gearbox dipstick stuck

[vetanari]

 Hi,

I've got a bit of a problem and I'm not sure  if
a. this has happened to anyone before
b. if it has, what the **** to do about it

 At the top of the gearbox dipstick on my p5b there is a block of plastic (looks a bit like a wine cork) that presumably is there to form a seal at the top of the tube The actual dipstick goes through the centre of this 
This block has come adrift from the top of the dipstick and is now firmly wedged in the tube leading to the gearbox.
The dipstick is still running through the centre of it. The thing is stuck fast with nothing visible that I could get  a grip of
I'm worried that if I try to pull it out using the actual dipstick the bottom of the dipstick will either pull through the block or snap. Both  these scenarios end with either bits of plastic or bits of dipstick landing in the gearbox


The car is  (mercifully) off the road just now. My plan was to replace the gearbox. I think it may have got wind of this and sabotaged me!


So, any ideas folks?

V

[harvey]

It's a common problem. If you have plans to replace the gearbox then as you'll have the dipstick tube removed, you can try to remove the rubber with the tube on the bench.