Dip Stick question
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Joined: Dec 2003
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From: hondo
Dip Stick question
So the other day I went to get my oil changed at the Lube place. When the tech tells me that the dip stick was stuck and now won't go back in. Im watching him and he is trying like heck to get the dip stick back in and it just wont work. It goes in like 5 or 6 inches and just gets stuck. While he is trying to force it in the part of the stick that is just swaying around touches the battery and sparks and breaks my dip stick. The tech said he will order another one and call me when its ready. After inspecting the tube I can not see any kinks or bent areas that would cause the dip stick to get stuck. Has anybody experienced this before? What is causing the problem? Internal dip stick tube problem? The dip stick before it was shorted seemed to be in good shape.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 1,441
Likes: 6
From: Marseilles IL
I had the issue with mine when I bought the truck. I agree that the guy is a dipstick! If he would have turned the dipstick just a bit it it would have gone right in with no issues, he forced it and caused his own new problem. The issue may be that the tube is ever so slightly bent from someone working on the truck and they leaned on the dipstick and tube and the tube is just bent a bit. On mine I bent the tube back just a tiny bit and it works perfectly now. I can't remember witch way I had to bend it but if you look at it you may be able to see what way it would bend if you leaned on it while working over the engine. It was only the slightest tweak what fixed mine. Hope this helps.
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Joined: Dec 2003
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From: hondo
Thanks Gentlemen, I had removed the CAC tubes and maybe I bent the dipstick tube a little when I put it back. But the owner of the lube placed called me and said that he will take care of it and order a new stick and tube. I don't feel that its all their fault so I will probably pay for half.
Gilbert
Gilbert
Lead Driver
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 6,361
Likes: 593
From: Amarillo, TEXAS!
If you remove the dipstick tube and lay it down, it should lay flat. In other words, the bends should only be on one axis. The dipstick itself can only bend on one axis, so the tube needs to match.
Postmaster
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 2,951
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From: Gary,Indiana
I also think the so called tech at lube shop is the real "DIPSTICK" I hope he did NOT cross thread the drain plug too !! 
Sorry for your bad luck. Honestly I'll bet there isn't anything wrong with your dipstick tube.
Last edited by BadDogKuzz; Jul 28, 2015 at 02:36 PM. Reason: Oooppss forgot a word.
Hotshot
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 11,288
Likes: 269
From: North of Greenville
It's really not too hard to get a kink in the dipstick tube when removing the passenger side CAC tube, especially right where it is welded to the mounting bracket. I did it myself this past January and tried like the devil to straighten out the tube... no go. While trying to straighten it, even though I did manage to actually get it straight, I simply could not get the kink out of it. I even tried hammering a steel rod down through the tube to push the kink out, and it just was not going to go. In my case, the kink was oriented in an angle which would not allow the dipstick to twist into the final bend into the sump. I had to purchase a new tube (from AutoNation who used to be Tousely Ford), and the dipstick went in smooth as silk once I put the new tube in.
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Cargo Master
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 2,767
Likes: 58
From: East Tawas, MI
I see your from "Hondo"........... Doesn't help much for us older guys.
BUT, I had a similar situation and living in Northern Michigan, My tube rusted out at the valve cover bracket resulting in the sameish deal.
Could be they're fault, but I'm thinking if you had a problem tube after doing the work and pushing it aside with the VC off, you mighta tweaked it enough to cause a problem.
Did you pull and drop that stick after your work or was this poor guy the gerbil?
Just sayin
Denny
BUT, I had a similar situation and living in Northern Michigan, My tube rusted out at the valve cover bracket resulting in the sameish deal.
Could be they're fault, but I'm thinking if you had a problem tube after doing the work and pushing it aside with the VC off, you mighta tweaked it enough to cause a problem.
Did you pull and drop that stick after your work or was this poor guy the gerbil?
Just sayin
Denny
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 823
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From: Dallas, Oregon
I was able to straighten a dipstick tube that was kinked at the support bracket. I took a piece of 5/16" rod and made a point on the end with a belt sander. Then I relieved it behind the taper with the belt sander so that it would not drag in the bore. Essentially, I made a rod with a full-diameter **** on the end.
Then I tapped the rod into the tube with a small hammer until it came up tight. I laid the tube on a anvil and used the small hammer to gently tap around the tight spot working the metal from the wide spots to the flat spots, making it more round. I repeated this until I got past the flattened area. At that point, the dipstick slid all the way down the tube easily. As mentioned earlier, make sure the tube has bends in one plane only so the flat dipstick doesn't have to try to bend the wide direction.
Then I tapped the rod into the tube with a small hammer until it came up tight. I laid the tube on a anvil and used the small hammer to gently tap around the tight spot working the metal from the wide spots to the flat spots, making it more round. I repeated this until I got past the flattened area. At that point, the dipstick slid all the way down the tube easily. As mentioned earlier, make sure the tube has bends in one plane only so the flat dipstick doesn't have to try to bend the wide direction.
Hotshot
Joined: Nov 2006
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From: North of Greenville
Jock, you did exactly what I thought might work in my own situation, and your post contains a very clear and simple description of what it took. In my case, I had already been working on the truck nights and weekends in the cold for over three weeks, and just did not have the patience required to go to that extra measure of detail. I'm glad to hear, though, that it worked for you because I will certainly take that same approach if ever in a similar situation again. The one thing I did not do was relieve the diameter behind the tapered point, and I think that is a key element of your success.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,800
Likes: 52
From: Southern Colorado
But the owner of the lube placed called me and said that he will take care of it and order a new stick and tube. I don't feel that its all their fault so I will probably pay for half.
Make sure the owner knows how to properly replace a 7.3 dipstick tube (with the inside nut), or things won't be much fun after that. The procedure is documented on this site.
Make sure the owner knows how to properly replace a 7.3 dipstick tube (with the inside nut), or things won't be much fun after that. The procedure is documented on this site.
Hotshot
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 11,288
Likes: 269
From: North of Greenville
The inside nut on the mounting flange does not have to be loosened when only replacing the tube. The tube simply pushes into place and is held secure by the tight-fitting o-ring. As long as you use a slight bit of oil or grease, the new tube will slip in easily enough with a firm pull from under the engine. If you try to push it in from the top side, you risk kinking the new tube unless you can grip it close down near the end where it goes into the flange. For me, it was easier to "pull" it down into the flange from under the truck.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 823
Likes: 5
From: Dallas, Oregon
The inside nut on the mounting flange does not have to be loosened when only replacing the tube. The tube simply pushes into place and is held secure by the tight-fitting o-ring. As long as you use a slight bit of oil or grease, the new tube will slip in easily enough with a firm pull from under the engine. If you try to push it in from the top side, you risk kinking the new tube unless you can grip it close down near the end where it goes into the flange. For me, it was easier to "pull" it down into the flange from under the truck.
I think many of the kinked tubes are due to trying to force an oversize O-ring into the adapter!
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