I recently had my oil pan replaced on my 2018 F150 5.0. Tonight I noticed a little amt of smoke and burning smell that smelled more like burnt plastic or rubber than anything else when I pulled into driveway, but decided to check the oil level just in case.

I see there's about a 15-20 degree bend around the last inch of the dipstick…then I realized IT WASNT THE END OF THE DIPSTICK. At least a few inches seem to be broken off and I am wondering if this could have happened during the oil pan replacement somehow.

My main question is….is my truck safe to drive with a small piece of metal in my oil pan? Is there any risk of it being sucked into the engine? I have honestly never even heard of this happening and not even sure how it's possible.

Wouldn't it get caught in the oil filter before going into the engine?

BenTheGoodAg said:

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El Gallo Blanco said:

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I recently had my oil pan replaced on my 2018 F150 5.0.

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Well that sure seems suspect... I'd be going back to them for a conversation about it.

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Will be doing that by end of week. It's almost like the old piece is still wedged in the tube before the oil pan, as it is kind of hard to get the remainder of the dipstick in.

Freakin weird. The dumbest sh** seems to happen to me lately.

Milwaukees Best Light said:

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Wouldn't it get caught in the oil filter before going into the engine?

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That's what I would think. I honestly wouldn't even think it would get to the oil filter. But wanted to confirm with Texags that I am not being reckless in driving it.

Thought I remembered a screen in the oil pan as well that is supposed to help keep debris down there.

But man, how the hell does a metal dipstick break off in there?

I have found bolts, nuts, broken springs, pieces of gaskets, dipsticks, in oil pans in my tractors that have been running for decades. As 1ag said, there's a pickup screen.

If the end is somehow stuck in the tube then I guess that's another issue but I wouldn't worry if it ended up in the pan.

BrazosDog02 said:

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I have found bolts, nuts, broken springs, pieces of gaskets, dipsticks, in oil pans in my tractors that have been running for decades. As 1ag said, there's a pickup screen.

If the end is somehow stuck in the tube then I guess that's another issue but I wouldn't worry if it ended up in the pan.

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Yep, I'm going to take it back to the shop and tell them to remove it. I wouldn't even know where to begin but they better figure it out.

Telge Automotive in Cypress fwiw. They've been great otherwise. And I realize accidents happen.

kinda crappy they didn't notice or tell you after they refilled and checked the oil - unless it somehow happened after they checked the oil - which I would doubt.

sushi94 said:

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kinda crappy they didn't notice or tell you after they refilled and checked the oil - unless it somehow happened after they checked the oil - which I would doubt.

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My thoughts as well...maybe the tech didn't want boss man to get mad. But the odds of it being after they checked the oil level do seem low to me. And it almost seems like it HAD to have happened during the work they did. I don't see how it would just break by checking the oil, or re-inserting.

CanyonAg77 said:

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Judge them on how they fix this, not on the initial screwup.

As above, don't worry about the missing tip. And the dipstick tube should be easy to remove and clear out.

My guess is that they hit the dipstick with the pan, while installing the pan, and just forced the pan on without fixing the clearance issue.

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This was my initial thought but then I thought "Nah...no one removes and installs an oil pan with a dipstick in the tube....right....right? " Then I think back on some things I've had mechanics do and figured...yeah, thats probably exactly what happened.

They should have yanked the dipstick out when it was on the ground. Once they had it in the air, they have to move all their crap and let it back down. Then pull the stick, then lift it back. Ain't nobody got time for that.

Though they should have had time to push the bottom of the dipstick up with a finger….

Any update? I use Telge fairly often, would like to hear how they handled this.