Oil dip stick leaking

[Navman]

I was wondering of anyone else has slight oil drips coming out of the dip stick. My stick goes into the engine hole very loosely. at teh normal 1850 rpm's it is OK. When I bump it up to 2200, I notice dripping along the side of the block at the area of the dip stick hole. It then drips down into teh pan causing a hard to reach mess to clean up. Is this OK? Is it because it is 37 years old and the rubber is worn or has shrunk? Where would I get a replacement? Is there something I can do to reconstitute the rubber (Dip the stick in liquid rubber a few times)? I have numbers stamped on the stick but they seem to have no correlation to any parts numbers I can find. Engine is a universal 5432. Any help is appreciated!
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[Loren Beach]

Some 'basic' questions might be: Does the dip stick show 'full' when engine is off and cooled down? Is the OEM rubber little gasket solid at the point where the dip stick seals at the top of the tube? Is there evidence of crankcase blow-by? I hope some experts can chime in.

 

[driftless]

I hope some experts can chime in.

Well I'm definitely not that! But, from your description Don it sounds like the rubber gasket is just worn out.
Here's a clue towards finding a replacement, FWIW. No guarantees this is the correct part, claims it's for the M-40, so might depend on your year of 5432: https://shop.toadmarinesupply.com/ships_store/index.php?p=details&mfc=Universal&sku=299968

The other part reference I've found for the 5432 dipsitck is Universal part #298661
Toad Marine says it's out of stock though.

See also: https://ericsonyachts.org/ie/threads/universal-diesel-oil-dipstick-fracture.14061/

That thread mentions o-rings on the gasket, so maybe yours is just missing those? Are there spots in the gasket to hold a couple rings?
I'm not at my boat so can't look, but I will in the next week or two when it gets an oil change before coming out of the water.

 

[ConchyDug]

Yeah make sure the engine oil is not over serviced. If it's not they sell huge o-ring kits for cheap now.

https://www.amazon.com/Assortment-Plusmart-Pressure-Plumbing-Connections/dp/B0BRN1H471/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?crid=1JMUSVHSXVZY8&keywords=o-ring+assortment+kit&qid=1697485068&sprefix=o-ring%2Caps%2C290&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9zZWFyY2hfYXRm&psc=1

If it's still blowing by the piston rings are worn. Can do a compression check to verify.

 

[Christian Williams]

Do check to make sure your engine isn't overfilled with oil.

 

[Kenneth K]

Rubber gasket or not at the top of the dipstick, the crankcase is meant to be unpressurised, so no oil is forced upwards in the dipstick tube. That's one of the purposes of the breather vent and tube on the top of the engine--to release internal pressure caused by blow-by in the cylinders.

A few years ago I added an oil catch-can (below) to my breather tube line. When the perforated filter inside the catch clogged with oil, the crankcase quit breathing, and oil pumped out of the top of my dipstick tube.



If oil is leaking out of the bottom of the dipstick tube, that is a mechanical failure of the dipstick tube attachment to the block.

 

[bigd14]

Ken, I’m curious about what led you to add the oil catch can rather than running the breather tube back to the air filter? Or maybe the breather tube is still running to the air filter and you added it inline? I haven’t heard of that device. Thanks

Doug

 

[Kenneth K]

Doug,

If you run the breather tube directly to the air filter (like most people do) it should be sloped so the oil that collects in the tube (from vapors) can flow back into the cylinder head (or into the air filter). I ran my hose downward, so it comes up through the bottom of the air filter. This means that the "low point" would fill up with oil and block the breather without the catch-can. The catch-can also lets you monitor how much oily blow-by the engine is producing. I have to drain about 1/8" of oil from the canister every year.

Also, the bronze-ish filter element included in the catch-can didn't work with diesel oil fumes. It clogged with oil within a year, so I had to drill holes in to keep it from blocking the vent.

 

[bigd14]

Interesting, thanks for the explanation. Looks like mine is routed up and over and then to the side of the air filter. I haven't noticed any oil dripping from the filter so I assume any oil is being re-burned or dropping back into the crankcase. But now I'm scared to look inside the filter that's possibly halfway filled with oily gunk.

 

[Prairie Schooner]

Hi Don,
Are you sure it's blowing out the top of the tube? I found a scary amount of corrosion on our oil pan and was worried about the integrity of the tube and pan. Brushing it down and tap testing, I'm comfortable that it's okay. But if I were doing a rebuild, I'd try to replace the pan and tube.



btw, I'm pretty sure the rust was from a long neglected leaky raw water pump.

FWIW,
Jeff

 

[Pete the Cat]

I hate to be the possible bearer of bad tidings, but if you are getting much pressure up your dipstick tube, it is possible you have blow by from poor piston ring seating. There is a bit of venting and some positive pressure in a normal crankcase, but if it is coming up the tube---well diagnosing that problem was one of the hands on tests I had in a diesel class I took 30 years ago.

 

[Navman]

Thanks for all of the great suggestions. I do not believe the O rings are present on the stick. When inserted, it slips in very easily with no resistance. The oil is filled to the correct level. I used the part numbers suggested for the stick and the rings but they are not found on the Kubota web page. I do have a Kubota dealer nearby and hope to get over there and ask them in person. I wish I had removed the "oil gauge stick" and brought it home as I think it would make finding the correct parts easier. I will let you all know how I make out.

 

[Navman]

Hi Don,
Are you sure it's blowing out the top of the tube? I found a scary amount of corrosion on our oil pan and was worried about the integrity of the tube and pan. Brushing it down and tap testing, I'm comfortable that it's okay. But if I were doing a rebuild, I'd try to replace the pan and tube.

View attachment 48349
View attachment 48350
btw, I'm pretty sure the rust was from a long neglected leaky raw water pump.

FWIW,
Jeff

Jeff, The pan is OK. I was motorsailing on Sunday and the winds were 25 knts. and gusting when we crossed the Patapsco. The wind was perpendicular to the outgoing tide (which we were fighting) and we were busting through some very close and large waves. The boat was heeling on the side of the dip stick and hobby horsing. With a loose fitting stick and the healing I believe that is why it leaked. My model engine has a short (6"0 dip stick so I dont believe it would take to much for it to drip. Thanks for the pic's and helpful information.

_/) ~~

 

[Navman]

Update on the " oil gauge stick ". I had taken a photo of the dip stick a while ago suspecting that it may no longer be sealing correctly. A lot of advise and recommendations came from persons on this forum to whom I say, Thank You. I looked up the part numbers suggested but found no results on the Kubota parts page. I then went to the Kubota dealer nearby he could not find any products with those numbers. I then showed them a picture of the dip stick which had a 10 digit number on it. He looked it up in seconds and said, yup, that's the one. Rings were not a part of the stick, just a tapered plug with bulges /ridges of increasing diameter. I ordered the stick and received it prior to my visit to the boat this weekend. I again looked at the drip marks on the side of the block and the drips definitely came from the opening for the dip stick. I cleaned it all up and put the new stick in and it was nice and snug, actually taking a little pressure to insert it. We then had a fantastic sail on Saturday and anchored overnight, watched the incredible Hunter Moon rising over a flat bay. No seepage. I believe (hope) the problem is solved. Again, thanks for the suggestions.

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