Help, Broken Hydraulic Dipstick!?

[Mossy dell]

This is alarming. Was doing some fall service on my B2601, and when I checked the hydraulic oil I noticed the tip of the dipstick appears to have been sheared off. There are supposed to be two indicator pegs—as I recall and from watching YouTube—and the bottom one is gone. The end of the dipstick is a ragged angle, which you can see in the attached closeup of the end even though I managed to take an out of focus picture.

I think I'd know if I did this! But I think I've checked the fluids since my dealer's techs had anything to do with the tractor. And I don't know how a person would break the end off the dipstick anyway, without really trying.

Could this have happened with the dipstick in its holder inside the tractor!? Does it mean there is a chunk of plastic in my transmission?

My plan is to show the dipstick to my dealer's service manager on Monday and get his advice and see if I can get a new dipstick.

What other advice does anyone have for what I should do on all fronts?




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[jnschnit]

I just checked mine and yes your missing the tip. If your sure it was there the last time you checked the level then I would assume it may be inside. Hopefully since it was plastic it hasn't done any damage. You could try draining the fluids and checking it to see if it comes out. Here's a picture of mine from my B2601. I put a piece of shrink tubing on mine so the level shows up better.

 

[hagrid]

Don't fret. It'll just lay in the bottom and nestle against the suction strainer. Your next fluid change will expel it.

 

[hodge]

I would go ahead and service the hydraulics and see if it comes out. More than likely, it won't damage anything.

 

[Mossy dell]

Thanks jnschnit and hagrid! I think mine must've had a flaw in the plastic, and I assume the broken piece is inside but doing no damage. I changed the hydraulic filters for the first time a year ago, at 63 hrs, and the fluid is still so clear it's hard to read. Next change of everything ought to get it!? If it was going to do any damage, I suppose it would have.

 

[Mossy dell]

I would go ahead and service the hydraulics and see if it comes out. More than likely, it won't damage anything.

Thanks, hodge. Am thinking about it!

 

[ctfjr]

If you are concerned (I would be) then why not drain and save the hydo fluid, check to see if that piece came out and then put the original fluid back in.

 

[Mossy dell]

If you are concerned (I would be) then why not drain and save the hydo fluid, check to see if that piece came out and then put the original fluid back in.

Yeah, that's probably what I should do. And if I don't find it in the fluid, assume it's in one of the filters or ground to bits?

 

[GeoHorn]

There is nothing down there which will be harmed by that little piece of plastic and I’d not lose any sleep, hydraulic fluid, or filters over it. Keep on keepin’ on….

 

[RalphVa]

I would not worry about it. I bet it'll actually float on the hydraulic oil when cold and probably drop down when hot.

 

[Henro]

I would not worry at all, if the piece would remain in the area where the mechanical gears are.

If there was any chance that it could reach the HST area, then I would be concerned.

I don’t know if it’s possible for a piece of plastic to get from that point in the system into the HST area. I would like to think there’s a filter in between that would catch it if it did actually get in that route.

So does anybody know? I’m sure some people here actually do know how the oil flows between the sump and the HST area…

Draining and/or replacing the hydraulic fluid would be a waste of time/money if there is no practical reason.

 

[Fordtech86]

Some what unrelated, but back in the day when car/truck transmissions had dipsticks they would ship the transmissions with a plastic plug in the dipstick tube hole. During assembly they just shove the dipstick tube into the hole pushing the plug into the transmission, never caused an issue until the owner/their uncle/brother/cousin or corner service station did a fluid and filter change. Then they would bring them in and ask where they go. The look on their face when I would grab it, look at it curiously, then throw it in the trash

I personally wouldn’t worry about it in there. If the replacement stick suffers the same fate, I might though

 

[hagrid]

I would not worry at all, if the piece would remain in the area where the mechanical gears are.

If there was any chance that it could reach the HST area, then I would be concerned.

I don’t know if it’s possible for a piece of plastic to get from that point in the system into the HST area. I would like to think there’s a filter in between that would catch it if it did actually get in that route.

So does anybody know? I’m sure some people here actually do know how the oil flows between the sump and the HST area…

Draining and/or replacing the hydraulic fluid would be a waste of time/money if there is no practical reason.

Hydrostatic drive is essentially closed loop. While leakage is inevitable, losses are made up by the charge pump circuit. That circuit is fed strained and filtered fluid.