dip stick

[BoZerk]

Am I the only one that has problems screwing the damn dip stick back in????!!!!! ? :D

That damn thing pisses me off every time I try to screw it in. It always tries to cross thread and it takes me 5 minutes to get in!

Is there a trick?

Am I the only one with this problem? It almost makes me not want to check the oil.

It's a pain in the A$$!!!!!

[BrianVT]

Angle the dipstick to the right as you lower it in.

[crashtester]

And I thought it was only me. My first dipstick iritated me so much I cut it off and just measured with it and used the cap seperately. I then decided that it had to be a defective piece, or I cross threaded it. Ordered a new one. Did the same thing..... The only success I have had is when sitting on the bike, insert the dipstick from the left side. It seems to me I would always put it in from the right side and the dipstick was getting caught in something. Now by inserting it from the left side and carefully lining up where the threads "sync", I am having good success. It is kinda wierd, it takes a couple of attempts to line up and then it goes in very smooth.

[bigtom17]

I think we all kinda struggle with this for a while. I actually went and bought a new dipstick to have in reserve cause is seemed I was going to strip it soon. It seems as if there is a tube it needs to slip into to get it going at the right angle. I lean the top (handle)away so the bottom comes toward you and find the slot. Then drop it in. I have bar risers to gime me more room to work with now so the bars are not in the way. Again, its all about the angle.

[XR/CRDave]

I too thought I was the only one doing this. Mine so bad I have to use pliers to get it on sometimes. I thought about buying one of those dip sticks that measures the oil temp, anybody have one? Do they thread in better?

[TimBrp]

Angle the dipstick to the right as you lower it in.

DITTO!

[needsprayer]

The oil temp sensor dipstick does not solve the angle problem, however it does thread much better because the threads are metal. I replaced the stock dipstick because I was afraid that the rubber threads that were being cut-up by cross threading would fall into the engine.

It's also nice to see the oil temp during a ride. However this is only reliable if you have enough oil in the BRP.

BTW, motor oil needs to be heated to approx 180 F to provide a good film protection. I can watch the bike warm up to operating temp and when I am in slow stuff I check how hot the BRP is getting. ?

[SaltyWalrus]

I just changed the oil for the first time last night, after 7.2 original miles (haven't had much good riding weather yet this spring in New England). Had same exact problem. It wanted to cross thread every time. I kept pulling it out and leaning to the right as I had previously read on line. When you finally insert it just the right way, it slips right into the threads super easy with no thought of cross threading. Weird.

[Rokatt88]

I posted the same problem a while back. Was driving me crazy! I think it was "Dutch" that said he cut his dip stick in half. I cut mine right in the middle of the "Has Oil" zone on the stick. It goes right in with no alignment problem and when I check the oil I always top it to register on what stick I have left. ?

[TimBrp]

When you guys fill your bikes up do you fill it to the top level marking or somewhere in the middle?

[qadsan]

My bike is always filled so the oil level is 5/8 to 3/4 of the way up on the dipstick when the engine is hot. Always make sure you check the level when then engine is fully warmed up, otherwise you won't get an accurate / consistant reading.

[SaltyWalrus]

With my vast experience of doing it once, I filled it to the top with a warm motor. I was being really carefull adding oil slowly with a long funnel. I didn't want to overflow the fill hole. I drained the oil, added another quart of cheap wal-mart special with the drain plug still removed, then kicked over the bike by hand to work oil through motor, hopefully flushing out break-in debris. I put the drain plug back in and with added confidence added oil more quickly with long funnel. Sure enough, i overflowed the filling chamber and spooged oil all down my frame, under the gas tank, onto the motor. What a freaking mess. What a freaking idiot!!!! ?

[JohnnyAirtime]

Got an easier remedy for you all....

Go get yourself a BajaDesigns "oil sight" tube assembly... install it, and cut that damn pain in the A*S dipstick completely off!!!! ?

You'll never need the dipstick again!!

You can even fill the bike with oil when it's running... (I mean to top it off after you put in a quart or more) Simply watch the oil rise up the tube as you top it off. You can mark the tube or the frame of the bike where you're 'top' oil mark should be. SOOOOOooooo simple it's scary!

[ineedmyspeed]

On any cap or screw or threaded insert...etc. slowly, with just enough pressure to FEEL it, rotate the cap counter clockwise until you feel the starting thread click, and will drop in very slightly. Then go clock wise, it will keep ya from cross threading.

Of course with the dip stick on the BRP you do need to insert the stick angled toward the right. But once in just let it sit free on the cap before doing the ccw / cw routine.

(From someone who turns threads for a living.) ?

[JackAttack]

(From someone who turns threads for a living.) ?

Seamstress?

[xrbrp]

I bent the piss out of mine the first time, and took a little effort to get it in. I reflected on my highshool days, and realised It takes a little finesse to get it in the hole the first couple times, and the more you do it the better it gets.

[BrianVT]

...the more you do it the better it gets.

LMAO ?

[ineedmyspeed]

Jack*ff, ?

Seamstress?

In away I guess you could say that, I own an upholstry buisness.

But I'm also a machinest, and a industrial mechanic. I design, build and service robtics and automation for a world leader in contact lens manufacturing.

[Dutch]

This is the ultimate fix ---