Snapped Dipstick

[The_Dark_Side]

from what i can remember of last time i had an engine stripped to the crank case, there were channels between the various segments of the shaft to flow oil, i can imagine finding the tail end of a dip stick in one of those.

the journals have their bearings fed with oil directly though.
personally i'd say that it's extremely unlikely that anything could wedge itself into the crank assembly that even at tickover will be rotating at 15 times a second (ish).

i had the oil filter housing off mine the other day, the oil ways into the block were a lot smaller than i expected too, i therefore doubt it would get anywhere near the oil filter

the oil galleries are smaller than most people imagine them to be.
the reason for this is the larger the oilway, the more effort is needed (read larger oil pump and increased load to the engine) to maintain oil pressure.
unless i'm mistaken the only way out of the sump is through the pickup pipe, after all the sump is just a catch/storage tank.

as you suggested in a previous post the best advice is to drop the sump.

 

[agw_01]

Right, so there's a piece of plastic, about an inch long floating around in the sump?

I really wouldn't start the engine if I was you.

I'm not sure what crankcase design the Saxo has, but when I took the sump off my car, the whole bottom end of the engine was visible... i.e. you could see the crankshaft and bearings.

I wouldn't worry about it getting sucked into the oil filter or oil pick-up pipe, more about it coming into contact with the crankshaft and causing some damage that way.

The last thing you want is for the plastic to break into millions of pieces. At worst it could score the piston bores or get sucked up the pick-up pipe and distributed around the rest of the engine.

 

[The_Dark_Side]

I'm not sure what crankcase design the Saxo has, but when I took the sump off my car, the whole bottom end of the engine was visible... i.e. you could see the crankshaft and bearings.

that's the same for every engine mate.

and shh @ drexel, i know i know.

 

[The_Dark_Side]

At worst it could score the piston bores

i can't see how this is possible as the bottom of the cylinder isn't submerged in oil.there isn't enough vaccum in the sump to make it fly up through the air as the crankcase breather sees to that.
the oil lying in the sump itself is relatively calm and not IMO violent enough to throw anything up into one of the cylinders.

or get sucked up the pick-up pipe and distributed around the rest of the engine.

a gauze filter stops that from happening on every car.
it's designed for swarf and i believe it's magnetic too.

 

[cymatty]

i can't see how this is possible

Ignore AGW he just likes being dramatic.

 

[The_Dark_Side]

Ignore AGW he just likes being dramatic.

no mate he's right to be cautious.
better be cautious and wrong than not care and be right.

if it was my car i wouldn't keep it off the road until it's repaired, but i would make sure the sump was dropped as soon as possible.

 

[cymatty]

if it was my car i wouldn't keep it off the road until it's repaired, but i would make sure the sump was dropped as soon as possible.

Well my dipstick has been in my oil for at least 3 months and so far had no problems. (touch wood)

 

[agw_01]

Well my dipstick has been in my oil for at least 3 months and so far had no problems. (touch wood)

But that's the whole of the dipstick isn't it? That'll be stuck in the chute and isn't going to go anywhere.

A one inch piece of plastic could get thrown about when the oil moves. That's why I was worried about it coming into contact with the crank

 

[cymatty]

But that's the whole of the dipstick isn't it? That'll be stuck in the chute and isn't going to go anywhere.

No its about three inches of the plastic bit from the bottom.

 

[The_Dark_Side]

Well my dipstick has been in my oil for at least 3 months and so far had no problems. (touch wood)

yeah mate but that's like saying i played russian roulette once and got away with it, so it's obviously a safe game to play

 

[The_Dark_Side]

But that's the whole of the dipstick isn't it? That'll be stuck in the chute and isn't going to go anywhere.

A one inch piece of plastic could get thrown about when the oil moves. That's why I was worried about it coming into contact with the crank

the crank shouldnt actually touch the surface of the oil in the sump pan.
it saps horsepower.
think about doing front crawl swimming, your arm moves much faster through the air than when it's moving through the water.
the movement of the car, lateral through cornering and longtitudinal through braking, will result in some of the cranks counterbalance weights chopping through the oil held in the sump, but this is for short periods of time and definitely not the norm.

 

[vanpeebles]

i wouldnt worry french engines probably have all kinds of bits floating about in the oil

 

[cymatty]

i wouldnt worry french engines probably have all kinds of bits floating about in the oil

Yeah and as the dipstick is french plastic it will probably disintegrate in the oil.

 

[The_Dark_Side]

i wouldnt worry french engines probably have all kinds of bits floating about in the oil

and here i was, thinking you were a nice guy...
sarcastic git
lol

 

[Jonnycoupe]

Its plastic will it not just get caught by the oil filter?

Atfer going through the oil pump...

 

[The_Dark_Side]

Atfer going through the oil pump...

and most of the engines oilways...

 

[Jonnycoupe]

Well it goes through the oil pump then filter before it will go into most the oil ways if we wanna pursue the technicallities. In reality its just gonna sit at the bottom of the sump.

Plan of action would be a in-promptu oil change and removal of the sump to fish out the offending item. You may be lucky and it comes out as you drain the oil.

 

[Simon]

Drain the oil and hope it comes out.

For it to get to the oil filter is has to go through the oil pump first. The pickup strainer stops large parts getting to the oil pump.