Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 03-23-2014, 12:36 AM   #1
Senior Member
 
City: Russell NZ
Vessel Name: MV Unique
Vessel Model: Salthouse Coastal 35
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 207
Oil Dipstick Extension

Due to major arthritis in both shoulders I am finding it increasingly difficult to worm my way down into the engine space/room to do my routine oil checks and wish to extend or replace my dipstick tube and dipstick so as I can reach it from a floor hatch. The distance from the block to the access area is about 1 metre and I would appreciate any ideas on a good way to go about this. My engine is a Ford over.
Phil23 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-23-2014, 02:31 AM   #2
Guru
 
Hendo78's Avatar
 
City: Perth
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 3,314
Quote:
Originally Posted by Phil23 View Post
Due to major arthritis in both shoulders I am finding it increasingly difficult to worm my way down into the engine space/room to do my routine oil checks and wish to extend or replace my dipstick tube and dipstick so as I can reach it from a floor hatch. The distance from the block to the access area is about 1 metre and I would appreciate any ideas on a good way to go about this. My engine is a Ford over.
Don't extend the tube. It will throw out the level reading. You need to look at adding an extension to the dipstick itself. Even then, by the time you got the dipstick up to you, gravity will drag the oil giving a false reading also, plus the added joy of oil dripping in to the bilge.

Maybe look at it from a different angle. Instead of bringing the dipstick to you, take a mirror to the tube. Grab one of those inspection mirrors that are on the telescopic rods. Fix a length of dowel on the dipstick, pull the dipstick and view it with the mirror, or invest in a grandson lol.

Sent from iPad using Trawler App
__________________
Builder and former owner of MV SOLSTICE
Hendo78 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-23-2014, 07:12 AM   #3
Guru
 
psneeld's Avatar
 
City: Ft Pierce
Vessel Name: Sold
Vessel Model: Was an Albin/PSN 40
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 28,154
How about something like this that even has added benefits...

Intelligent Dipstick Prevents Engine Failures

A Real-Time Oil Analysis System that Protects Investments and Extends Oil Changes

Read more: Intelligent Dipstick Prevents Engine Failures - Diesel Power Magazine
psneeld is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 03-23-2014, 07:28 AM   #4
Guru
 
O C Diver's Avatar
 
City: Fort Myers, FL... Summers in the Great Lakes
Vessel Name: Slow Hand
Vessel Model: Cherubini Independence 45
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 12,835
The intellistick.com site in the article no longer works.

Ted
__________________
Blog: mvslowhand.com
I'm tired of fast moves, I've got a slow groove, on my mind.....
I want to spend some time, Not come and go in a heated rush.....
"Slow Hand" by The Pointer Sisters
O C Diver is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 03-23-2014, 08:15 AM   #5
Guru
 
Hendo78's Avatar
 
City: Perth
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 3,314
Quote:
Originally Posted by O C Diver View Post
The intellistick.com site in the article no longer works. Ted
Musta been a crap invention then HAHA

Sent from iPad using Trawler App
__________________
Builder and former owner of MV SOLSTICE
Hendo78 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-23-2014, 10:31 AM   #6
Guru
 
Shoalwaters's Avatar
 
City: Rodney Bay Lagoon
Vessel Name: "Dragon Lady"
Vessel Model: DeFever 41
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 681
Extending the dipstick tube and making a longer dipstick is the way to go IMHO. Of course, it is essential that the "hi-low" mark on the new (extended) stick is in the right place. How you extend the tube would be dictated by the construction of the exisiting one - perhaps a copper extension tube, flared at the top end, sleeved to the existing and suitable braced to prevent movement. I have seen long Caterpillar dipsticks made of a flexible spring with a little piece of dipstick "blade" on the end carrying the hi-low marks. Craftsman sells a 24" long pick-up tool for around $9.00. The outer sleeve from two (well, one and a half actually) of these tools could be joined to make a flexi dipstick like the Cat ones. To calibrate, get the oil level right according to the original dipstick then adjust the new one to read accordingly. Easier to say than to do, but that's the idea. Let us know what you eventually come up with.
__________________
Mike
If all else fails, read the instructions
If it ain't broke, don't fix it
Shoalwaters is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-23-2014, 11:26 AM   #7
Technical Guru
 
Ski in NC's Avatar
 
City: Wilmington, NC
Vessel Name: Louisa
Vessel Model: Custom Built 38
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 6,194
I've made a few dipstick extensions. All's that's needed is a tube of some sort coupled to the existing tube, or into the hole in the block. Standard hdw store stuff. If tube is straight, I've used a 308SS welding rod as a stick. It's round, so I beat a little flat into it where the operating oil level should be. Or just scratch marks, whatever. Machined a bolt as a handle, with a hole drilled for rod. A tack weld on top to hold it together. Even if tube is a little curved, the weld rod (abt 1/8"dia) will take some flexing.

