"MM54" (mm54mk2)
08/07/2015 at 19:14 • Filed to: None
1
9|
"MM54" (mm54mk2)
08/07/2015 at 19:14 • Filed to: None | 1
| 9 |
Ever since (some time before) I got my crown vic, the oil dipstick tube has been rusted through near the bracket that secures it to the head (you could see light looking down the tube). I recently realized how big this hole was, and after two years of sometimes thinking “I should fix that” I decided to fix that.
There are two major downsides to having a gaping hole in your dipstick tube as I see it. The first is the obvious - contaminants are easily able to get into the oil, including bits of rust from the tube itself. Also with where this is located, any time I drive through a puddle, heavy rain, etc, it’s likely that water would make its way into the oil thanks to the tire.
The other problem as I see it, is that this hole essentially creates a vacuum leak. Being a fuel-injected car with a MAF, the only air that should come in through the PCV is air which has already been metered and enters the engine through (the opposite side) breather tube, which comes from the intake runner. This hole allows air to enter the crankcase and go through the PCV and into the engine unmetered - essentially, acting as a small vacuum leak.
But that’s enough rambling - picture time. Here’s a picture from before I patched it up (after I cleaned the oil from the area with the help of brake cleaner and a lot of elbow grease) - the wooden handle of a foam brush fit perfectly (it was a 2” foam brush from walmart, less than a dollar) in the hole to keep cleaner and crap from going in the oil. It also showcases the hole since the light wood contrasts the rust:
You can see why I wanted to patch this gaping hole. Not only does it present the contamination issues mentioned above in addition to defeating the whole “positive” of “positive crankcase ventilation,” it also spews oil vapor and makes this side of the engine bay continually dirtier than the other.
Here you can see it patched up with steelstik, a putty made by JB weld with some pretty good reviews - yes it was done in two parts (I got the first, upper patch on, took a picture since I have no idea where my inspection mirror went, and realized I missed part of the hole) but it seems to be bonding well. I’m going to give it overnight to cure (nowhere I have to go this evening) and we’ll see how it holds up:
So there’s that. I felt like sharing this since little things like this are amongst my favorite things to find on Oppo - and maybe some of you are the same way.
-Matt
gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee
> MM54
08/07/2015 at 19:38 |
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If your engine ran as well as my Lada’s does, this would not be an issue. The superior blowby characteristics of my engine pushes small amounts of oil out the end of the dipstick tube, which in turn prevents rusting of said dipstick tube.
That’s how it's supposed to work, right? ;)
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MM54
> gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee
08/07/2015 at 19:45 |
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As I was patching it I was contemplating the possibility of blowby now pushing my dipstick out, although I really doubt it would happen.
As for your Lada... well, you have a Lada so I’m jealous. I do fully intend to, within a few years, buy and import an old Riva wagon or something like that. I have no idea why but I really like them, and am totally okay with spending as much to import one as I spent on the car.
Urambo Tauro
> MM54
08/07/2015 at 19:49 |
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This is one of the few things I would actually use epoxy to fix on my car.
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MM54
> Urambo Tauro
08/07/2015 at 19:50 |
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Yeah I like to fix things at least somewhat-right*, but after seeing the price for a new tube, I said screw it and epoxied it.
*The exception is zip ties. If I can fix it with them, I will.
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Urambo Tauro
> MM54
08/07/2015 at 19:58 |
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Zip-ties are awesome.
Yeah, it looks like the Ford part is about $60, and that’s just for the tube, dipstick not included. Aftermarket ones can be found for less, but what really turns me off about it is the work involved. From what I’ve read, the exhaust manifold has to be unbolted.
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gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee
> MM54
08/07/2015 at 20:02 |
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Is Canadian. My Niva cost me all of $1000. Well, and then another $1500 or so in parts ( mostly tires). No hassles with import because it’s a Canadian market car. Not legal for US import for another six years, so it's a 1.7 tbi. Be very jealous. :D
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MM54
> Urambo Tauro
08/07/2015 at 20:08 |
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Nah, on this setup at least it should just be that one bolt and the tube pulls up and out. There are several accounts on the forums, though, of people who have the tube break off in the oil pan, which is clearly not a Good Time.
bryan40oop
> MM54
08/07/2015 at 23:30 |
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Just replace it.... it’s not that hard. Also replace the trans dipstick too. Both were bad to rust on those.
Edit: Don’t be afraid of it, it’s not too bad. I think we used to charge ~1 hours worth of labor (of course it never took that long)
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MM54
> bryan40oop
08/08/2015 at 08:31 |
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The steelstick was about $4 and I used maybe 1/8 of it, and the foam brush was 67 cents or so... 95 cents and ten minutes of my time this way, or $65+ for the new tube and at least half an hour (if I can get the incredibly rusty bolt out) to replace it. I think I’ll stick with the epoxy for this one! Besides, the car’s a beater, half of it has been held together with zipties at one point or another so it seems appropriate.