Ok what is so special about a Magnetic oil plug??

it is suppose to remove metallic particles from the oil but would nt gravity do the same thing??

i was wondering to and there are magnetic oil filters what about them a lot more expensive any good?

Ok what is so special about a Magnetic oil plug??

It is supposed to remove metallic particles from the oil but would nt gravity do the same thing??


i was wondering to and there are magnetic oil filters what about them a lot more expensive any good?

Both have been around for donkeys in many forms Motorbikes commonly had them and yes the minute bits of metal that wears or chips of moving parts does accumulate on the magnetised surface. Some of it is fine paste and sometime you find gritty little pieces of metal. More common in bike engines that share gearbox and engine oil in a single case.

There are heaps of different designs for oil filters from built in (more expensive) to elasticised wraps with rare earth magnets embedded where they supposedly keep the metal bits stuck to the inside walls of the metal filter canister instead of continually moving through the engine / gearbox etc. If you like you can just attach rare earth magnets to the metal filter case as they will stick pretty well by themselves and are dirt cheap. To test their effect cut open a used filter that you have had them on from newly installed. But dont remove the magnets first or the stuff will just slip back into the residual oil.

interesting so were and what are earth magnets

interesting so were and what are earth magnets

rare earth magnets are magnets made with obscure but pretty common chemical elements often found with mineral sands and much much stronger than old fashioned ferrite (iron based magnets) they are commonly used in high grade speakers and fridge magnets, just about any strong magnet you find is a rare earth magnet. The cheaper crap magnetic filter attachements are just ferrite magnets.

Neodymium is a more common one from memory - I'll just do a Google for you http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rare-earth_magnet

You will find a zillion ebay suppliers of all shapes strengths and sizes. Cubed, donut,circular, strip you name it its available and some can lift 75KG plus if a good size. The Hollywood dudes on that US science/Myth busters show did a show on trying to bend a the trajectory of a speeding steel bullet with them. They didn't succeed.

So Ish would you get one??

I just got a large/strong speaker magnet and attached it to the bottom of the filter, next oil change I'll open the filter up and check to see whats there...the speaker magnet is quite strong and hasn't fallen off in the few thousand Kms...

I've been using a filtermag for about 6 months now. They're a bit pricey (~$80), but there was a fine outline of metal paste on the inside of the filter body that has me semi-convinced.

I've been using a filtermag for about 6 months now. They're a bit pricey (~$80), but there was a fine outline of metal paste on the inside of the filter body that has me semi-convinced.

Jesus - pricey, that astronomical :eek2:

GTVi's method seems cheap and practical and wont do any harm. You will definitely get at least some gunk attracted to it but would it have been trapped in the filter otherwise anyway. I think its far more useful in bikes which share gear box,clutch and engine oil where there is real likely hood of chips from gear clusters getting into the oil.

I have considered buying one of the sump plugs a few times as they aren't too expensive but mainly just to have a spare sump plug on hand if I lose or drop one in the dirt etc during an oil change so I can finish the job. 1986semagna (Adam) will laugh at this as he just did the 2 oil changes on my AWDs.

I just got a large/strong speaker magnet and attached it to the bottom of the filter, next oil change I'll open the filter up and check to see whats there...the speaker magnet is quite strong and hasn't fallen off in the few thousand Kms...

I like this idea

maybe I should scout the council cleanups for a speaker

Or could get some of ebay??

Just searched E-Bay for "rare earth" - can get 20 small rare-earth magnets for about $20- delivered from Honkers, or 100 the same for about $30- delivered....... these are coin-size by the looks of the pics. I imagine that they would stick to the outside of an oil filter pretty well, could always wrap them with tape just to be sure.

Unfortunately the ball-bearing style ones are much more expensive, but would be heaps fun to have a couple of hundred strongly-magnetic ball bearings to play with on the coffee table I reckon.

2 things here

1. Magnetic drain plugs are a waste of money. Why? you have a oil filter. It filters oil, thats it's job.
It should not let metal particles through and if it does I would be asking for a new engine from the people that made the filter.

2. If your that desperate for a good small strong magnet try a hard drive magnet

^^^NOT true.

you need to have used one to see it work. I've had a few in different engines and it always picks up pasty material for me (thank God i haven't gotten big chunks).

