Beat 14 broken oil dipstick advice please

[Burnham Bob]

Tried to check the oil and found the end of the dipstick had broken off. My engine is installed with very little headroom so the dipstick needs bending to get in and out. Presume that is what as caused it and I assume it has cracked off at the line/score that shows the upper oil level.

I can obviously get a new disptick. But do I need to worry? Will the broken end simply remain in the sump until the end of time or will it create problems later on. Before I commit unknown and probably large amounts of money to the local engineer I would welcome advice from forumites.

 

[david_bagshaw]

it will lie at the bottom of the sump with no issues.

lost a number of governer adjustment nuts on a farryman over the years.
they were never a problem.

 

[MoodySabre]

I'd ask John Rook (Althorne Marine) 07939100822 what he thought. I think he'd give you a straight answer and not just one that might get him some work. Or you could ask Hardys in Burnham who are Beta agents.

It would worry me.

 

[FullCircle]

Check if the dipstick is magnetic.
Empty the oil by removing the sump plug.
If so, use a Seasearcher magnet on the underside of the sump, starting from the approximate area where the dipstick would bottom out, and drag it slowly toward the sump plug.
When over the hole, see if you can hook it out.

But I agree with david, it is unlikely to cause you trouble if left where it is, as the sump oil strainer will not suck it up into the oil system.

 

[foillan]

Me too.

I have had this happen to me. I was told that it happens a lot and should not be a problem. Just bough a new one, that was 2 years ago and all is still well.

 

[Burnham Bob]

thanks for the advice - glad to see it happens to other people and not just me!

 

[nigelmercier]

If this happened to me, I'd fix a ND magnet on the end of a stick and have a probe around.

 

[saltylegs]

Happened to a friend of mine who had a new 3 cylinder Beta.
It appears that the end of the dip stick touch's the crank and this can cause the end to "fall off".
He is an engineer and insisted on removing the engine and sump at the end of season to make good but there was no problem all season.

 

[Burnham Bob]

Been on to Beta technical team and this is nothing to worry about in case anyone searches the forum at a later date for this issue. The bit just lies in the sump and can't do any damage. The point above about the crankshaft is correct. Apparently in marinising the Kubota unit, which has a short dipstick, they stick on a guide tube down which a much longer dipstick descends.

The guide tube can sometimes move a little and needs pushing back towards the engine to avoid the end getting close to the crankshaft.

All you do is fit a new dipstick, check the position of the guide tube (it only has one bolt securing it and I'm sure I'll see exactly what they mean when I have the engne in front of me!). Then you run the engine for 5-10 minutes and look for grazing on the end of the dipstick. No grazing no problem. Any grazing, reposition the tube.

Simples!