Anybody on here have a 1981-1991 Mercedes 380 (or a 420/500/560 if it has the 722.3 transmission) that I can borrow the transmission dipstick from? The end of mine broke off in the tube. I won't need it for long, just long enough to get the level squared away. I don't want to have to wait for the 4th of July weekend to be over before I can drive my car. After I get the level squared away I'll buy you a 6 pack of beer if youre 21 or something.

 

if yours has broken off in the tube then how would you get the other dipstick in??

and if just your end broke off then its in the pan floating around??

 

I'm hoping it's in the pan just floating around. I'm going to drop the pan in the morning (don't feel like working with a hot trans) and fish around for it. I do know the tube on this car goes to the front corner of the pan, so it should have just dropped down in there...hopefully.

 

If you're going to drop the pan, why not drain and the measure the oil when you add it back with an empty oil bottle. Then you won't need the dipstick right away.

 

That's not a bad idea....

I'm just glad the end of the dipstick has a bend in it where it folds on itself, so it's too big to get sucked into the oil filter ($50 oil filter...)

So now all I really need is the gasket (it's just a normal rubber gasket, but they say to replace it with every service, not sure if that means it's one time use or if it just should be replaced at 30k miles), which I bet Auto Haus will have.

 

Yikes. As expensive as those are, you could buy a Canton filter and the money would level out in about 2 oil changes.

 

not sure how I'd make a canton filter work in this application - the filter sits in a pool in the pan and just sucks up from all around it, then shoots up into the trans. It's just a big square.

 

I'm going to need a link to a picture of that. LOL... Does it sit on an inflatable raft holding an umbrella drink?

 

This is the top side of it, but those are both outlets I think. It has a bunch of slats on the bottom side. It attaches to the trans by three phillips head screws (so you don't see what you see in the picture when it's installed)


(this is an aftermarket pan, like $15, but I don't trust them)

 

Do you think I can reuse this gasket if it's only for a day? Like I said, they say to change it each time you drop the pan, but they don't foresee you dropping the pan more than once every 30k miles