Dipstick tube loose

[ed_the_robot]

Hey everyone.

I finally got my tailgate open this evening, been stuck since Sunday and after noticing an oil leak I've not driven the van since, as I just wanted to get inside and see what was going on.

It turns out, the dipstick tube is not attached to the engine! The bracket near the top has snapped, and the end that should be attached to the engine isn't fixed. I'd driven 40 ish miles with no dipstick attached and it looks like oil was leaking out of the hole left behind.

So my question is, how does the tube attach? At the moment all I can do is but it up to the engine, and the dipstick itself slides down the hole. To measure levels I can remove the entire dipstick and tube in one go!

I will post some pictures tomorrow, in the meantime any info would be great! Only had the van since Saturday so I'm not familiar with what goes where

E D I T: engine is a 2 litre air cooled

[bigherb]

The tube is just a push fit into the crankcase with an O ring at the top as the seal. The bracket onto the fan housing holds it all in place.

[ed_the_robot]

Thanks! Though it looks like there is nothing to keep an o ring in place? The tube has a fluted end, and there is a hole in the crank case that is smaller than the end of the tube.

Do I need one of these?



I will take a few pictures later as maybe the tube has actually sheared off somehow?

[bigherb]

It should look like this.

Is it a CU engine, someone might have fitted a CJ bay engine at some time.

[fairwynds]

Although mines a w/c DG engine, the dipstick tube is a smilar fit at the crankcase. I had same leak from that end til last week, when I replaced the old, hardened and split O ring with a new one (10p from the local motor factors). It's simply a push fit and the 'tang' welded halfway up the tube has what looks like a crimped hose clip which push fits down the tube and grips this metal tang. This gives a little downwards pressure on the O ring and (so far) has cure the oil leak.

[ed_the_robot]

ok everyone, here are some pictures of what lies beneath our engine cover!



Here is where the dipstick tube is "resting" only staying in place because the dipstick is poking into the engine



Here is the dipstick and tube





and the hole in the engine where the dipstick should fit i hope!



Any thoughts!?

I've just slotted the dipstick with tube into the hole at the moment, and held the tube in place with a cable tie as the bracket is broken...

[bigherb]

That's a 1600 CT engine.

Looks like you have a bit missing from the end of the dipstick.

[ghost123uk]

I know nowt about Aircooled motors, but it looks to me like the bit of the tube that fits into the case has broken off and is still in the hole ?


.

[ed_the_robot]

I think we may he onto something here, cheers guys.

So it's engine has been replaced with a 1600. Lots of the parts look new. The previous owner said it has had a rebuild at some point though he wasn't clued up on engines, so I guess he assumed it was a 2 litre! It's still registered as a 1970 cc engine, so I guess once my v5c comes through I should change this?

I guess what I need is a new dipstick tube, and pull out what is left of the end of the old one

[sarran1955]

Hello,

Welcome to the wonderful,(if somewhat slower) world of the CT engine.

Good reliable workhorse,tunes up great.

From your picture I see that the flaps have been removed for the thermostat system, so the engine has been gone into,

The electronic box is tied on with the obligatory shoelace.

More photos please, and get ready to change flexible engine piping...

Lots of information on these...

Here are some videos, all aircooleds, mostly CT:

http://www.youtube.com/user/sarran1955?feature=mhee

Have fun, take life in the slow lane.....

Cordialement..

[ed_the_robot]

hey there and thanks for the welcome hehe!

I dint think we will be minding the slower drive, up till today I thought it was a 2 litre engine

The previous owner did mention something about some parts being removed, as they were liable to go wrong and send fumes into the cabin?

Really enjoying finding out more about our new bus, I'll be sure to post up some more pictures!

I wonder why she's now got a ct engine, when shes registered as a 2 litre?