Broke dip stick.

[Bingo]

The dip stick broke as I was testing the oil level.
The part that separated slid down the oil dip stick sleeve .
Suggestions as to how to retrieve it would be greatly appreciated.

[cass3958]

Same thing happened to me a couple of years a go and I wrote about it on the forum but we have upgraded our forum since then and the item is no longer available to view.
Basically I had to remove the dip stick tube from the engine block. The part of the dip stick that broke was too big to fall through the dip stick tube into the sump so you are safe in the knowledge that it is not going to be a sump off job or a damaged engine if you run it.
The dip stick tube is a press fit into the side of the block and I managed to pull it out of the block with a pair of mole grips and some heat. You have to be careful that you do not crush the tube but having said that it is a heavy gauge tube which has the dip stick stuck in it so a set of mole grips clamped just below the top where it flares out will allow you to pull the tube up. I give warning about crushing it only because they are no longer available to purchase new and they tend to stay with the block when a car is broken up.
You can use either a hot air gun or as I did a gas blow torch to heat up the block at the base of the dip stick tube. This will cause the hole to get bigger and once hot enough the tube should pull straight out.
Putting the dip stick tube back in the block is the reverse. First clean up the bottom of the dip stick tube with some fine emery paper then what I also did was place the dip stick tube in the freezer for a couple of hours. The cold will shrink the tube down in size and the heat around the hole in the block makes the hole bigger. Once you have the block hot enough the cold tube will slide into the hole with the help of a tap with a nylon hammer and once they are back to the same temperature the two will be a snug fit once more.
Unfortunately I did not take any photos of the tube out but there is not really a lot to see nor room to get a camera down there to take a decent photo.
One you have the tube out the dip stick can be pushed out from the bottom and no harm is done. I had to buy a second hand dip stick off eBay as again these are not available new. I have just gone through what is available on eBay and there is nothing that will fit the S Type 3.4 or 3.8 at the moment.

[Bingo]

Thank you, thank you.

Would dropping the oil pan and letting the remaining part fall out or pulled out ?

SNG Barratt has dip a stix for a E type 3.8 for $110.
Looks a lot like ours.

https://www.sngbarratt.com/English/#/US ... d9c7b406d3

[Bingo]

I am going to try a mechanics magnetic pick up tool.

The dip stick metal is magnetic and about 8/16 in diameter.
The diameter of this magnetic is 5/16.

if I tape the sides of the magnetic so that only the end is exposed I may be able to feed it down the dip stick sleeve and retrieve what’s lift

https://www.amazon.com/Master-Magnetics ... =8-14&th=1

[jerry_hoback]

For what its worth, I was able to get a correct used one from Vintage Jag in Blackfoot Idaho. I think I paid $35 for it. A very knowledgeable guy.

[cass3958]

Thank you, thank you.

Would dropping the oil pan and letting the remaining part fall out or pulled out ?

SNG Barratt has dip a stix for a E type 3.8 for $110.
Looks a lot like ours.

https://www.sngbarratt.com/English/#/US ... d9c7b406d3

Two things. First the broken off part cannot fall into the sump as the end sits on the bottom of the sump almost and remains in the tube. It is also if I remember rightly to large a diameter to go through the hole in the block and fall out at least mine was and from your photo mine broke off in the same area. So removing the tube will sort your problem and although it sounds hard I found it surprisingly easy to remove and refit with the blow torch.
Secondly you need to get the correct dip stick which fits the S Type engine. They are all different in length and shape which depends on the length of the dipstick tube, depth of the sump and in the case of the 2.4 engine the depth of the block. All the dip sticks might fit but they are not going to give you an accurate reading of oil depth and that could be catastrophic for your engine.
I removed my dip stick tube during my engine rebuild so here are some photos showing the block with and without the tube fitted.

DSCF7521a.JPG (566.99 KiB) Viewed 1110 times

DSCF7521a.JPG (566.99 KiB) Viewed 1110 times

[John Quilter]

First I've heard about this potential problem So what can be done to the dipstick to prevent this from occurring later?

[cass3958]

First I've heard about this potential problem So what can be done to the dipstick to prevent this from occurring later?

Not sure why mine snapped. It was a bit tight in the dip stick tube but one day I just pulled the dip stick out and the top came away from the bottom. I suppose checking the dip stick for any signs of wear and tear would be a good start. It must go through some different heat cycles being in the hot oil at one end and sat right by the exhaust manifold at the other. I had some photos of where mine snapped but I can't find them. If I do I will post them.