300TDI Auto Box Dip Stick Tube

Today I found the gearbox dipstick tube support bracket fractured (The one that bolts onto the bell housing). If that wasn't bad enough the stub pipe in the oil pan has split where it goes into the pan. I was alerted by the oil drip onto the drive!

Has anyone any experience of this failure, it has only done a genuine 83,000 mls. I've priced parts from my local LR Dealer, they are obviously out made of Stirling Silver!!! :doh: How they can charge over £300 I don't know.

OldDiscoMan

i have a second hand one if your interseted

Thanks for the offer but I need the use of it at very short notice. I had to order the parts for delivery on Friday.

OldDiscoMan

Picked up the parts today, the cost was a lot less than quoted, about £230 instead of £336, still criminal though. A pig of a job to fit, N/S gearbox mount needs to come off! Even worse was the 'high up' bell housing bolt, a b****r to remove, and as tight as hell. Had to bend the pipe to fit, when offered up to the oil pan and support bolt it was 1/2" out. Someone has already had the oil pan off, the bolt under the gearbox mount was only finger tight!

Anyway job done car back on road.

OldDiscoMan

After 8K miles the tube has broken again, this time the pipe has fractured above the support bracket weld. This has left the tube being held in place by the dip stick!!

Does anyone know how to stop the problem? Obviously vibration is the cause, has anyone fitted a second support bracket to stop the top end vibrating?

Thanks in advance for any help.

OldDiscoMan said:

After 8K miles the tube has broken again, this time the pipe has fractured above the support bracket weld. This has left the tube being held in place by the dip stick!!

Does anyone know how to stop the problem? Obviously vibration is the cause, has anyone fitted a second support bracket to stop the top end vibrating?

Thanks in advance for any help.

Click to expand...

I've not come across this before,let alone happening a second time, what condition are the engine and gearbox mounts in?

Could it be that they are shagged and allowing too much movement and stressing the pipe and it's mounting?

Dave

Hi Dave - I did wonder if the engine mounts could have failed. Unfortunately the car now belongs to my son who lives 125 mls away. I'll check asap. The gear box mounts are OK, I had them off when I changed the g/box sump when the first pipe failed.

Thanks for the tip.

OldDiscMan