1961 Cruise o matic dipstick length

[mrjagrock]

Can any one tell me what length the dipstick length should be on my 1961 390 FE with Cruise-o matic.
Thanks.

[Alan H. Tast]

Sadly, Ford's parts books don't have a length, i.e. the '60-'64 "Blue Bible." They do list a part number, C1SS 7A020-B, for '61, and for '62 there are two numbers - one before 2/22/62 uses C2SZ 7A020-A, and from 2/22/63 through '63 a third dipstick (technically called a 'transmission oil level indicator') is numbered C2SZ 7A020-B.

When getting measurements for any oil level indicator - transmission or engine oil - you'll want to get an overall measurement from the pointed end to the top of the 'shield' end (see following copy of TSB 7051-18 for an example), and corresponding dimensions from the top of the 'shield' end to the 'Full' and add marks.

It would be good to know the differences between the '61, early-mid '62 and late '62-'63 indicators. For responders, please tell year/build date of car (especially important for '62), and post dimensions as noted above, along with photo(s) to show what you have.

[Alan H. Tast]

In researching the question of indicator length, I came across a Technical Service Bulletin from late 1963 dealing with 1964 C-O-M indicators. This should help to illustrate what to measure. While it gives a '61 Full-size car part number C1AA 7A020-A1 or -A2 and a length of 20" from the end of the indicator to the top of the shield, more digging is needed to find out if this part was also used on pre-'64 T-birds.

TSB 7051-18 12/23/63

[Ducksface]

1963 coupe.
11-02-62 build date.
Measured from bottom of the cap/cover to the end of the stick.
Pic is deceiving. It's exactly 20 inches.

But
Unrelated.
This car and my 10/31/62 car have different brake sender electrical plug. One has old style, one has new.
No splices, all original. Built two days apart.
So there's a potential they used what was handy when the right thing wasn't handy.

Alan,
Am I reading that document above to say our caps are copper colored?

[Alan H. Tast]

Alan,
Am I reading that document above to say our caps are copper colored?

The TSB was written for 1964s - given the Obsolete-Supercede-Interchange listings from July 1967 does not say the C1AA-A indicator replaced the C1SZ-B, C2SZ-A or C2SZ-B indicators, I'd say no. Notice the TSB noted overall length to the top of the cap, which should correspond with a slot and stamped 'nubs' that hold the shield in place, meaning the measurement should add the depth of the shield, which looks to be 5/8"? (The tube is listed as 3/4" diameter for comparison.)

[Ducksface]

I'll check the 10/31/62 car to see what it has for an indicator.
I'm wondering if some jr engineer got it the document wrong.
There is no logical reason to measure the indicator parameters from anywhere but the seal on the top of the indicator as the seal is as important as the indicator itself.

So,
Since we're doing comparisons, should I measure from the floppy cap as the document says or should we measure at the hard, precision placed, seal?
Probably both. I'm thinking there's more than a few loos caps rolling around.

I'll get better pics of both indicators measured as prescribed.

[Alan H. Tast]

The top of the shield should correspond with the retainer "nubs". Take another look at the handle and shield to see if yours has them, and post pictures of what you find.