Are magnets for an oil filter and a magnetic drain plug a waste of money?
- Thread starter papang
- Start date
Every little bit helps.
It's going to keep trying to pull iron bits out of the oil the entire time the engine is sitting or running.
It's going to keep trying to pull iron bits out of the oil the entire time the engine is sitting or running.
Cars have been running 250-300,000+ miles without magnets on oil filters and drain plugs for years.
If you want to do it go for it but there is no evidence that I have seen that suggests a magnet will help, my Chevy 4.3 came with a factory magnet on the drain plug and it is pretty much clean every 6 month/5k interval, the filter does it's job.
If you want to do it go for it but there is no evidence that I have seen that suggests a magnet will help, my Chevy 4.3 came with a factory magnet on the drain plug and it is pretty much clean every 6 month/5k interval, the filter does it's job.
They help a lot in engines going through break-in. As the engine breaks in, the amount of ferrous metal captured tapers off. I've seen that happen on every vehicle that I put a magnetic drain plug in. Some info out there say using magnets can result in one oil cleanliness ISO code cleaner.
Normal oil filters (even 99% @ 20u) can't catch much of those particles that the magnets can catch. It certainly doesn't hurt to use magnets.
I've used several of the magnetic drain plugs. They will accumulate some ferrous dust. If that causes less wear, I don't know. The magnets tend to be strong and make removing and reinstalling the plug messy and tricky. Do they work? Maybe.
They sure attract lots of attention here.
They sure attract lots of attention here.
Are they going to help? Maybe.
Are they going to help catch wear particles oil filters won't? Yes
Like buying better oil filters or "better" oil it is debatable if they will make a vehicle last longer. They could however help reduce wear or help with engine cleanliness etc.
I use Filter mags and they always show particles collected.
Do what makes you happy or feel more comfortable. There are lots of things we can chose to spend money on. Magnets are a minor expense if you want them
Are they going to help catch wear particles oil filters won't? Yes
Like buying better oil filters or "better" oil it is debatable if they will make a vehicle last longer. They could however help reduce wear or help with engine cleanliness etc.
I use Filter mags and they always show particles collected.
Do what makes you happy or feel more comfortable. There are lots of things we can chose to spend money on. Magnets are a minor expense if you want them
I really like the magnetic drain plugs. Many vehicles come equipped with one from the factory.
Yikes!
With 4K oil changes I'm going to vote nope. But magnetic plugs are cheap and it is itellectually interesting to see what gets collected. Ideally nothing visible to the nake eye. Go for it.
I put them on everything. When new as noted above, they do collect what the filter can't catch and as the engine wears in it does decrease. However, the filter mag on the filter always has something. Are they required for an engine to last 100's of thousands of miles? Nope. Properly OCI does help, this is just next level care.
Yes, and as you can see, they're a polarizing topic.
To the "NO MAGNET" crowd: Would you clean the metallic fuzz off a drain plug magnet and drop it back into the oil fill hole?
I can't see any argument against pulling metal out of one's oil stream.
Is aluminum attracted to magnets?
Most if what gets through, even a cheap filter, is too small to cause any harm.
A magnetic drain plug definitely showed how effective they are when I was breaking in my racing engine.
Absolutely they help.
Here is an unconventional way in which a retrofitted magnetic drain plug helped - it caught the debris from a bad repair.
Thread 'Volvo dealer used abrasive wheel to clean engine sump'
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/t...d-abrasive-wheel-to-clean-engine-sump.374594/
With out the plug, I might not have known.
Here is an unconventional way in which a retrofitted magnetic drain plug helped - it caught the debris from a bad repair.
Thread 'Volvo dealer used abrasive wheel to clean engine sump'
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/t...d-abrasive-wheel-to-clean-engine-sump.374594/
With out the plug, I might not have known.
4WD
$50 site donor 2025
This is what I worry about - was it a name brand like Gold plug?
Not what every wear study concludes. They all say particles less than 20u do the most wear. Larger particles can also be mechanically broken down in a running engine into smaller particles.
No, only ferrous metals are attracted to magnets.
