3.4L V6 Oil Dipstick Question

[WhereTheHellIsJames?]

Hopefully someone can help me out here. I picked up a T100 that just had a newer engine out of a 4Runner put into it. Everything looks good, except for after the engine was installed, it was realized that there is a different dipstick location for the T100 because of the different oil pan configuration. The long and short of it is, that until the correct dipstick tube is installed, the oil level cannot be checked.

On the block there is a steel (I think) plug in the correct location for the T100 dipstick. I've read that in order to relocate the dipstick it is necessary to remove said plug, then simply slide in the dipstick tube (with a new rubber grommet of course), bolt it on (topside), then install the dipstick. This sounds easy enough, and I'm sure it is, but can someone tell me:

a) does this sound like the correct procedure?
b) How does one remove the steel plug?

It seems like one simply removes the oil pan and uses a punch or something to pop it out... sound right? Also, is there a reason to reinstall the steel plug into the the "4Runner" dipstick tube hole? It seems like it would just be simpler to run two dipsticks (one that works, and one that's a "dummy").

Thoughts / suggestions?

 

[WhereTheHellIsJames?]

55 views, and nobody knows? C'mon folks, someone has to know something about this!

 

[coho51]

I've heard that on the conversions from a t-100 to a smaller toyota truck that you did have to move the dip stick position. All you have to do is google Toyota 3.4 engine converstions. You'll find the answer.

 

[SAR_Squid79]

I don't think I fully understand.

...So somebody swapped a 5VZ-FE from a 4Runner into a T100 . . . and I'm assuming that they put the T100 oil pan on the 3.4L but they didn't do the neccessary dipstick mods?

Here are a few posts on the subject from TTORA:
http://www.ttora.com/forum/showthread.php?t=124939
http://www.ttora.com/forum/showthread.php?t=55858
http://www.ttora.com/forum/showthread.php?t=100995

 

[ntsqd]

Out of curiosity, what makes the existing dipstick not work?

Depending on the size and thickness of the plug you may be able to punch (as opposed to drill) a hole in it, and then use a body work type slide hammer to pull the plug out.

 

[WhereTheHellIsJames?]

I don't think I fully understand.

...So somebody swapped a 5VZ-FE from a 4Runner into a T100 . . . and I'm assuming that they put the T100 oil pan on the 3.4L but they didn't do the neccessary dipstick mods?

Here are a few posts on the subject from TTORA:
http://www.ttora.com/forum/showthread.php?t=124939

Yes... this T100 (1996) came stock with the 5VZ-FE, and in this case, the engine was replaced with the same model engine out of a 4Runner. They swapped the oil pan (4runner's and T100's have different pans and sump locations due to differences in the front end), but must not have realized until the engine was in the vehicle that the dipstick location needed to be changed because of the different sump location. The newer engine does have the plug in the correct location for the T100 dipstick, but I'm unsure of how to remove said plug.

Depending on the size and thickness of the plug you may be able to punch (as opposed to drill) a hole in it, and then use a body work type slide hammer to pull the plug out.

The issue is that the dipstick for the T100 actualy travels through the engine mount, so one could not really get a slide-hammer into that location. I'm thinking that it is a pressed in plug, and that to remove it, one would punch it out from the inside of the engine (by removing the oil pan). Before I take the pan off and attempt this though, I'd like to make sure that this is indeed the correct procedure.