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Broken Dipstick?

4K views 11 replies 8 participants last post by  Detonador7 
#1 ·
So I tried to check my oil. The yellow loop broke off my dipstick. A bit of the metal stick itself was visible, so I tried pulling it with vice grips. The yellow part in the dipstick tube rotated freely, but the stick would not come out. I sprayed a bit of WD-40 around the top edge of the tube and came back later to pull it out. The metal stick came right out! Unfortunately, the yellow plastic "neck" is still stuck in the tube! Anyone know how I can pull that out? I tried a screw, but that just broke off a piece of the plastic. Any thoughts?
 
#2 ·
Maybe try a dental pick in the center where the dipstick was. The dental picks can be picked up harbor freight.
Incidentally it's probably the "O" ring that's causing the problem. If you're careful ty pushing the broken piece into the tube a hair to free up the "O" ring.
 
#3 ·
Yep...tried that too. Moves up and down and rotates freely...just won't come out. Braking out my dental picks today. We'll see if that works.
 
#4 ·
You will need 2 flat washers, salt water fishing line and 1 very long screw driver or 18 inch pry bar.
If you have salt water 150-200 pound test fishing line, you can tie a small flat washer on the end... Use several wraps... Then thread the fishing line through the hole of the second washer. Feed the 1st washer through the slot of the plastic piece where the dip stick went through. Then feed the 2nd washer through the same hole. Jiggle the washers around so that the 2nd washer comes up flat and underneath the piece of plastic. The 1st washer that is tied to the fishing line should not fit through the hole of the 2nd washer. Wrap the running end of the fishing line around the pry bar and lever the plastic out of the dipstick tube. I hope this makes sense...

Good Luck!
 
#5 · (Edited)
Why not just pull out the dip stick tube from the block? It usually has an o ring sealing it and a small bolt holding it higher up on the block. Then you can figure it out on the bench. If it were I, I would use a screw, but before turning it into the plastic I would heat it nice and hot so it bites into the plastic without cracking it.
 
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#6 ·
You should be able to remove the tube, generally they are held in place with a bolt or two on tethering brackets! Sometimes the tube is pressed into the engine block, sometimes they have O-ring seals and it is a slip fit. If you can't remove the tube then try:

Put a few drops of oil down the tube to coat the plug. heat it quickly with a propane torch on low, the tube wall is very thin. As soon as you see a trace of smoke from the oil, quickly begin to remove the plug. If that does not work, you might as well drill holes carefully through the plug, but remember the metal blade is centered in the molded plastic, so your drill bit will be around .12" or 3-4 mm and offset to one side of center.

GL
 
#7 ·
Thanks, guys. Thinking about drilling out if I can remove the entire tube. Tried everything else. Never seen anything like it. Would flakes of plastic be able to get to my engine if I drilled it in place, or would they be stopped by the filter?

The washer and fishing line idea is funny. I don't have any 1mm diameter washers.
 
#11 ·
Would flakes of plastic be able to get to my engine if I drilled it in place, or would they be stopped by the filter?.
There is a oil pump suction tube with a screen over it that pulls oil off the bottom of your oil pan.
The screen on that suction tube is probably where your drilled plastic pieces will end up.

Anything except oil in your oil pan is not ideal and that is where your drilled plastic will end up.

Pulling your dip stick tube and getting your plug out would be the best.
 
#9 ·
GL,

The blade pulled out of the plastic. All I have is a plastic plug in the tube. I tried Breakfree and WD40 and pulled with some pliers. The blade came right out! The plug, stayed in place.

-D7
 
#10 ·
I too lost my oring last year. I don't know where it went but I hope it's not still in the tube. I went to check my oil one day and it was gone. The missing oring creates a vacuum at the head so my oil was a little gritty with some sucked up sand particles. (I'm at the beach a lot). I had to buy a whole new dipstick and I think I mauled it forcing it down. I changed the oil and so far so good.

That reminds me I need to pull the dipstick and oil the oring every couple months.
 
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