2001 transmission dipstick tube

Hi Everyone,

I replaced my transmission pan and had a heck of time getting the dipstick tube to separate from the pan. I ended up taking a hack saw to the old pan and then separating the tube from it when it was off the car with a hammer and chisel.

When I put it all back together, the dipstick tube will bottom out in the flared tube on the pan, BUT the mounting bracket won't line up to the bell housing bolt. I I need to slide the dipstick tube up about 1/4" and then I can put the bell housing bolt in.

Is this normal?

Thanks!

Could you have possibly have bent the bracket while trying to get it to separate?

Thanks for the suggestion.

I took some pictures and found that the pan side is the likely problem. The tube is new/replacement. The bracket is not bent. When trying to use the old tube, I bent the pan side tube trying to it to line up and I think this is where the slop is coming from.

I also discovered that there is only one pan for these, but there are two part numbers for transmission dipstick tubes. If the 4.0 has a distributor, the dipstick tube is very close to the firewall. If the 4.0 has a coil on plug, the dipstick tube is several inches off the firewall. This allows the coil setup to be removed without removing the dipstick tube.