I'm too cheap to pay $45 plus shipping for a tool I'll use once. Made this with scrap off the floor.

It's a piece of 1/4" flat bar and a steel bushing that was tapped for a 3/8 bolt. Drilled out the hole with a 3/8 bit to use as a guide for the drill.

Drilled two holes and bolted the flat bar to the block. Notched it for the bushing and welded it up. Had to pull 3 exhaust studs to make room for the drill. My 3/8 air drill BARELY cleared.

I have two engines. The 99 had the hole drilled. Removed the plug and stuck the drill bit in to properly position the guide bushing. If I didn't have the 99 as a guide I could have just centered the bushing and positioned it flat against the casting of my 02 undrilled block.

 

Here's a pic of where it comes out on the bottom. I have heard some people say they drilled up from the bottom because the hole is already started from the bottom. Not the case on this 2002.

 

Here's how I plugged up the front sump dipstick hole. I had a couple 1/4" NPT taps. I cut one off to make a bottoming tap, tapped the hole and stuck a 1/4" pipe plug in.

 

Had to clearance hole in engine mount bracket to make room for the new dipstick tube.

 

Your angle may be slightly off if you have to clearance the mount or the tube is bent. It should just be a drop in, bolt on deal.

 

Maybe because it is a 3.4 bracket?

I don't think the angle is off since I put the drill bit in the hole on the factory drilled block.

The guide bushing was slid down over the drill bit while it was in the hole. The bottom of the guide bushing sat flush against the flat spot of the casting where the hole is.

The flat bar was bolted on tight and I welded it with the drill bit still in the hole aligning it.

The dipstick tube was brand new from Toyota and aligned perfectly to where it bolted up at the top so I know it wasn't bent. I probably could have bent it to make it fit but didn't want to do that to a new tube. Only issue I had was the bracket.

I don't have a 3.0 bracket to compare it to. If I had one I would be running it.

 

Its a 3.4 dipstick on the 3.4 block. Not sure that there should be any clearance issues in the 3.4 mount brackets. I know with the 13 or so swaps i've done i've never had that issue with using the 3.4 parts with 3.0 mounts or even with 3.4 mounts.

 

Wierd. 13 swaps. Can't argue with that.

 

Maybe your tube got bent some where from sitting on a parts shelf to your hands. More than likely... not like its a glass mirror that someone would be careful with handling

 

You may be right, This is my first swap so I count on you guys for help.

I just thought I would post up because I saw a few requests on various forums to borrow a drill guide if anybody had one.

Thought this would help those that didn't want to buy the guide and get them closer than eye balling it. It would suck to screw up a block over a dipstick hole.

This forum has helped me a lot. Just want to give back.