HELP! Dipstick Stuck?

[Biggles]

I went to check my oil as I am driving my truck out of town this weekend and haven't checked it in a couple weeks. But the dipstick wont come out. What am I doing wrong? What TM covers this? It's just supposed to turn a 1/4 turn then come out right? did i put it in wrong last time? help!

 

[Carl_in_NH]

It's threaded; unscrew it.

 

[doghead]

It is threaded in, unthread it to remove the dipstick.

 

[Biggles]

ok i got it out. thank you for the help. i think the real problem is my dipstick got bent somehow. Is it supposed to have a bit of a curve to it? mine is bent and twisted now that I got it out it won't go back in.

 

[Biggles]

Is this thing supposed to be straight? mine looks like someone used it for fencing.

 

[jwright]

You got to think with your dipstick Jimmy

 

[zout]

Drop a tablet of Viagra in it - it will go straight for a long time

 

[fuzzytoaster]

You got to think with your dipstick Jimmy

 

[Srjeeper]

 

[Biggles]

is it supposed to be straight? will it kill my engine if I makeshift a cap for the dipstick tube? I really don't want to miss out on the WWII weekend

 

[deuceman51]

Honestly, you should just be able to bend it yourself to make it fairly straight. Lets face it, to find a deuce with a perfectly straight dipstick is pretty rare. People pull them out crooked, ram them in, ect and they will bend. It can have slight waves in it, but as long as it's fairly straight and goes easily into the tube, I wouldn't worry. If yours is really messed up, I do have a few good take out ones on hand, but they are perfect either.

 

[Biggles]

every time I try and put it in it catches on something about even with the tip of the pan and curves towards the center of the truck. maybe I'm just not getting it straight enough. I am certainly not looking for perfection I just want to be able to get the thing screwed back in!

 

[deuceman51]

Check the tip for gouges or burrs where it's hitting. Then just round off the corners with a file. You won't effect the way that it measures the oil levels and that usually fixes the problem. This is the reason why many of our newer military vehicles have a small ball soldered onto the tip of the dipstick to keep them from hanging up like that.

 

[wreckerman893]

Lay it on a flat surface and pound it straight with a hammer.....it should slide in and out fairly easy.
If not there may be something sticking out that the stick is catching on.

 

[drgreg]

When I read the title, I thought this tread was going to be about Frodo.

 

[Josh]

When I read the title, I thought this tread was going to be about Frodo.

 

[littlebob]

If the other replies didn't fix it, drop the oil pan and figuire it from that side. Make sure you find the proper TM's

 

[Biggles]

ok i beat on it with a hammer for a while. tweaked it with my hands and a couple pairs of channel locks (wrapped in rag) I finally got it to go down past whatever it was hitting that was sending it off into my engine, it seemed like i had to get it to line up with some little hole at the top of the oil pan once i did that it went in no problem......I'm probably going to get one that's a little straighter eventually. Thanks for the help folks

 

[jeffhuey1n]

Well, I can't verify this a true, but I have heard that if you beat on your dipstick hard enough, eventually, it'll fit in the hole.

 

[Engine5]

Lay it on a flat surface and pound it straight with a hammer.....it should slide in and out fairly easy.
If not there may be something sticking out that the stick is catching on.

My Dr. told me the exact same thing a while ago.