Oil Dipstick Broke off in Tube

The handle for the oil dipstick in my friend's '99 Contour SE broke off and now the rest of the dipstick is stuck in the tub. Do I have to drop out the oil pain, which I know is a terrible pain, or is there a way the tube comes off of the engine?

The top of the dipstick is maybe 2 inches down in the tube and the plastic at the top is still there. There's no way for me to pry it out without just pushing it further down.

Thanks in advance.

you could try a magnet.. although, i think youll end up having to drop the oil pan... make sure you drain it first though... ;-)

No way, that sucks! Draining coolant and unbolting exhaust pipes just to drop an oil pan is not cool! I took off the heatshield for the exhaust manifold, to get a better look at where the dipstick goes in, and it seems pretty loose. Could it be threaded in? Or is this wishful thinking?

Most dipstick tubes are pressed-in to an opening on the side of the block or pan. Often they are secured by a bolt or screw near the top of the tube.
So you may have some success with unbolting the tube then giving it a firm tug and it may come out.

thats the route i'd take.just unbolt the tube & if you cant pull the tube out try tapping it up from underneath.Good Luck
remember to spray it down with pb blaster

You cant grab it with some thin needle nose pliars? :confused: Those should easily be able to extend 2"

I looked for a bolt, and I can't find one close enough to the dipstick. The closest one is maybe 6in above the tube, and it honestly doesn't look like it has anything to do with the tube itself.

I just went out and bought the narrowest set of pliers I could find, and it's too deep for the pliers to grab it.

At this point I'm just trying to tap a small hole into what's left of the plastic part of the stick, and then I'm going to put in a screw and try and yank it out that way. If that doesn't work, it looks like I'm taking a day off to drop out the pan, and all the other work that goes with it. Thanks for the suggesions so far.

If the upper surface of the plastic is still clean and oil-free, then you might try a dab of what we call superglue here in the UK (cyanoacrylate adhesive) on the end of a wooden dowel - hold it steady against the plastic for a few seconds while it sets, and then try pulling it out gently. That's the glue which will stick your fingertips to anything they touch if you aren't careful about how you use it.

i think most people call it superglue here in the states too... although, the plastic might be oil covered, in which case it wont adhere

If you try to remove the tube they have a tendency to collapse. I have put a bolt in the tube and clamped it with channel locks and tapped it with a hammer.

Try drilling a hole about an 1/8th hole and screw in a screw such as a wood screw.pull it out with pliers very easy

The super glue idea may work, try spraying a little brake clean in first to clean oil from top of dipstick. Or, try to purchase a very slender brand of mechanical fingers to pull out dip stick. Or, try bending a slight hook into some safety wire, push wire into tube rotate slightly and pull up. You may also try applying vaccuum directly to tube and suck it out, if tube runs all the way into pan you'll also draw up oil.

I was able to get the stick out using a pick set. I heated the 45 degree angle pick with a blow torch and stuck it through the plastic at the top of the stick. After letting it cool for a few minutes, I was able to pull out the pick with the stick attached to it. It was much easier than I thought.

Thanks for all of the suggestions.

good to here Robin, sure beats pulling the pan!!!