Club 80-90 Forums

Some pondlife recently stole my dipstick from my 1986 Transporter. The dipstick I need is one that would fit a 1.6 diesel (although my van engine has been converted). They appear to be like rocking horse "pooh" to get hold of so my question is this: Is there a way around this? Does anyone have any experience of modifying a different one perhaps? All advice gratefully received.

PS... If YOU are the scum that stole mine I hope your next turd is a large ripe pineapple that explodes on exit.

yeh i have the same problem, i've asked around about this because i have the incorrect dipstick in my 1.9 diesel transporter . . i think the best bet is to get the engine number and then find the correct dipstick to match . . but i havn't looked in to it too much at the mo because i'm out of the country . .

i would also appreciate a little advice on how to check oil levels without one, or how to temporarily bodge one up on the fly stylee . .

ta

Possibly not the answer you're looking for, but, I converted from the 1.6 lump to a 1.9 1y diesel a couple of years ago. For some reason, my dipstick fell apart shortly afterwards - I kid you not!!

Anyway, I have a good friend who works at a precision engineers, and he made me a new one. It was simple enough - a length of stainless steel rod a few mm in diameter, which he machined at one end to fit into a thicker piece of steel. We then measured, during an oil change, where min and max oil levels came upto on the new dipstick, and he machined a mark into the dipstick at those points. Voila, a new dipstick. Sorry, my description isn't brilliant, likely made worse by the fact I have just got out fo bed after being at work all night. I'll take a photo later this afternoon and post it up for you.

My point is that with the correct dimensions, you could probably get a local fabricator to make one up for you for just a few pounds, or if you know a mate with his own lathe for working metal in his shed, the price of a few beers

Psychonaut - thanks for the reply. Sounds like a good idea to me. I also did a conversion to a 1.9td engine from a 1.6 diesel but the dipstick they used was the original from the 1.6 and modified the tube. I wonder if I might trouble the same guy you used to make mine seeing as he has done one already and all? I have a guy round the corner who has a van with the right dipstick in it so I could easily get the dimensions from him.

Cheers again