GT500 Broken dipstick

[charlie D]

About 15 years ago the dipstick snapped off about 6" down from the stop cap. The guide tube looked solid where it is exposed. I had a mechanic I trusted fish out the broken segment and all seemed OK. Last week after an oil change, went to check the level and the dipstick was broken again. I figure it must be hitting the crank and the guide tube must also be broken off inside the pan. Is this a common problem? or should the pan have been dropped and a new guide tube installed the first time? Not looking forward to doing this on my back and will most likely ask a local shop to do it. Looking forward to any information. Thanks
Charlie D

[shelbydoug]

The only way you are going to know for sure what is going on there is to remove the oil pan and examine the tube and dipstick installed.

The only thing that I can conceive of is that the tube is misaligned and pointed at the front of the crankshaft?

[Corey Bowcutt]

Charlie,

I have a 2 post lift and live just down the road.  You are welcome to use my lift.

Corey

[Bob Gaines]

The dipstick snapping off is unusual and not a common problem . I agree with others that you need to drop the pan to determine the reason for this to happen.Some good news is there are reproduction dipstick tubes and chrome handle FE dipsticks like came in your car originally. Larger vendors like NPD, Mansfield Mustang etc carry them.

[CSX2259]

You've been lucky so far that it has not destroyed your engine.
I knew a guy with a 1967 GT500 that had a dipstick break and the stick ended up getting wrapped around the crankshaft..........bye bye FE.

[Kent]

I have to check all my dipsticks now ;-) never thought about that such a worst case can happen, thanks.

[shelbydoug]

I have to check all my dipsticks now ;-) never thought about that such a worst case can happen, thanks.

Very unlikely. It will just drop to the bottom of the pan.

[charlie D]

Thanks for all the feedback, time to drop the pan.
Charlie D

[rockhouse66]

Are you running a windage tray?

[charlie D]

I have no idea if there is a windage tray. It is the original pan. Thanks
Charlie D

[Bob Gaines]

I have no idea if there is a windage tray. It is the original pan. Thanks
Charlie D

You can see the steel layer of the windage tray sandwiched between two top and bottom oil pan gaskets. 67 GT500's did not come with a windage try from the factory but sometimes they get added by past owners. Only 69/70 Cobra Jet engines came from the factory with a windage tray.

[rockhouse66]

What Bob said, and the reason I ask is that it is not uncommon for the dipstick to climb up on top of the windage tray instead of sliding past it, where it would then get whacked by the crankshaft.

[6972boss]

Mine has broken 2 dipsticks during the last 27 years. One just recently. Looks like it rubs the crank and eventually wesrs through. I fixed the problem by giving the flat part a twist so it sits comfortably between crank and block. Solved the issue. No more rub marks!

[557]

I'm getting scared....

[charlie D]

Back together again after dropping the oil pan. It was surprisingly not gunked up. There were multiple pieces of broken dipstick. I suspect when the first one broke and I thought the broken part was fished out, there were actually more pieces. Anyway, when the dipstick(s) broke, they did so in multiple pieces. With the pan off and a new dipstick in place, it is really close to the crank. So close that maybe just some vibration would let it hit? I am using the short broken dipstick to cap off the tube and the replacement one to check the oil. Don't want to go through this again. Replaced the pan at the same time as the original had a nice big dent near the drain plug--don't remember how that happened, but it is the wife's car...
Charlie D