Replacing valve cover gaskets. How do you access bolt under the dipstick connector? I’ve read if you pull the dipstick it’s a beast to get back in.

 

I leave the dipstick in situ and use a slide hammer to pull straight up an inch or so to clear the stud.

If you pull the dipstick, you will not have a guide to get the tube back into the hole in the block.

 

Hi I had the same issue, leaving the dip stick in I tried to pull and twist the guide tube out but failed.
My solution was that I cut the bracket off the dipstick guide so the the cam cover could be removed.
I then used a piece of aluminium strip about 1 cm wide and 1mm thick to make a wrap around clamp. (I wrapped it around a drill to create the wrap the right diameter for the tube). The ends need to be rotated 90 degrees to orientate correctly with the bolt then drill the bracket to suit the bolt. The clamp is cosy on the tube but sits on top of the remains of the original bracket so the tube is held tight and cannot move.
Perhaps overkill. If I need to remove the cover again I simply remove the retainer nut then slide the bracket up the tube clear of the stub.

DavidR

 

Yes, it is still a mystery to me what Jaguar was thinking there... - look at the 6th picture in the following thread of mine:
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...e-swap-266724/

I had carefully cut a "gap" into the tube-bracket and then slid it off sideways...

 

Not seeing how do this. Not sure how you attach slide hammer to tube. Bigger issue if pull straight up loop on tube will be stopped by stud.

 

Like Bob, I just pulled mine up an inch to clear, but did not need a slide hammer, just a little twisting and wiggling. By about the third or fourth time I did it on the 308, I guess it was working loose a bit and I accidentally pulled it up too far, but the diptstick was still in the hole in the block so was able to reinsert the tube easily enough. Now when I removed cylinder head, I removed the entire tube for clearance/access and yes, it was a bugger to get it back in during reassembly, but as I recall its doable from underneath the car, around and about the A/C compressor.

I like Peter's idea tho as the bracket is only to steady it in place. It doesn't have to withstand hardly any force at all. But I guess that's really a solution for the second and subsequent times as I don't see how I'd cut that slit in the bracket with it still on the stud. Once its off tho, a Dremel with a cut-off wheel would make quick work of it. Genius!

 

I use a SEAL HOOK and the slide hammer has a nut welded to a flat steel plate with a hole drilled to fit the seal hook 90 degree handle.
The 'hook' just catches the welded part that bolts to the stud.
I put the hook under and slide the tube out and up an inch.

 

I did the @Peter_of_Australia method. Used a drill to cut sideways to make a “C” out of the “O”. Nut will still secure. I’d never cut the parcel shelf to replace a fuel pump but this work around was acceptable.