D17 Rear end Oil Dipsticl

When I checked the rear end oil level of my recently acquired D17 tractor I found only the cap, not the level stick .  I went to salvage yard and purchased a used cap which has a dipstick attached. When I inserted the dipstick I could not turn cap clockwise to fasten.

I'd try a magnet first, like Jeff said. If that doesn't work, there is available a small claw-like grabber with a flexible shaft. I think I bought mine from Snap-On. There are four grabbing claws that extend when you push the knob at the other end of the shaft. When you ease back on the knob, it retracts, grabbing the object. It works good, especially for the objects that won't attach to a magnet.