dipstick...

[catboy]

hey, I have a \'90 turbo II, and the dipstick is a complete p!$$ take!...   I have heard stories of making sure the oil is full all the time, etc., etc., but does anyone have any ideas about making the dipstick a bit more \'user friendly\'?...

I was considering painting it silver or white or something so I could see the oil on it more easilly, or replacing the centre stick with a metal one from another car (obviously cut-down so the correct length and correct positions for the markings)...    ...anyone have any other bright ideas they want to share?...

Also, looking at the top of the dipstick tube, it seems there should be a locking collar or tabs on the top of the dipstick (I assume to keep pressure in the oil system). These tabs are missing on my dipstick, and so I guess I need to get a new one...    ...before I rush to the mazzy dealer in Leicester, does anyone do a metal aftermarket item? (trying to kill two birds with one stone here!... )

Thanks in advance for your help

b

[Grizzly]

What do you mean its hard to see? do you maen the oil is so clean you cant see the line or just the Min/Max marks aint easly seen?

How i have done it is taken the shine of the stick with a bit of 240 grit paper and then put two little Nicks in the Side of the stick where the Min/Max is.

Let the car stand for five minutes then pul the stick out and clean it until its dry, dip it and hold it so the light makes the Oil more shiny than the stick?

I would not paint it as the heat from the Oil and the oil itself with cause the paint to flake off and be drawn round the engine (not end of the world but not the done thing)

Just make sure its dry when you dip it. Rotarys are a bit of a Funny bread as they dont have a lot of Sump Compresion so i will be suprised if the engine blows the Dip stick out of the Holder.

Chris

[catboy]

thanks for the info...   The oil is fairly new, but I have always had an issue looking at oil on a shiny black piece of plastic!...
will sand it back a bit, and think the nicks on the side are a good plan!...   wasnt sure about sump pressure, as my old mini needed a bloody throttle return spring to keep the dipstick in the sump at high revs...    ...seen as it had some retaining ears on the underside of the dipstick cap, I wasnt sure if it needed to be locked in against the pressure or not...
thanks again

b

[Paul-Tll]

Your not looking at the power-steering dipper are you?
that has locking tabs and made of plastic.
The oil dipper is further back and down a bit has a yellow
end .
Paul.......??

[catboy]

Dont think so...   the power steering stick is the really short one further towards the front of the engine on the right I thought? (about 2 1/2" long with a 2-posn cap, and lock and unlock written on the top)

The oil one is further back (as you mentioned) but mine is a black plastic one (or powder coated metal), and has plastic locking clips which clip over the outside of the swage on the dipstick tube...    ...it looks like the plastic tabs have broken off, and I wasnt sure if this was a good or bad thing...    ...didnt know if the oil pressure would be enough to blow oil past it, out of the tube or not if they were missing...

I think this must be an after-market one or something, so I might just replace it with a std mazda one (with a little sanding and notching! )

thanks for the responses guys
b