Frt diff dipstick stuck?
 

Today , I wanted to check my diff oil. I never checked it since I bought the car(1 year 2 months). But the car runs fine, I think it might be a little low because I think its leaking around the drain plug. So I tried to pull out the dipstick and it wouldnt come out. Then I put some atf fluid to lube it, and it as least moves now, but still won't come out. I keep rotating it and now the handle broke, now I feel like burning the car down. lol j/k. so for a temporary handle I put a screw in the dip stick so It doesnt fall in. So right now the dipstick turns 360 and goes up and down, but does not come out of the dipstick holder. I was thinking about drilling parts of the dipstick out, but I dont want to get any particles in the diff. Also, its a very tight spot, next week, I might put the car on the ramp and try to hit it from the bottom, but I dont think it would work. I think that the upper portion of the dipstick holder is out of round, but it looks fine and I tried to widen the top part, still no luck. i'm stumped on ideas, anyone have any suggestions?

Oh that is pretty tough. I think there are a couple of o-rings on the AFT dip stick. The o-rings might have swelled up and given you the problem. I find it hard to pull the AFT dip stick.

Yeah i broke my ATF handle when I checked mine, a while back before the 5spd. maybe you can replace the o rings if you manage to get it out.

I was looking at mine after I wrote the post above. There is a rib in the plastic part around the metal stick. The rib goes into a slot in the tranny housing. This prevents the stick from turning. There is only one o-ring on the plastic part.

The part I dont understand is, if the o-ring swelled how can it move so freedly in the housing and go up and down? This is the weirdest problem I have ever had. I wouldnt be able to put the o-ring because, half the dipstick broke, the other half is on the housing, so I am going to order a new dipstick. This must be the weirdest car problem I have ever had. Unique car, unique problems. :D

Ok, I got it. My professor said, I can most probably take a slide hammer, and pop the dispstick out. I am in the process of getting a slide hammer. I will let everyone know what happens. Any tips? :D

Alright everyone I got it out!!!!! well actually the mechanic. So I call up my cousins mechanic, I tell him come check my diff dipstick, then he tries pulling on it, its stuck, so he tried to take out the dipstick holder, the part that makes contact with the dipstick and guess what it ROTATES, so now im getting happy, then boom it comes out, complete with the dipstick, I thought it was one piece with the differential, guess not! then he hammers the dipstick out of the holder, and theres so much damn rust flakes and rust, damn. The good thing was, that there was plenty of oil. So then he cleaned the tube, then installed it back in. Reminder if you ever take out the tube, the notch faces the right front passenger wheel. I came home and drained the fluid, and put in the same specification fluid, the color was actually normal, for 10 years of not changing(I think it was 10 years) and put in the new fluid, now the tranny feels smoother, and shifts more smoother also.

Wow :) I guess the stick was never pulled. Normally some oil would coat the inside of the metal tube while pulling the stick. That should keep it from rusting. I think that tube is also coated with anti-corrosion stuff. It may rust up fast again if the coating rusted off the inside.

Yea, it was disgusting. I'm gonna try to go to subaru, and order that dipstick holder.

Hey, John, wanna come by NY tomorrow, its right off the verrazano, we got a lil meet going on to help out a fellow svxer change his waterpump.. :D or ne one else for that matter, cars located in brooklyn, im me at bxsvx01 or email bxsvx01@aol.com if u guys wanna come help us out :D , Thanks everyone