Gearbox dipstick broke and disappeared...
 

Hello,

I have a Volvo Penta Reverse gear MS2AE 30 873078 gearbox with a cone clutch. The plastic dipstick broke, and in my trying to remove it the end fell into the gearbox.

What do I do?

I had the new one ready, and was able to insert it, could feel no friction with the old one (which I could not see in the hole).



Cameron

Re: Gearbox dipstick broke and disappeared...
 

The real question is whether there is potential for damage to your tranny if you ignore it. From your description, it's a small bit of flexible plastic. It may be about to catch in a gear driven by many horsepower. Best bet is that it will get chewed to little pieces, without coming close to damaging a gear or a bearing. Alternatively, it may settle to the bottom and miss all the gears. I really don't see potential for its doing harm.

I'm reminded of a machanically inept friend who once asked me if there was any harm to his having dropped a nut into his car's manifold. Very different situation. He destroyed a valve and its seat.

Re: Gearbox dipstick broke and disappeared...
 

I'd have a look inside with a borescope. I found this one helpful when fishing wires through a contorted tube - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MYTHWK4

If the missing part is in an accessible position you could try to get a claw grabber on it. I used this tool to retrieve an allen wrench dropped into my binnacle. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07D24Q9BP

Re: Gearbox dipstick broke and disappeared...
 

How a similar issue was resolved https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...se-256099.html

Re: Gearbox dipstick broke and disappeared...
 

I don't know the Volvo gearbox, but I did recover a Kanzaki (Yanmar) gearbox dipstick; that too is plastic but a substantial and hard bit of plastic. It was on a 2GM, or possibly 3GM motor and fairly straight forward - done before lunchtime:
Disconnect the shaft - pop the gearbox off the back of the motor - invert and shake around until the dipstick appears at the filler/dipstick hole - grab with fine nosed pliers and manouevre until it comes out - re-fit gearbox - reconnect shaft - check gear-change cable's properly adjusted - go for a beer paid for by whomever dropped it in there in the first place.

Re: Gearbox dipstick broke and disappeared...
 

If you are thinking about leaving it in there, compare how you feel about that with the sense of satisfaction this fella had:

Attachment 249465

That picture gives me goosebumps, LOL.

Re: Gearbox dipstick broke and disappeared...
 

Nothing.

You don't even have to worry about it 'melting'....

(see https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...se-256099.html as suggested previously)

But it apparently drives most people crazy to leave it in there...

Re: Gearbox dipstick broke and disappeared...
 

It will probably stay in the sump, so why worry.

Re: Gearbox dipstick broke and disappeared...
 

I'm not sure if I'm up to that, given my limited mechanical skills, but at very least I'll pop open the access hatches and see what I can see...