MG-Cars.net

Welcome to our resource for MG Car Information.

Recommendations

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG MGA - calibrate dipstick

Hi,

When I got the MGA coupe I have now, the dipstick was missing a little rubber ring that would prevent the dipstick from going in all the way.
So I had to guess where it is supposed to be. Can someone measure where the mark of the lower oil level is supposed to be with respect to the little rubber collar I have a 1500, so a straight dipstick.

-- Paul
Paul van Adrichem

I do not think the rubber ring was used to stop the dipstick from entering the oil pan to far but to prevent any splash back up the DS tube and out of the engine. My Coupe has a rubber cover, similar to a spark plug wire connection and it fit over the exterior of the DS tube. This prevents splash back. My DS is calibrated on the stick.
Gordon Harrison

Doesn't the dipstick rest on the bottom of the sump or am I thinking about another car? ..............Mike
m.j. moore

The dipstick should have a round hnadle on one end and should reach the floor of the oil pan. If yours doesn't reach the pan, with room to spare, then it is not an MGA dipstick.

On an MGA dipstick, the standard rubber guard should be positioned on the stick so it's snug against the dipstick hole just as the stick touches the pan. To position it properly, put the rubber guard all the way up the stick to the round handle, insert the stick in the hole until it reaches the pan, then push the guard down the stick until it's snug with the hole.

This assumes that you have the correct dipstick! When I bought my coupe, it had an incorrect stick.
M. D.

Mike is correct about the dipstick bottoming out in the sump.
Don Carlberg

The purpose of the rubber seal is to stop dust settling into the top of the tube and concreting the dipstick in place. When we wee on the Cape to Cairo trip the car I was travelling in was missing the seal and the dipstick was absolutely unmoveable even with a piece of rope through the loop and using a lot of strength. The sand and grime from the unsealed roads had worked their way into the tube and firmly gripped it in place. I just hope that not too much of it worked down into the sump.
dominic clancy

Dominic

It was a tradition in WW2 for aircrew to relieve themselves on the tail wheel of their bomber aircraft before take-off, a tradition we maintained frequently on the main wheels of post war aircraft. But doing it on the dipstick is a new one on me!

Steve
Steve Gyles

Read were for wee.... I HATE autocorrecting.....
dominic clancy

I seem to recall that one the dipstick is in the correct position you can hear it hitting the base of the sump.
John Bray

When I converted to my 1800 engine I transferred the 1500 dipstick. I had the same quandary as indicated in this thread. I filled the engine with the specified amount of oil; ran the engine to make sure the oil filter and pipes were full; let it all settle then measured the height on the dipstick. It read full when it touched the sump.

Steve
Steve Gyles

This thread was discussed between 15/09/2014 and 17/09/2014

MG MGA index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG MGA BBS is active now.