Broken Dipstick
 

Broke my oil dipstick on my 03 Mini Swhile removing.[:@]..only have about 6 inches and the handle.(you can quit smiling...I know what your thinking)Any suggestions on how I can get the rest of the dipstick out?:eek: Got a replacement on the way.[sm=helpout.gif]

RE: Broken Dipstick
 

Wow! You have kind of a delima! The first thing I would do is turn off the light in your garage and look down the dip stick tube with a flashlight to see if ithe remaining dipstick is still lodged in the tube, or to see if it has fallen into the crankcase. The tube is about a foot long so there is a chance it is still in there. If it has fallen in the crank case, you would probably be forced to pull the pan to remove it. (bummer!)
If you can still see it, a few options to consider; 1) I think the tube bolts on by a flange at the top and is a press fit into the block. You may want to pull the tube. That may not be that easy to do though. 2) A less desirable option, I have seen pencil magnets mounted on flexible shafts that may fit down the tube hole. Be careful push it down into the crankcase which would not be a good thing to do. A third option is the old wire noose inside a piece of copper tubing trick; take some light wire, Push it through a length of small diameter tubing, loop the wire and run the wire back through the tubing. leave a fairly samll loop sticking out one end of the tubing. Shove the tube, loop first down the dip stick hole, placing the loop around the end of the broken dipstick. Pull the wire loop snug against the tubing, locking the dipstick in the loop, and pull it out. I retrieved a wedding ring from a small crack between two big rocks once that way.
I'd try option 1 followed by option 3
By the way, I never thought what you thought I was thinking;)

RE: Broken Dipstick
 

Thank you for the reply. Will give it a go tomorrow...well actually today here in the Eastern Time Zone. Again thank you for the suggestion.[sm=thanx.gif]I will let you know how it turns out.