BIG problem: Tip of dipstick fell off in engine.

Post by **mikehutch711** » Sat Apr 16, 2005 7:20 am

Fixed.False alarm, thank gawd
Modified by mikehutch711 at 6:09 AM 4/18/2006

Post by **biosehnsucht** » Sat Apr 16, 2005 7:26 am

Was it still in one peice the last time you looked? That's crazy!

Hopefully it's just sitting in the oilpan and you can get it out, but you're SOL on an oil dip stick pretty much.. you'll have to find a generic replacement thats the right length or special order a FWD DE one from nissan..

Post by **float_6969** » Sat Apr 16, 2005 7:37 am

Here's what I would do;1st, remove the drain plug and drain the oil back out. Let it drain for a while and get as much oil out as possible. I would use some sort of screen on whatever you are draining the oil into so that if you get lucky and the part comes out with the oil, you can catch it. If you're not lucky (and it doesn't sound like you are) then you'll have to dig for the peice. I would get some sort of telescoping magnet. With any luck you can latch onto it that way and just pull it out through the drain plug hole. If you can't then move on to two.2nd Remove the oil pan and pull it out that way. I wouldn't be too worried about it causing a whole lot of damage. It's comparitively large and heavy, so it should just stay in the bottom of the pan. It most certainly won't get sucked up into the pump. If you pull the pan and don't find it, hit yourself in the head with a 2x4 cuz it probabally fell off outside of the motor and you did all this work for nothing. If that does happen, please post it up here so I can laugh at you. Thanks!

Post by **boost_boy** » Sat Apr 16, 2005 7:49 am

mikehutch711 wrote:I was changing oil, went to check levels and when i pulled the dipstick out, the tip of it didnt come with it.The indicator part with the hashmarks.So now i have that little piece of metal somewhere in engine.Any suggestions? where would it be? how could i get it out?

Never heard of this before in my life, but then again nothing's impossible. It won't get picked-up by your oil strainer, so it's really no immediate harm to your engine. You can drain the oil and hope that it gets close enough so that you can take a flexible magnet and probe for it or pull the oil pan to remove it. Or get a magnetic oil drain c*** and wait for it to pick up that piece of dipstick. Or simply do nothing, replace the dipstick and keep on boostin'.

Dee

Post by **fallen180sx** » Sat Apr 16, 2005 8:19 am

boost_boy wrote:Never heard of this before in my life, but then again nothing's impossible. It won't get picked-up by your oil strainer, so it's really no immediate harm to your engine. You can drain the oil and hope that it gets close enough so that you can take a flexible magnet and probe for it or pull the oil pan to remove it. Or get a magnetic oil drain c*** and wait for it to pick up that piece of dipstick. Or simply do nothing, replace the dipstick and keep on boostin'.

Dee

note the "keep on boostin" hehe.

Post by **pulsar gtr** » Sat Apr 16, 2005 12:08 pm

Hi Mike,

remove the housing of the dip stick, it will come out with some force put on the bottom off it, then get a small magnet and try to get it out through the whole of this dip stick housing. I can send you another dip stick, I got couple.

RafiPULSAR GTR

Post by **Dattebayo** » Sat Apr 16, 2005 12:56 pm

If this was in Gen Chat, I would say its a sexual metaphor!

That happened to me with a condom once, but seriously, I would just use a magnetic drain plug. It will get the pieces by the next oil change.

Post by **Not_a_sr** » Sat Apr 16, 2005 1:39 pm

this almost happend to me, i was wiping the oil off and it came off in the rag....

can any one do me a favor and measre the dipstick from tip to the rubber stopper?? i lost mine and i just bought a pulsar NX one and im not reading oil on it, just wanna make sure its near the same length.. maybe the person i had fill the oil just spilled half a gallon on the floor.. there was a huge pudle under the car after he did it.

Jon

Post by **Dattebayo** » Sat Apr 16, 2005 1:57 pm

Maybe he just forgot to put the oil filter on. That would do it...

Post by **Not_a_sr** » Sat Apr 16, 2005 3:55 pm

nah the filter is on , the manifold and side of the motor was also covered in oil...

pretty sure he spilled half of it down the motor. im draining it all here in a lil bit again anyway. then putting in quarts to be sure..

Post by **float_6969** » Sat Apr 16, 2005 4:26 pm

Unless you are talking about the cross member being in the way, it's just the transmission gusset's in the way and there is only 4 bolts holding each of them on. If you ARE talking about the sub-frame, just go get a wobbler (thats what I call it, it looks like a U joint). Make sure you're using 1/4" drive stuff or it'll never fit. I know for a fact that this oil pan can be pulled while still in the car. It's hard, but it can be done.

Post by **float_6969** » Sun Apr 17, 2005 3:24 am

Let us know how it goes.

