by virtue of a bolted-on fender pan, and no hole in it for the longer dipstick tube to be accessed. The short dipstick could be removed from the rear by reaching under the fender pan.

 

with the plastic tank under the seat pan, this becomes a problem, especially with the later fixed seat pan. theres only the large square hole to reach into...

[stevasaurus 22,275]

So...you are talking about how high the handle is above the transmission???  I'll have to check, but I may have one of each, as I have a 72 Raider 10 and a 76 B-100.  Can I vote twice?? 

 

In both cases for me...the gas tank is under the hood.

Edited February 8, 2014 by stevasaurus

[Martin 2,130]

It's a 1/2" NPT hole in the case for both, making either transmission interchangeable with the other. Just unscrew the tube and replace it with the one that will fit your model.

 

thats what I've done Bob, the short one was what came with it, but i don't want to deal with it. the long one in the pic will stay......

this is more investigation than wanting a solution, all input is much appreciated though......

[Wishin4a416 2,189]

My 300,s and 400 series have long ones. My C series has  a short one.

[Jake Kuhn 1,547]

My c120 and 141 both have the tall ones if I remember right. I don't use the one on the 120, when I check it with the fill plug the dipstick is not accurate. Never checked the 141 after I changed and refilled it. 

[Hodge71 663]

My 1974 C--160 8-Speed has a shorty but it also has the flip up seat pan and underseat toolbox so its always easy to get at

Really Martin...  

you expect someone here to admit in public, they have a short one? 

I admitted it Craig…Im comfortable enough ….

[Martin 2,130]

looks like the final run of 315-8 tractors were short dippers.....

 

 

so how do you guys with the later plastic tank/fixed fender/short dipstick tractors deal with checking the oil and/or filling it? do you bother to use the dipstick or just undo the side filler, like we all do on the old stuff?

Edited February 8, 2014 by Martin

[Don1977 604]

My 1977 C-120 has a short dip stick and has the hole above in the fender. Getting it out is easy from the rear , getting it back in is the problem.  It's hard to get enough pressure straight down, I have a stick with a slot cut in it to push down from the top.

[leeave96 487]

My 1997 year model 314-8 has a short tube/dip stick. I've got a long tube/dipstick somewhere in the basement I need to replace the short one with.

[doc724 924]

I hate those short dip sticks.  First, your sleeve gets all greasy reaching down to get at it and then when you try to put the dip stick back, if you are getting on in years, that distance is the key "out of focus" point and you cannot find the receptacle.  I recently picked up a 1998 314-8.  It had the short dipstick.  Since this one is going to be a keeper for me, I bought a long tube and dipstick from Kelly.  I sanded it, painted it black and installed it.  Just like my C141-8 (except that one is red!)