Oil & Fuel Dipsticks!

[LJMasonWy]

I just want to know what brilliant individual decided to put a dark metal dipstick in for the engine oil and a bright silver dipstick in for the HST... I have a heck of a time seeing the clear oil level on the HST, a dark dipstick would probably have worked better. Any other hydro fluid I can add that has a tint of some type to it to make it easier to check? I only have about 12 hours on it so far.

 

[k0ua]

I just want to know what brilliant individual decided to put a dark metal dipstick in for the engine oil and a bright silver dipstick in for the HST... I have a heck of a time seeing the clear oil level on the HST, a dark dipstick would probably have worked better. Any other hydro fluid I can add that has a tint of some type to it to make it easier to check? I only have about 12 hours on it so far.

This is just an idea, I don't know if it would work or not, but How about using cold gun blue to change that bright metal (hopefully steel) dipstick into a blued dark dipstick?.. You would need some good solvent to get every bit of oil off of it, and blue it, wash and dry it, and see how it looked.. first test the bright metal with a magnet to make sure it is good carbon steel, and not some kind of stainless.

James K0UA

 

[MasseyWV]

Short answer... a dipstick!

 

[Willl]

Short answer... a dipstick!

To what question did this answer fit ?

 

[MasseyWV]

To what question did this answer fit ?

That would be the OP (original poster). :confused2:

 

[Willl]

Any other hydro fluid I can add that has a tint of some type to it to make it easier to check?

There are oil dyes you can add if need be.

Another trick is to drill small holes in your stick (if it's flat style), the holes make it much easier to see.

 

[Willl]

I Any other hydro fluid I can add that has a tint of some type to it to make it easier to check?

Short answer... a dipstick!

:confused2::confused2:

 

[DAD1220]

I get it! The engineer was the dipstick...

There is a easy answer to being able to read any dipstick. Take some very rough emery cloth or a file and scratch the dipstick around the circumference. The texture makes the oil/no oil read more easily. Remember older dipsticks had a hatch grid machined into them? The grooves or scratches will make it easier to read.

 

[MasseyWV]

I get it! The engineer was the dipstick...

Yep. :laughing:

 

[Thomas]

Not just your make try finding level fluid level in dim light..arrrrr.

 

[k0ua]

Not just your make try finding level fluid level in dim light..arrrrr.

yeah that sight glass on you L2800 aint no picnic to read either.

 

[CJONE]

Yall need glasses!!!



I know I am in the same boat! CJ

 

[CJONE]

I hate computers.

 

[stuckmotor]

My new push mower has a yellow dipstick. I guess I should be thankful, they didn't make it honey colored. I'm going to try laying the dipstick against a brown paper towel. Then comparing the discoloration on the paper towel to the level marks on the dipstick.

I just clicked on ' Problem seeing oil level on some dipsticks' thread listed under 'Similar Threads' below, and see that someone else had my idea before I did. There are some other good sounding ideas in that thread too.

 

[aczlan]

Drill a hole in it, or heat the tip up with a torch enough to discolor it (Please note that this will not work well on a plastic dipstick)...

Aaron Z

 

[k0ua]

Drill a hole in it, or heat the tip up with a torch enough to discolor it (Please note that this will not work well on a plastic dipstick)...

Aaron Z

gotta love that disclaimer!:laughing:

 

[stuckmotor]

The hole trick is also suggested in the other thread. I think, I'll try it. Thanks, Aczlan.

 

[aczlan]

gotta love that disclaimer!:laughing:

Thanks. Thinking more, I suppose that it could theoretically work if you got the plastic JUST hot enough to discolor, but I wouldn't recommend it as it would be almost impossible to stop just before it melted or lit on fire.

Aaron Z

 

[LJMasonWy]

I like the scoring and the small holes ideas! Thanks! The bluing might work, but these seem simpler, and I am a firm believer in the KISS method. The endcap on my dipstick is a soft rubber or plastic, so I think I'll pass on heating it up, but with an all metal dipstick, it would probably work too. Thanks all!

 

[sixdogs]

..
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Another trick is to drill small holes in your stick (if it's flat style), the holes make it much easier to see.

This method works. Drill a very small diameter hole and the oil will cling to that hole when you check it. The gun blue idea also sounds good but I have never done it.