On Sun, 25 Apr 2004 12:25:12 -0700, Ben S <phlogiston@ISPWEST.COM> wrote:

>yesterday my water pump belt broke and, as it whipped around, broke the
>metal tube that the dipstick slides into.  it shattered all the way at
>the bottom where it appears to slide into a larger round piece that i'm
>assuming held it to the block.  i stuck a cork into the hole in order to
>get home.  so now i'm wondering if i can use the van to get to work on
>monday...  does anyone know how much the oil splashes up to the bottom
>of the dipstick hole?  is that cork going to get blasted out by oil, and
>if it does, will i lose a lot?  has anyone ever tried running without
>the dipstick tube and observed how much oil splashes from that hole?

Hi Ben S.
As this dipstick tube enters the crankcase just above the 'max.' line on the dip-stick, yes you have
the potential to lose a significant amount of oil. Any opening to the crankcase will leak oil. If your
cork is real solid-like, my guess (and only a guess here)...  will probably hold for a short while.
Mine leaked a small quantity when the tube was not installed fully into the block. The engine
crankcase, as I recall, has an O-ring seal groove machined into it and a green coloured O-ring that
seals the tube to the block, when installed correctly.
>
>also, does anyone know the part number for that piece?
Sorry, no.  Check one of the list-vendors or your local VW Dealer for starters...

how about removal and installation?  will the piece that's still in the engine
>come out if i pull on it with pliers, and do i just shove the new one in?

Pretty much like this. As I recall (mine acted up over a year ago), the tube is a tapered, tight-
push-to-fit installation. I used a dab of hi-temp Si seal for insurance.  A small hose clamp or
crimp-ring is used to fix the tube to a bracket that runs between the block and the Alternator
mount. The Bentley shows this for the 2.1L  engine on page 13.34. The push-to-fit install, took a
few firm taps with a long (12-inch) pin punch and a small hammer, to fully seat the tube into the
block.

good luck to you Ben

Phil Z.