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MG Midget and Sprite General - Which way up does dipstick tube go?

I've got a 1275 Midget 12CEDAH and was wondering which way up the dipstick tube goes. It came out with the tall thin bit up and that's how it has been in since I've had the car but a Mini mechanic thought it should go the other way with the short bit up. I noticed this is how they are in the Mini engines.

The engine has been rebuild before so I thought I'd better check. I have two manuals including an original BL manual and neither shows it but the Moss catalogue shows it with the short bit up.

So is my installation correct?

Careless guys at the machine shop broke the bottom off it. :(

Greg H

I'm pretty sure that is wrong ... even in Australia.
Trevor Jessie

The bit in the block will have circular ribs on it.
Brad 1380

Wide bit up, thin bit down.
Dave O'Neill 2

Im not sure that is the correct dip stick holder

the top should have the flanged funnel shape and the tube that goes into the block is ribbed.... clear NOT in the exposed portion outside of the block
Prop

Well since you guys all seemed to think it was upside down I thought I'd do a little science experiment and see what full on the dipstick meant. The way I had it 60mm above block and 73mm underneath (gasket included). The other way was 34mm up and 99mm below.

So what does this mean? I marked the inside of the sump and filled it up to see how much went in. The way I have it full=4.5L in sump. The other way full=3.15L in sump. Now since the flanged top was broken I had to guess the unbroken height at 34mm poking out.

Now the manual states 3.7L full with filter. No idea what the factory filter holds. Possibly 550ml? But with the trumpet out the top seems more correct. So perhaps that's why it was a bit smokey because it had an extra 1.35L of oil in the sump.

I did wonder if the tube was installed that way so the sump held more oil because of the hotter climate in Aus but I think the factory oil cooler was installed to cover this.

So perhaps you guys are right but I did find one pic in the BL manual that contradicts. Maybe the guy drawing it just made a mistake? The manual came with the car and these pages are quite grimey so maybe the previous builder used this pic when installing the tube and that's how it ended upside down.

Greg H

I think the pic you found is for the earlier 948/1098 engines which didn't have the plastic tube, just a smaller diameter hole in the block and no flange on the dipstick. The dipstick actually bottomed out on the 'dent' in the bottom of the sump.
Dave O'Neill 2

I did wonder about that funny dent in the bottom of the sump. So since the top of mine is now broken I need a new tube. Where's the best place to get one from and are they exactly the same as a Mini?
Greg H

This thread was discussed between 03/04/2011 and 04/04/2011

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