13 replies to this topic

[zero_wlv]

How does a dipstick on a rebuilt engine (180 miles so far) get this damaged?

I assume it's fouling part of the transmission,  but how can this happen?

The transmission is completely standard and surely the dipstick on a 998 block is in exactly the same place every time,   so how can this problem arise?

 

How alarmed should I be?  (I imagine the answer might be 'very').

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[Archived2]

That’s not good. Fro your other posts I’d be concerned about your engine in general. Maybe time for a second opinion

[nicklouse]

Never seen damage like that.

Who rebuilt the engine? And was it just the engine or engine and box?

[zero_wlv]

Just the engine is a rebuild.     The gearbox is the box from my old engine.

The thing is,  it's clearly not possible to 'misalign' an engine and gearbox when mating together,  so I'm just completely stumped as to how anything could be clashing.

[Spider]

Is this on an A series (ie, not A+) with a steel dip sick tube?

 

While not great, I wouldn't be too alarmed if it is. It's likely the dip sick tube is bent and then fitted with the bend the wrong way.

 

Again, if this is the set up, see if you can get the tube out (and it won't come easy) and then re-fit it with the bend towards the front of the car. If you can't get the tube out with the tools that you have, perhaps go see the guy who built it and see what he might be able to do.

 

If you have a spring on the Dipstick, loose the spring.

[zero_wlv]

Hi Moke Spider,  

 

I wouldn't be entirely sure whether it's A or A+ as it wasn't originally my engine before rebuild.

However,  the dip stick sits directly on the block (not in a tube),  which I believe would indicate that it's an A+.

Also,  everything looks anatomically identical to my old 1988 A+.

[Spider]

Hi Moke Spider,  

 

I wouldn't be entirely sure whether it's A or A+ as it wasn't originally my engine before rebuild.

However,  the dip stick sits directly on the block (not in a tube),  which I believe would indicate that it's an A+.

Also,  everything looks anatomically identical to my old 1988 A+.

 

OK, cheers for that.

 

That' sounds like an A+ and they don't use a Dipstick Tube - or it's an A and the Tube's been left out !

 

If it is an A+, it looks from your photo, that it's got the wrong dipstick. The A+ types were bent up not from flat but a half-round rod, these had a different rubber seal on them that holds them more up-right when fitted.

[sledgehammer]

has the engine been dragged across a surface with the dip stick still in ? (when stripped / on a pallet etc?)

 

bending / scraping it ?

Edited by sledgehammer, 24 December 2017 - 12:10 PM.

[Sprocket]

Question......... Was it like that when it was first filled with oil after the rebuild?

I can see no other way that damage like that can occur when the dipstick is in the hole

[zero_wlv]

 

Hi Moke Spider,  

 

I wouldn't be entirely sure whether it's A or A+ as it wasn't originally my engine before rebuild.

However,  the dip stick sits directly on the block (not in a tube),  which I believe would indicate that it's an A+.

Also,  everything looks anatomically identical to my old 1988 A+.

 

OK, cheers for that.

 

That' sounds like an A+ and they don't use a Dipstick Tube - or it's an A and the Tube's been left out !

 

If it is an A+, it looks from your photo, that it's got the wrong dipstick. The A+ types were bent up not from flat but a half-round rod, these had a different rubber seal on them that holds them more up-right when fitted.

 

 

It's the half-round type with a rubber seal,   so I guess it's an A+ type.    I measured it and from the bottom of the rubber seal,  it's 280mm/11" to bottom,  240mm/9.4" to MIN mark,  225mm/8.8" to MAX mark,   which from what I can gather is roughly the correct dimensions for a 998 A+ dipstick.

[zero_wlv]

has the engine been dragged across a surface with the dip stick still in ? (when stripped / on a pallet etc?)

 

bending / scraping it ?

 

Nope.

It's difficult to see clearly on the photo but with the naked eye it's easy to see that the damage is something far more vicious than that,  and the striations look as though it's damage caused by a rotating part.

[zero_wlv]

Question......... Was it like that when it was first filled with oil after the rebuild?

I can see no other way that damage like that can occur when the dipstick is in the hole

 

No.   

When I checked the oil level after the first 20 miles (admittedly in the dark with an LED torch) I do remember seeing some vertical scratches at the bottom,  in the same area   -  in hindsight something had started to happen.     But it wasn't serious enough to ring alarm bells,   considering all the other stuff you have your mind on during the first hours of running a rebuilt engine.

As you can see on the photo above,  after 180 miles the bottom inch of the stick has been completely shredded,  to the extent that the word 'MIN' is illegible.

Most of this damage has happened sometime in the last 160 miles.

 

When you say "no other way that damage like that can occur",   do you mean it must have been caused by gears?

 

 

 

This afternoon I drained the oil and topped up with exactly 4.7 litres of fresh oil,  just to confirm to myself that the MAX mark on this dipstick is in fact correct (which it is  -  spot on).

As a temporary measure I've used a hacksaw to take the bottom inch of the dipstick off,  as I obviously don't want to be running the engine with gears grating against a dipstick.

I'll be buying a new dipstick next week and keeping a very close eye on it to see if that gets damaged too.

[CityEPete]

Can you get your hands on a little boroscope? I've got an Aldi one that would look right down into there to see what's going on.

[Sprocket]

 

Question......... Was it like that when it was first filled with oil after the rebuild?

I can see no other way that damage like that can occur when the dipstick is in the hole

 

No.   

When I checked the oil level after the first 20 miles (admittedly in the dark with an LED torch) I do remember seeing some vertical scratches at the bottom,  in the same area   -  in hindsight something had started to happen.     But it wasn't serious enough to ring alarm bells,   considering all the other stuff you have your mind on during the first hours of running a rebuilt engine.

As you can see on the photo above,  after 180 miles the bottom inch of the stick has been completely shredded,  to the extent that the word 'MIN' is illegible.

Most of this damage has happened sometime in the last 160 miles.

 

When you say "no other way that damage like that can occur",   do you mean it must have been caused by gears?

 

 

 

This afternoon I drained the oil and topped up with exactly 4.7 litres of fresh oil,  just to confirm to myself that the MAX mark on this dipstick is in fact correct (which it is  -  spot on).

As a temporary measure I've used a hacksaw to take the bottom inch of the dipstick off,  as I obviously don't want to be running the engine with gears grating against a dipstick.

I'll be buying a new dipstick next week and keeping a very close eye on it to see if that gets damaged too.

 

 

 

What I am saying is that the dipstick sits in a part of the gearbox that will not foul any of the gears. of course the crankshaft or rod is close, but then it wouldn't make marks on the dipstick below the level of the oil.

If it were me, I would fit another dipstick and check to see if that goes the same way, thus indicating whether you are looking at a real problem or not.