Thanks for the reply Speedy4X4. You verified my thoughts. I'm still wondering about the length of the dip stick. I know it's a long shot but i'm just trying to cover all possibilities. See the original post for my length measurements. Assuming the dip stick is ok it looks like approximately 1quart of oil remains in the pan when using the vacuum method. I don't suppose that quart of old oil remaining in the pan will cause any problems. I'm not sure what dropping the "belly pan" entails but it sounds like a lot more effort than my limited experience allows. Would a garage mechanic drop the pan or just use the vacuum method?