Bent oil dipstick - confused??

[Ihtisham Rauf]

Okay so I'm having a lot of problems with the car recently.

One of these is:

I checked my oil today. Pulling the dipstick out required a little extra effort more than usual. When I inspected the dipstick, I noticed it is bent, or rather curled at the end. When putting the dipstick back in, it wouldn't go in. I used a set of pliers to straighten it out as best I could and now it does go in, but not fully in. The dipstick is also showing no oil.

Oil got too hot and deformed dipstick?

The fact that I have pretty much fully straightened the dipstick but it still is a struggle to get it in fully suggests something down under has deformed as well?

I put around 500ml of oil in and now it is just about starting to show on the end of the dipstick.

Any advice as to what is going on would be greatly appreciated!
PS - last time I checked oil was about 6 weeks ago and I had to top up about 300ml.

 

[frank]

does it smoke when you floor it in 1st and 2nd in the morning ihtisham ?

 

[Ihtisham Rauf]

does it smoke when you floor it in 1st and 2nd in the morning ihtisham ?

Yes it does on a cold engine, when revved in neutral and first, not so much in second.
But this only started happening after the bike bodies went in last week. Before the bike bodies, it didnt used to smoke at all.
With the bike bodies on, we cant get the car to work with the MAF connected, it only works with the maf disconnected.
So I have been running it with the MAF disconnected. I thought a disconnected MAF would be the reason for the smoking i.e ecu can't calculate perfect air fuel mixture.

I am currently trying to figure out a way to get the car working with the MAF on. Maarten suggested using the original Almera MAF housing rather than just mounting the MAF at the airbox inlet, which is what I had done.

 

[frank]

most of my ragged 1.3 and 1.4 engines drank oil
if you take out the plugs and shine a torch down at tdc, you will invariably see wet piston crowns

 

[Ihtisham Rauf]

most of my ragged 1.3 and 1.4 engines drank oil
if you take out the plugs and shine a torch down at tdc, you will invariably see wet piston crowns

I checked the piston tops yesterday, they were dry. When I checked them a few months ago (when changing the plugs), they were wet. I figured it was fuel?? I cranked the engine with the plugs out to dry it out and that seemed to work.
Today, I checked them just now and they are dry, except a little wet on cyl 3. Guess it is oil then...

 

[Ihtisham Rauf]

I was going for a head skim in a couple of weeks.

I think I'll leave it now if this engine is already on its way out...

 

[frank]

the wet #3 may explain the higher compression ?

 

[Ihtisham Rauf]

the wet #3 may explain the higher compression ?

ah right. I thought worn piston ring would mean lower compression in that cylinder if oil is getting into that cylinder... guess I was wrong.

Can high oil temps cause the dipstick to bend?

 

[Ihtisham Rauf]

Just read online.

Yes the wet cyl would explain the higher compression then if its worn.

 

[frank]

the compression rings dont wear typically, its the oil control rings that have given myself and paul many problems

 

[Ihtisham Rauf]

the compression rings dont wear typically, its the oil control rings that have given myself and paul many problems

Right right I see.
Well I don't intend to open the engine up.
Its just going to have to last as long as it does.
I'll stay much more on top of oil maintenance to ensure it doesn't ever run dry again, and NEVER take it above 7.5k, i.e no more 8k rpm pulls! Although the ITB's really start singing at 8k lol

And asap need to figure out a solution for the MAF, and get a new dipstick and top up oil.

Cheers for the advice as always

 

[plmval]

Right right I see.
Well I don't intend to open the engine up.
Its just going to have to last as long as it does.
I'll stay much more on top of oil maintenance to ensure it doesn't ever run dry again, and NEVER take it above 7.5k, i.e no more 8k rpm pulls! Although the ITB's really start singing at 8k lol

And asap need to figure out a solution for the MAF, and get a new dipstick and top up oil.

Cheers for the advice as always

An idea for a K11 creative amusing video!

As the engine has run with insufficient oil & is damaged, why not see if it can outpace a BMW & drain the oil & run it to destruction @ 8K on video to see how long it takes?

 

[Ihtisham Rauf]

the compression rings dont wear typically, its the oil control rings that have given myself and paul many problems

My car is not drinking oil!!!

Silly me, I COMPLETELY FORGOT that in order to fit the GizFab manifold, the oil dipstick tube has to be bent to the right slightly to make space for the cylinder 1 header.

I just looked at a photo from when I had the Janspeed and compared it to now, and only then it dawned on me!

Checked the oil again today on a flat surface and its within limits. I was checking on a slight incline which wouldn't have helped the situation.

I'll have to cancel the order for the new dipstick now!

So relieved tbh...

 

[plmval]

My car is not drinking oil!!!

Silly me, I COMPLETELY FORGOT that in order to fit the GizFab manifold, the oil dipstick tube has to be bent to the right slightly to make space for the cylinder 1 header.

I just looked at a photo from when I had the Janspeed and compared it to now, and only then it dawned on me!

Checked the oil again today on a flat surface and its within limits. I was checking on a slight incline which wouldn't have helped the situation.

I'll have to cancel the order for the new dipstick now!

So relieved tbh...

More luck than judgement by the sound of it, eh ?

Good luck & may it continue.