Post by **undertaker** » Sun Apr 17, 2005 10:04 am

A friend of mine had this happen to his car. He said the tip is lead, so it should just sit in the bottom. Removing the oil pan in place is not fun but it might be the only way to get it out.

Post by **pulsar gtr** » Sun Apr 17, 2005 12:18 pm

Ok, here is my results.

The tip itself won't stick to the magnet either because it is aluminum or some other metal, but since the wire that holds the tip itself is metal and it goes half way in the tip, it can be caught by a magnet.

I used my motor's dipstick and I used a magnet on the tip, the end of tip wouldn't stick to the magnet, but half way through the tip where the wire is impeded inside of the tip, the tip will stick to the magnet.

Best bet, get a magnetized oil drain plug and by next oil change, you should be able to have it, if not, I wouldn't worry much about it as it is too big to be sucked in the oil pump pick up line as it got a nice screen filter on it.

PULSAR GTRRafi

Post by **Not_a_sr** » Sun Apr 17, 2005 6:34 pm

it wont block the pickup! it could get swung up into the crank i guess,

try pouring a quart of oil though with the drain bolt off. its unlikely it will come out since it will probably lay on it side and its alot wider then that hole. but with some luck it might slide out.

Post by **Not_a_sr** » Sun Apr 17, 2005 7:05 pm

i just bought a Ca18de dipstick for the UDSM fwd motor, i think its about 2.5" shorter then the RWD one, i had one person measure 15.5" .

i need a measurement from the end of the measuring tip(the very end of the stick) up till where the rubber stopper bottoms out on the dipstick tube can anyone help confirm the proper length ??

i got 14" from where it will sit completely in the tube to the end of the measuring block.

Post by **float_6969** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 12:54 pm

You might have to unbolt the motor mounts and lift the motor up away from the sub-frame.

Post by **float_6969** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 12:56 pm

You don't need an engine hoist. Just unbolt the motor mounts from the back side, and then jack up the motor via the bellhousing of the tranny.

Post by **pulsar gtr** » Tue Apr 19, 2005 3:35 pm

Exacto nife blade will do the trick, it is time cosuming, just be patient and make sure that when you clean it, to clean the inside of the pan as some of that silicon gasket will fall inside the pan.

Glade that you got the dam dipstick out.

PULSAR GTRRafi

Post by **Not_a_sr** » Thu Apr 21, 2005 6:52 pm

same here, or maybe another nissan one will work!

pulsarGTR you gota RWD DET stick you wanna sell?? i need one ASAP i just got my car running tonight night... first time in over a year and 3months ive had a grin on my face all daylong

Post by **biosehnsucht** » Fri Apr 22, 2005 10:25 pm

My friend measured mine (he saw an old Toyota one recently and it looked similar, but better made, wanted to see if it would fit; it doesn't) and it was 15 1/4" from the tip to the stopper (i.e. the section that goes into the tube)

Post by **sjbsuperman1425** » Sat Jun 21, 2014 7:11 pm

Bringing this old boy back from the dead.

I was checking the oil level at the track today and the level indicator came off the end of the dipstick (luckily fell on the ground).

Just wondering if anyone has ever found a direct replacement in the US?

Post by **float_6969** » Sun Jun 22, 2014 5:23 am

None that I'm aware of.

Post by **dhen** » Mon Jul 07, 2014 8:27 pm

This seems to be a trend. The tip of my dipstick fell off into the oil yesterday. Not worried about it since it's too big to get sucked up in the pickup tube.

I'll head to the junkyard and try to find something suitable and long enough.

Post by **sjbsuperman1425** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 7:25 am

dhen,

did you ever find a dipstick that fits?

Post by **laxands13** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 9:45 am

I'm interested to hear about this as well. The tip of the dipstick is missing from my ca16. If I can be told the appropriate sizes, I may be able to make more than one as I do still have the top piece of the old one. No promises though.

Post by **dhen** » Sat Jul 26, 2014 7:38 am

sjbsuperman1425 wrote:dhen,

did you ever find a dipstick that fits?

Yes and no. The dip stick from a 1996-2002 Chevrolet Camaro 3.8 V6 (L36 engine) is very long and flexible. It's flat and twisted. It's much longer than you need, but if you measure it up to the old one or get a measurement from someone you could cut it to fit, which is what I did.

I don't know if the end of the dipstick fits at the end of the tube, since my tube is custom. Late '80s Ford 4 cylinder dipsticks were the right size, but they only bend on one axis because they are flat and straight. My tube bends in a couple of directions, so this wasn't an option.

Hope this helps.

Post by **laxands13** » Mon Jul 28, 2014 1:36 pm

But can anyone who currently has a dipstick in their CA engine physically measure how long it is? That would be super duper helpful!

BIG problem: Tip of dipstick fell off in engine.

engine engine

Re: BIG problem: Tip of dipstick fell off in engine. (mikehutch711)

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