I just replaced the valve cover on passenger side on my'03 V8 and had the oil dipstick and trans dipstick unbolted for better access and I can tell you it was a real pita to get it bolted back in place. I wish I had a new oring at the time I would have replaced it then. This probably one of those jobs the dealer doesn't really want to do, BUT if you want to pay their price of course they will.
What made it so difficult to install again?
Removing the securing bolt is easy, if it doesn't strip/break, but putting it back ideally takes two hands, one to align it, the other to start bolt, only room for one hand, so it took me over an hour to get the alignment and get the bolt to grab a thread. Lots of @#%&?>>!!
Now I would need to look at it again because I had both the Trans dipstick tube and oil dipstick tube securing bolts removed, but I think the trans is bolted to the oil dipstick tube via welded on bracket and you remove it first and the oil is secured to the block and is the pita to get back in place and bolt started. If it were the reverse then you can easily replace the oil dipstick tube oring, but I think not.
My 05 has the sealed transmission. So no dipstick for it.
Apologies on using this thread, but it seems I can't yet post a new thread.
I have a 05 V8 Limited and the entire oil dipstick tube has broken away. It seems the engine block side of the bracket has rusted away and detached from the block. While checking oil today the whole tube came off.
I have a new tube on order, but I don't think that will help me as the location to mount it seems to be missing. Can someone share an image of how or where the engine side mount is supposed to be?