Even on an all alloy engine things wear (and this is normal wear)... such as camshaft lobes material from crank bearing... even old gunk thats been stuck at the bottom of the sump since you've owned the car new.

Remove your fuel tank and see the gunk build-up at the bottom regardless if you change your fuel filter every 5000km's

1. Magnetic drain plugs are a waste of money. Why? you have a oil filter. It filters oil, thats it's job.
It should not let metal particles through and if it does I would be asking for a new engine from the people that made the filter.



Agree completely. As for proof that these things work, looking at what they collect isn't proof. They are picking up ferrous based material prior to the oil going to the filter and then being filtered out. Let the filter do its job! That's what it's there for.

Cheers,
Alan

also, magnas already have a magnet in the gearbox, it is on the tip of the drian plug. (manual)

depending how good you are a changing gear, it alway has a bit of metalic gunk on it.

but the gearbox doesnt have a filter.

Gravity won't keep in the sump. the oil pump tube is like 7mm off the bottom off the sump.

Its this metal that really should collect in the filter. and then the anti-flowback valve stops much going back down when the engine is off.

So the magnets are are just doing the job of the filter. or demonstrating the value of the filter...

In which direction does the oil pass through the filter? If the oil is filtered from the centre out, then plopping a magnet on the outside of the filter probably isn't a good idea - all those gritty metal bits trapped naturally by the filter will be forced out towards the magnet and may degrade the filter.

In which direction does the oil pass through the filter? If the oil is filtered from the centre out, then plopping a magnet on the outside of the filter probably isn't a good idea - all those gritty metal bits trapped naturally by the filter will be forced out towards the magnet and may degrade the filter.

So what would you say would happen if the relief valve opens and the oil is bypassing the filter? Don't you think the magnet would be beneficial?

By the way, as far as I know the oil enters the filter from the outside and flows into the middle/inside and then out again. At least it does with Ryco filters.

http://www.rycofilters.com.au/images/product/product-oil-01.jpg

Cool - outside in is completely kosher then.

I don't know whether they work or not .... I'm on the side of just doing regular oil changes. But what I might try is one of the oil additives that are available such as http://www.liqui-moly.com.au/

There is an interesting article here at http://autospeed.com.au/cms/A_0818/article.html

As far as the manufacturers are saying (which is fair enough) don't use the product to 'fix' already existing problems use it as a preventative.

the idea of the plugs is to keep some of the metal out of the filters... so they don't block up, (and give u an idea of how things are going inside the diff trans engine etc etc etc.... ) cause once the filter blocks up the by pass valve valve will let everything and anything through say bye bye to engine or trans etc.... most of the large mining trucks and machinery incorporate both a magnetic screen and filter inside the transmission and diff systems to try and limit the damage if things go wrong. The screens also help to diagnose the problem or decide when it is time for a component swap out.

I don't know whether they work or not .... I'm on the side of just doing regular oil changes. But what I might try is one of the oil additives that are available such as [url]http://www.liqui-moly.com.au/[/url

Sounds very much like Nulon Worn Engine Treatment and Performance Engine Treatment which are readily available. I have always used Nulon in my bikes (Bandits) and cars, and after initial treatment I have seen good results. If you look at the dipstick at the next oil change it will have become shiny and coated (from memory it coats metal surfaces with teflon therefore reducing friction and improving compression) so I would say it does what it says.

Even tried a little in the poxy 4 stroke lawn mower but didn't notice any difference there :woot: Cursed polution laws.

Sounds very much like Nulon Worn Engine Treatment and Performance Engine Treatment which are readily available. I have always used Nulon in my bikes (Bandits) and cars, and after initial treatment I have seen good results. If you look at the dipstick at the next oil change it will have become shiny and coated (from memory it coats metal surfaces with teflon therefore reducing friction and improving compression) so I would say it does what it says.

Even tried a little in the poxy 4 stroke lawn mower but didn't notice any difference there :woot: Cursed polution laws.

Personally I use MBL8.. similar theory its an extra lubricant.. made a big difference on my TS and helps quieten the lifters as well.