HELP!!! The end of my dipstick tube fell into the oil pan!!

[Rocket Man]

Hey guys I really need your help here. I was installing my longtubes today and had to remove the oil dipstick tube. The old one was rusted in place and broke off. After a lot of effort I was able to get the broken piece out. Then I bought a Dorman replacement and it wasn't going in easily, it was real tight. I was twisting it back and forth and the damn end broke off in the hole. This time though my headers are installed and it's a REAL ***** to get to. As I was trying to get a long bolt threaded into it so I could extract it, it decided to fall into the block which I assume is into the oil pan? Now my question is do I need to pull the oil pan or not? The oil sump has a screen that won't allow it to be picked up by the oil pump, am I correct, or will it somehow cause damage to the engine if I don't retrieve it? I drained the oil and tried putting a magnet into the oil pan but nothing. Any help would really be appreciated. I have to have this fixed by Monday morning.

 

[ivin74]

I would not worry about it, the bottom of the motor has a crank windage tray keeping anything going up and the oil sump screen would keep it from been sucked up into the engine, one thing I would do is change the oil just in case small metal pieces can get sucked up thru the screen. You may even get lucky an the dip piece may come out.

 

[Rocket Man]

I would not worry about it, the bottom of the motor has a crank windage tray keeping anything going up and the oil sump screen would keep it from been sucked up into the engine, one thing I would do is change the oil just in case small metal pieces can get sucked up thru the screen. You may even get lucky an the dip piece may come out.

I already drained the oil hoping to get lucky but no. Also put a pen magnet in through the hole into the pan but also nothing. I think it might be on top of the windage tray from looking at pictures of a pan. Thanks for the info, that's what I was hoping to hear.

 

[ivin74]

I already drained the oil hoping to get lucky but no. Also put a pen magnet in through the hole into the pan but also nothing. I think it might be on top of the windage tray from looking at pictures of a pan. Thanks for the info, that's what I was hoping to hear.

You are correct it maybe on top of the oil pan windage tray. So did you get the headers installed?

 

[inmypassatlife]

Dunno man, it's going to bother you every day until it's out

 

[Rocket Man]

You are correct it maybe on top of the oil pan windage tray. So did you get the headers installed?

Just fired it up for the first time, no exhaust or oil leaks. I have a POS Dorman dipstick tube partially installed in the hole but it started to crack too due to how I have to bend it to work with the headers so I ordered an OEM one from Amazon Prime. I'll customize that one to work, I looked at the old one and it doesn't have the weak point that the Dorman ones do. That's the only thing that didn't fit perfect with the AR headers so I guess I'm lucky.

Dunno man, it's going to bother you every day until it's out

Yeah it will come out, I'm just not dropping the pan today. I have other things that need to get done today, and I need the truck for work tomorrow.