Checking dip stick

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Was just reading the post about checking oil on first or second pull and want to see what every does with small engines.

My Toro has a yellow dip stick and you have to unscrew it and wipe it off and reinsert but not screw it in to get a reading. First, with clean oil the yellow is hard to read, have to tilt it in the light just right. Second is it never reads the same on both sides, one side always has oil higher than the other no matter how I put it in even cold so not sure where to keep the level, somewhere in between I suppose.

My old MTD snowblower has a metal dip stick and is very easy to read, they should all be like this.

My new Toro snowblower has a little dip stick but it's at the base of the motor so all you have to do is fill it until it starts coming out a bit. I remember back in the day all mowers were like this.
 
I have a Murray with a Briggs Twin. The oil will creep up the dipstick when stopped so I have to wipe it first and then re-check. It has a hole at full and one at the add mark and is easy to read.
 
Ugh I hate that...

The method of "insert but not screw-in" doesn't seem very accurate to me in the first place.

I feel like different people would get different results based on how exactly the cap was sitting
 
I just did this on a Kohler with a yellow dipstick.
Even 15w50 flings off as you are pulling the dipstick up to read. As you said you need to quickly tilt it. You would think we could get a sight glass view like we have on metal lathes etc. It would be nice.
 
Open the dipstick then stick your finger in the hole. Use the calculated eyeball. How we used to check oil in OPE way back when.
 
Originally Posted By: eljefino
Open the dipstick then stick your finger in the hole. Use the calculated eyeball. How we used to check oil in OPE way back when.


Wash your hands first. After is optional, unless you object to skin cancer on principle.
 
Quote:
The method of "insert but not screw-in" doesn't seem very accurate to me in the first place.

Common on Japanese engines and Chinese clones I think.
I got the oil at the proper level then screwed the dipstick in and
filed a small notch at that level so no more fiddling around with
"insert but not screw-in".
 
Originally Posted By: CELICA_XX
Ugh I hate that...

The method of "insert but not screw-in" doesn't seem very accurate to me in the first place.

I feel like different people would get different results based on how exactly the cap was sitting


Yeah, and if you're like my brother and don't pay attention on how to check the oil you'll seize your engine. My brother had a Honda mower and was screwing in the dipstick to check the oil- well the Honda is no longer.
 
Originally Posted By: RobM
Yeah, and if you're like my brother and don't pay attention on how to check the oil you'll seize your engine. My brother had a Honda mower and was screwing in the dipstick to check the oil- well the Honda is no longer.


You think the engine seized because the oil level was maybe 1/2" too high?
 
Originally Posted By: RobM
Too low. Screwing it in gave false reading that level was ok, when actually low.


Ah, yes. I am an idiot.

However, if the oil was being checked and was on the stick with it screwed in, that is enough oil for the engine to live on.
 
Stupid question: How would you check the oil level on a Toro 20016 Recycler with a Tecumseh engine? I've been screwing it in to check the oil level that way. The manual only states to "fully install the dipstick".
 
Originally Posted By: boom10ful
Stupid question: How would you check the oil level on a Toro 20016 Recycler with a Tecumseh engine? I've been screwing it in to check the oil level that way. The manual only states to "fully install the dipstick".


My old blower has a Tecumseh and in the owners manual it does say to screw it in. That one screws in so far that if you weren't screwing it in to check the lever it would be way off, probably close to an inch.
 
Originally Posted By: dwendt44
Quote:
The method of "insert but not screw-in" doesn't seem very accurate to me in the first place.

Common on Japanese engines and Chinese clones I think.
I got the oil at the proper level then screwed the dipstick in and
filed a small notch at that level so no more fiddling around with
"insert but not screw-in".


This.

My Briggs and Tecumseh engines tell you to screw the cap in to check the oil. The Kawasaki engine in my John Deere tells you not to screw it in, so read your owner's manual!

If you are not sure, not screwing the cap in and keeping the oil level at the lower 3rd of the OK area of the dipstick will work for most engines.
 
Originally Posted By: Duffyjr


My old MTD snowblower has a metal dip stick and is very easy to read, they should all be like this.



Agreed. I HATE those stupid plastic dipsticks on equipment, especially the yellow ones. You can't read the oil level unless the oil is jet black. They also made the difference between "full" and "add" about 1/4" long so you can barely see what oil is on there.
 
Originally Posted By: AMC
Originally Posted By: dwendt44
Quote:
The method of "insert but not screw-in" doesn't seem very accurate to me in the first place.

Common on Japanese engines and Chinese clones I think.
I got the oil at the proper level then screwed the dipstick in and
filed a small notch at that level so no more fiddling around with
"insert but not screw-in".




This.

My Briggs and Tecumseh engines tell you to screw the cap in to check the oil. The Kawasaki engine in my John Deere tells you not to screw it in, so read your owner's manual!

If you are not sure, not screwing the cap in and keeping the oil level at the lower 3rd of the OK area of the dipstick will work for most engines.




You can screw it in on the kawasakis if you want, just remember the oil is about 1/4" lower than it's showing on the dipstick.
 
Originally Posted By: Duffyjr
Originally Posted By: boom10ful
Stupid question: How would you check the oil level on a Toro 20016 Recycler with a Tecumseh engine? I've been screwing it in to check the oil level that way. The manual only states to "fully install the dipstick".


My old blower has a Tecumseh and in the owners manual it does say to screw it in. That one screws in so far that if you weren't screwing it in to check the lever it would be way off, probably close to an inch.


If it's the same engine our Lawn Boy has, this is exactly what came to my mind.

On a side note, how's the oil consumption on these for you guys? The LB needs tops off every use regardless of weight, but you couldn't tell by watching it run that it burns oil. I'm using 20w50 right now, which helps, but doesn't solve anything.

The yard recycler with the same engine doesn't use a drop, but obviously it has far less hours on it. It's never seen anything but flat ground either if that matters, but with a pressurized system, it shouldn't.
 
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