Cummins uses soooper long dipsticks on some of their B-motors (I actually bitch about them), but you could buy one (and its plastic tube) and adapt that.

Before you start taking stuff apart, measure oil level with existing stick so you know where to mark new stick.
Ski in NC is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-23-2014, 03:45 PM   #8
Guru
 
skipperdude's Avatar
 
City: Whittier AK
Vessel Name: Apache II
Vessel Model: 1974 Donald Jones
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 3,147
There calculations for where to make the marks on a dipstick. Things like the angle the motor sits in relation to level. Or just put in the required amount of oil and make your mark.
__________________
If you can't repair it maybe it shouldn't be on the boat
skipperdude is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-23-2014, 04:59 PM   #9
Guru
 
rwidman's Avatar
 
City: North Charleston, SC
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 4,870
Quote:
Originally Posted by skipperdude View Post
There calculations for where to make the marks on a dipstick. Things like the angle the motor sits in relation to level. Or just put in the required amount of oil and make your mark.
If I put the "required amount" of oil in my engine I overfill it and have to remove some.

Sucking the old oil out (as per the manual) doesn't remove all of it.
rwidman is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 03-23-2014, 06:20 PM   #10
Guru
 
skipperdude's Avatar
 
City: Whittier AK
Vessel Name: Apache II
Vessel Model: 1974 Donald Jones
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 3,147
Still as. Close as you can get without carful calculations.
Say you lost your dip stick overboard.
How would one place the marks?
__________________
If you can't repair it maybe it shouldn't be on the boat
skipperdude is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-23-2014, 08:41 PM   #11
Guru
 
psneeld's Avatar
 
City: Ft Pierce
Vessel Name: Sold
Vessel Model: Was an Albin/PSN 40
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 28,154
Quote:
Originally Posted by skipperdude View Post
Still as. Close as you can get without carful calculations.
Say you lost your dip stick overboard.
How would one place the marks?
The way you said..you do have to be smart enough to realize what you are maintaining by the way you do things....
psneeld is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 03-23-2014, 09:58 PM   #12
Guru
 
C lectric's Avatar
 
City: Gibsons, B.C., Canada
Vessel Name: Island Pride
Vessel Model: Palmer 32'
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 4,414
Many engine these days use LOOOOONG dipsticks. My Ford P/u dipper has to be three or four feet. It's freezing so, no, I'm not going out to measure. It has a crosshatched bulb on it to hold the oil and make the level easily visible.

I've seen some Cummins ones and they too are long.

I suspect there is no reason you couldn't adapt something like that.
C lectric is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-03-2014, 09:24 PM   #13
Veteran Member
 
City: n/a
Vessel Name: n/a
Vessel Model: n/a
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 36
Hello Mr. Phil23, Perhaps my experience may be of help. One of my hobbies has been the restoration and re-building of inboard gas engines, more particularly the Volvo-Penta 5.7L of late '80,s vintage. I have been using the OSCO type of exhaust manifold instead of the V-P primarily of the weight issue. The V-P is a massive, heavy unit whereas the OSCO type is much lighter. However, the OSCO fits closer to the block / heads and will not allow adequate clearance for the dipstick as designed by GM to fit. So, I tried bending new tubes to work around the manifold without success. I discovered that dipstick tubing must be of a type and size that is only available to GM!

One day whilst trawling thru the internet I came across a special type of dipstick tube used by the auto racing folks that consists of a flexible, SS braided tube of varying lengths that allow the positioning of a dipstick just about anywhere. Really neat - can be fairly expensive. I found out that if you poke around on the internet long enough you can find someone that is selling stuff for less!

I am posting some pics of my solution in hope this may help you. I also discovered that if you bend a tube in more than one plane you will need a dipstick with a round cross-section. The flat ones will only follow a single plane curve. I noted the length of existing dipstick that enters the block and added the length of my new tube then went to NAPA and got a dipstick of that length or longer. Worked like a charm.
Attached Thumbnails
DSCN3676.jpg   DSCN3677.jpg  
NYCHAB III is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Trawler Port Captains
Port Captains are TF volunteers who can serve as local guides or assist with local arrangements and information. Search below to locate Port Captains near your destination. To learn more about this program read here: TF Port Captain Program





All times are GMT -5. The time now is 07:06 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.6.0
Copyright 2006 - 2012