Anyone use a particle magnet on oil pan?

[MrLemonade]

I've got some heavy duty circular magnets, 1" thick, maybe size of a baseball. I was thinking to mount one on the exterior of my oil pan, on the side to avoid having it knocked off. It is very strong and would stay on. My theory is, much like these magnets inside transmission pans, it may do well at grabbing metal particles. I can remove the magnet before draining the oil. Theory is to grab more particles.

Anyone do this, thoughts on it?

 

[UncleDave]

I've got some heavy duty circular magnets, 1" thick, maybe size of a baseball. I was thinking to mount one on the exterior of my oil pan, on the side to avoid having it knocked off. It is very strong and would stay on. My theory is, much like these magnets inside transmission pans, it may do well at grabbing metal particles. I can remove the magnet before draining the oil. Theory is to grab more particles.

Anyone do this, thoughts on it?

Sure you can do that, If you re doing that - Id put it upstream of the flow to the drain bolt,so when you drain you start the flow- then pull the mag the flow washes the fines out the hole.

How much you attract is a function of oil distance from the mag, mag strength, total surface area, and flux that passes through to oil-

A pan is thicker than the filter, most oil in the pan will be further from the mag than will a mag on the filter.

A neodymium button in the filter intake valley is great as well - look up linctexs post.

 

[IndyFan]

I just use a magnetic drain plug and a Fram Ultra filter.

 

[UncleDave]

I just use a magnetic drain plug and a Fram Ultra filter.

That works.

I run both. When I started putting the mag on the filter I find almost nothing on the drain plug.

The surface area and proximity is in favor of the mag on the filter.

The Ultras thin can works great for this.

 

[PimTac]

Make sure your pan will take a magnet. Many are aluminium now and some are plastic resin.

 

[nicholas]

I've got some heavy duty circular magnets, 1" thick, maybe size of a baseball. I was thinking to mount one on the exterior of my oil pan, on the side to avoid having it knocked off. It is very strong and would stay on. My theory is, much like these magnets inside transmission pans, it may do well at grabbing metal particles. I can remove the magnet before draining the oil. Theory is to grab more particles.

Anyone do this, thoughts on it?

It might magnetize the whole pan.
Remember some magnets, rare earth ones, loose magnetism as their heat increases.
This would not be good in an engibe oil system.

 

[Kira]

I've been running a strong magnet on the outside of my transmission.
I fit a pan with a drain plug....and forgot to move the old magnet over to the inside of the new pan.
The gasket sealed well so outside the magnet will stay.

 

[92saturnsl2]

I've been running a strong magnet on the outside of my transmission.
I fit a pan with a drain plug....and forgot to move the old magnet over to the inside of the new pan.
The gasket sealed well so outside the magnet will stay.

I've made that mistake a couple times.

Both times the magnet went on the outside till the next filter change (and I think I added a couple extra strong magnets to the pan as extra insurance). Nothing blew up.

Hard drive actuator magnets from old/dead hard drives make great transmission pan magnets.

 

[RooflessVW]

I would only put a magnet on a part that is removed - the drain plug or filter.

 

[Trav]

I have no experience with doing this but back in the day we did epoxy screens and magnets in the lifter valley.

 

[MrLemonade]

It might magnetize the whole pan.
Remember some magnets, rare earth ones, loose magnetism as their heat increases.
This would not be good in an engibe oil system.

A fair concern, but don't transmission pans have a magnet inside. So would the concern not cross over to transmission pans? I'm not understanding why the concern would apply to oil pans but not transmission pans...

 

[ZeeOSix]

A big magnet inside a transmission is never removed, even when the oil id drained. If a big magnet was placed on the engine oil pan, it should probably just stay there permanently. Removing it for an oil drain, then reinstalling it doesnt gaurentee that some leftover captured debris won't make it through the oiling system later.

 

[UncleDave]

A big magnet inside a transmission is never removed, even when the oil id drained. If a big magnet was placed on the engine oil pan, it should probably just stay there permanently. Removing it for an oil drain, then reinstalling it doesnt gaurentee that some leftover captured debris won't make it through the oiling system later.

I prefer to keep them on so the next time I drop the pan I can see what its held.

Lots of guys like to pull them though which makes placement next to the plug worthwhile.

A magnafine will do a better job yet. Bit tougher to install though.

 

[nicholas]

A fair concern, but don't transmission pans have a magnet inside. So would the concern not cross over to transmission pans? I'm not understanding why the concern would apply to oil pans but not transmission pans...

Transmission pans use standard magnets not rare earth ones.
A standard magnet is not as effected by high temps as rare earth magnets.

 

[demarpaint]

I just use a magnetic drain plug and a Fram Ultra filter.

That's the combo I'm using.

 

[86cutlass307]

I have purchased some high temperature magnets from KJ magnetics (no affiliation). They come in all shapes, sizes, and pull strength. My Tacoma lower oil pan has a few ripples/corrugations formed at manufacture that several long thin magnets fit perfectly into. I used 4 on the outside of the lower pan, good to 300 deg. F.; been on their for years now. I typed "high temp" in their search bar. Look HERE

 

[ZeeOSix]

Instead of spending money on magnets, I'd by a FilterMag. That way you can cut open the filter and see what was captured.

 

[MrLemonade]

Instead of spending money on magnets, I'd by a FilterMag. That way you can cut open the filter and see what was captured.

Curious, what do you expect to find captured? Bitcoins? Gold particles?

The point would be just to "capture" any metal shavings, and keep them from re-entering the gears and then when the magnet is removed they'd settle at the bottom of the pan ready to drain right out. Without having to remove the entire pan to access a filter. I suppose then if you're really interested, you could just filter the old ATF and see what remains, thru a inexpensive old metal wire coffee filter or somesuch.

 

[ZeeOSix]

Curious, what do you expect to find captured? Bitcoins? Gold particles?

The point would be just to "capture" any metal shavings, and keep them from re-entering the gears and then when the magnet is removed they'd settle at the bottom of the pan ready to drain right out. Without having to remove the entire pan to access a filter. I suppose then if you're really interested, you could just filter the old ATF and see what remains, thru a inexpensive old metal wire coffee filter or somesuch.

Are you talking about an engine or a transmission? ... your original post eluded to an oil pan on an engine. Gears in a car engine ... no, in a motorcycle, yes.

If you have big chucks or shavings of metal falling into the engine oil pan, you have some serious issues. A good magnetic drain plug will capture large particles like those. Apparently you have never seen photos of cut open oil filters that had a FilterMag on them.

 

[PeterGreen]

I would not recommend if you are using Castrol magnatec oil; you might cause the oil to be repelled away from the pan and get pushed into the intake