*HELP* Dipstick broke off in oil pan

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Punisher66j

Punisher66j

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Went to pull dip stick out and it was stuck for some reason. Went to start working it out and it broke off in the pan. I pulled the tube and it isn't in there. Not sure how much broke off in there. I think it is around 10 inches or so. What the hell do I do now?
 
try fishing it out with some sort of magnet, otherwise will likely need to pull the pan
 
5/16 tap, magnetize it and fill its flutes with bearing grease ( catches any chips ). Screw it in to thread the inside of the tube. A long piece of 5/16 all thread with other hardware is used as a side hammer to yank the piece of tube out.
 
Punisher66j said:
Tube isn't broken the actual dip stick is
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OOPs my bad. Push it in with the new stick and let it stay in the bottom of the pan. You might drag it to the drain plug with a strong magnet on the outside.
Pull the timing cover? Pull the pan? Not me. I would just push it in and forget about it until I went there for a real reason.
 
Time capsule it, let it go along for the ride. If it's laying in the bottom of the pan it's not going to hurt anything.
 
wow. i am surprised you all are ok with letting a piece of metal float around inside his oil pan.

OP, if it were me, I'd take the time and play it safe. Simply drain the oil, get a flexible telescoping magnet from harbor freight or auto zone and see if you can pull it out that way. If not, simply unbolt the motor mounts, raise the engine enough to drop the oil pan and take it out. No way in hades am I letting a piece of metal float around the bottom of my oil pan.
 
Metal doesn't float. It might slide around some. When it gets caught between pick up and pan it'll stay there for ever and ever amen.
 
RedFish said:
Metal doesn't float. It might slide around some. When it gets caught between pick up and pan it'll stay there for ever and ever amen.
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i get that, im just saying i wouldnt risk it and 10 inches or so is quite a lot of metal left in the pan.... chances are a piece that big gets clipped by the crank
 
Leave it and move on I wouldn't worry with the crank catching it and if it does what it's gonna do?
 
I would be concerned about why it got stuck and why it broke. Drain the oil and use a inspection camera and see if you can at least see it. Make your decision from that point.
Mike.
 
Agreed, if you don't have any other reason to pull the pan (like to fix a leak) just leave it there. It won't hurt anything.
 
Drove my 67 barracuda 273 from 1982 - 1986 not knowing
Old broken dipstick in pan until I went to big block!

Not a big deal, unless racing a bunch.....
 
I can see it with the inspection camera. It is laying in the bottom of the pan in the shape of a horse shoe. kinda like this . After measuring dipstick its about 12 inches broke off. I think I am going to have to drop the pan. It is in the shallow part of the pan towards the back of the engine.
 
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What I would try now is to use a strong magnet on the outside and a flexible one through the drain hole. It will take some effort but less than dropping the pan.
You said it was in the shape of a horse shoe
But I don't understand which way?
Mike
 
You said it was in the shape of a horse shoe
But I don't understand which way?
Mike


And why a horseshoe? What the he'll bent it?
 
Is the horseshoe horizontal or vertical is what I was wondering.
Is it going from one side of the pan to the other or from the pan up towards the block.
 
Mike 340 said:
Is the horseshoe horizontal or vertical is what I was wondering.
Is it going from one side of the pan to the other or from the pan up towards the block.
Click to expand...
It is laying on the bottom of the pan from side to side. It is shaped like a horse shoe because it is contouring to the pan.
 
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