Dip **** stick broke off in pan now what?

[shovelbill]

Do you have a flat tappet cam in that engine? I wiped out one lifter which sent "glitter" throughout. I replaced the lifter, changed the oil and filter a couple times. Then a couple months later, wiped out 2 lobes on the cam, 1 was because of a collapsed lifter (from glitter stuck in it). I spent over $2K on a roller cam, lifters, springs, seats, keepers, etc. Ran for a couple weeks, then spun a rod bearing. Now I have a big paper weight or a small boat anchor. I just ordered a 383 Blue Print short block to the tune of ~$4700 with tax and shipping, all because of some glitter in the oil. This may be an extreme case, just saying.

Drop the pan, clean it out, hospital clean, maybe even leave a couple magnets inside, and keep changing your oil, send a sample out each time to see if you're winning. Hopefully you'll save it without too much expense. YMMV

I hate to be a Debbie Downer, Good luck!

Edit: This can happen to a roller cam too.

I'm sorry to hear of the ill-fated events that befell you. I hope it's not the same for GMtard89, but I suspect some residual 'bad sh@t' is inevitable. I don't know for sure, but I think that dipstick is spring steel; that's pretty hard stuff, no? The good thing is that GM is starting with uncontaminated oil, sans what just happened.

Drop the pan, indeed, and change the oil lines if you have a cooler on her. Cut open the oil filter for a peak before doing anything else too. Sending the oil out for analysis would be my choice as well. We did it at the HD dealerships I worked at often.



I know firsthand how much carnage can happen to a Harley engine from something letting go in there. You'd be very surprised at what can happen, and they still run, the tractor engines that they are. Lifters are very susceptible to invasive foreign metals that come to visit, and so are piston rings.

I'll wear the Debbie Downer tag and pray for the best.

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[Hipster]

I'm pretty sure a lot of dip stick tube stubby bits have been sitting in the bottom of oil pans for years without causing problems.

Sometimes that's the case and it may be just sitting there, but he also mentions grinding and glitter.

 

[GoToGuy]

Yeah it sux. A guy next to me rebuilding a little Tecumseh engine. I'm done start up set idle get ready to install. Guy next to me " hey man you forgot a needle bearing, here" . Reply nope that's yours, I counted mine twice, test run good. Him " it's not mine" think you should check? " Nope"
Result " starting..." Fired about six times and seized so quick it almost jumped off the bench. Result - two missing needle bearings on the rod .
You could convince yourself and reason it'll be okay. Or play devil's advocate, worse case scenario a little piece gets splashed around to timing chain , catches between crank and rods or lifter valley drain back.
How much to drop the pan versus a catastrophic engine malfunction or destruction. Time and labor versus whatever damaged results in Dollars lost.
Me " ah it'll be okay" starts up and piston lauching out of the hood.....ahh poop. That's my luck.
It's a tough call. Good luck!

 

[shovelbill]

I'm pretty sure a lot of dip stick tube stubby bits have been sitting in the bottom of oil pans for years without causing problems.

True, but that wouldn't be the case if it was my engine, lol.

 

[0xDEADBEEF]

Sometimes that's the case and it may be just sitting there, but he also mentions grinding and glitter.

My suspicion is something broke and took out the dipstick. Can a dipstick tube even be too long? So long that it hits the crank? How the heck could a dipstick even work if the crank is in the way?

 

[PlayingWithTBI]

Can a dipstick tube even be too long? So long that it hits the crank? How the heck could a dipstick even work if the crank is in the way?

I have to look (my pan is off the boat anchor) but, IIRC the dipstick tube runs along the side of the pan, goes past the windage trays, into the sump. The crank lives above the windage trays. Kinda like this...

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[Hipster]

My suspicion is something broke and took out the dipstick. Can a dipstick tube even be too long? So long that it hits the crank? How the heck could a dipstick even work if the crank is in the way?

I have seen too long dipsticks tapping the crank shafts. Ie: a marine dipstick and tube assembly goes all the way down into the sump because it's set up to evacuate the oil out for a change that way. Imagine extra length dipstick in there unsupported by a tube and what happens if a crank counterweight catches it and wraps it up. A flat blade of dipstick stuck in between a piston skirt and cylinder wall and turning the block to junk is my worst case scenaro kind of thinking. I would be hellbent on finding it. I wouldn't be asking what I need to do.

In my experience, taking shortcuts or letting things go always results in Mr. Murphy showing up. If it can go wrong it will always happen at the worst possible moment has been my luck and as mentioned it's gets costly.

 

[Hipster]

True, but that wouldn't be the case if it was my engine, lol.

Totally agree. I also Have worked on HD's at an Independent so I get the comments about making sure the oil lines are clean dealing with remote reservoirs and the rest of the oiling system. If not, 4 oil changes later all you've accomplished is resuspending all the "glitter" that's been slung all over so it can make more damage by effectively turning the oil into valve grinding compound.

 

[PlayingWithTBI]

OK, I mocked the dipstick tube and windage tray to show how a GM Mr Goodwrench TBI block is setup.

As you can see, the tube goes between the counterweights and then the dipstick goes through the hole in the windage tray. IDK how the crank can hit it unless the wrong tube was used... HTH

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[shovelbill]

OK, I mocked the dipstick tube and windage tray to show how a GM Mr Goodwrench TBI block is setup.

As you can see, the tube goes between the counterweights and then the dipstick goes through the hole in the windage tray. IDK how the crank can hit it unless the wrong tube was used... HTH

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That was a cool thing to do...