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MG MGA - Dip Stick loses dip stick

For many years I have told myself "Don't drop the dip stick" as I checked the transmission levels. So today, obviously, I dropped it.

Any tips for retrieving ? I've tried one of those grasping tools with little success.

Thanks,
Chuck
Chuck Mosher

Magnet?
Rich McKIe

You can usually see the end of it between the transmission and the tunnel when you look from underneath. I use a pair of pliers to get to a place where I can extract it.

Nowdays, when doing a level check, I hook a finger through the loop, and do a circular waggle to check that it's actually in the hole where it belongs, not poking down into the void at the side of the gearbox
dominic clancy

Hi, checked my oil level the other week, had the same thoughts about getting it back in place. I put a piece of string through the handle and held on to the two ends until dip stick in place, then pulled the string out. sorry for late advice, but when you do retrieve it you will still have to try again.
Ross
R W McIntosh

Dominic,

Thanks for the tip - I'll let you know if I get it out.

Ross,

I like the string trick ! I'm going to remember that one now.

Regards,
Chuck
Chuck Mosher

I have a loop of string permanently tied on mine. Nobody else knows about it so "correctness" is unaffected. The "bung" is quite tight on mine and the position of the loop on the dipstick relative to the access hole size & position makes it impossible to give it a good tug, so the string is fished out and given a pull. When putting it back the string hangs conveniently out of the hole for retrieval when required.
I used one of those telescopic magnetic retrieval thingies when mine disappeared.

Pete
Pete Tipping

I dropped a half inch quarter inch drive socket once when installing the gearlever extension, and couldn't for the life of me find it. It was there when I took the engine/gearbox out about 4 years later! That gave me a laugh.
Peter.
P. Tilbury

I use a cable tie on mine which is long enough to pull it up through the hole. No fumbling with fingers.
Kris Sorensen

This thread was discussed between 18/03/2007 and 27/03/2007

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