I got my pair of Filter Magnets installed today.

[Carlostrece]

My cousin put my pair of Filter Magnets on exterior of my oil filter today. They are Filtermag SS that I bought via Amazon. First I went to Filtermag.com for help deciding which model, size, part # to get. I think Summit Racing is another good place to buy.

Filters can only (reliably) filter particles as small a X microns @ 99%. My NAPA Gold filter filters 23 microns @ 99%. Which is pretty good enough.

However, Filtermag adds complete filtration of magnetic particles (steel & iron) of all sizes. That sounds like a good thing to me.

 

[fantastic]

Always wondered if these are "snake oil" or not.

 

[Carlostrece]

I also saw this other product called Magnafilter, but I went with an old school, tried and true Filtermag instead.

Magnafilter is a new product, or at least new to me. Below is a photo of Magnafilter.

 

[Carlostrece]

Always wondered if these are "snake oil" or not.

It catches magnetic metal particles of all sizes, including the ones too small for filtration material to catch. That sounds good to me.

Filtermag uses seriously strong magnets.

 

[Sequoiasoon]

Unless metallic chunks, which is bad anyway, they collect the grey pasty stuff like you find on magnetic drain plugs etc. Way back videos etc., probably promotion for FilterMag, reduces the wear cycle snowball. Eliminate the small so it can't create slightly larger etc, etc.

DON'T keep your fingers to close when you put it on, it snaps hard, pulls off harder. Slide off is easiest.

Leaves little rectangles of junk collected as seen on back inside of this one.

OR a 21 year old picture from my Sequoia. Holy carp, have I been cutting filters for that long? My 21 year old daughter is right, I need a hobby.

 

[Carlostrece]

Unless metallic chunks, which is bad anyway, they collect the grey pasty stuff like you find on magnetic drain plugs etc. Way back videos etc., probably promotion for FilterMag, reduces the wear cycle snowball. Eliminate the small so it can't create slightly larger etc, etc.

DON'T keep your fingers to close when you put it on, it snaps hard, pulls off harder. Slide off is easiest.

Leaves little rectangles of junk collected as seen on back inside of this one.
View attachment 293946

OR a 21 year old picture from my Sequoia. Holy carp, have I been cutting filters for that long? My 21 year old daughter is right, I need a hobby.
View attachment 293948

You have a functional, useful hobby that keeps the family cars running, including your daughters. Your hobby saves more money than it costs. That's the best kind of hobby.

Tell your daughter to respect your useful hobby that saves her money. Then sing the RESPECT song to her while you dance.

Love your photos BTW. Who could argue with photos showing results?

 

[Sequoiasoon]

You have a functional, useful hobby that keeps the family cars running, including your daughters. Your hobby saves more money than it costs. That's the best kind of hobby.

Love your photos BTW. Who could argue with photos showing results?

I'll get a better picture next time. It wasn't listed on the website at least back then. My filter cutter is red aluminum with FilterMag etched into it.

 

[Elkins45]

I've always wondered about those. I can see how they would be most useful on a new engine where there might be residual swarf from manufacturing and the tiny burrs that wear off in the first hours of operation. I'm not certain they would help a great deal once broken in because wouldn't most of the wear metals be from bearings, which are non-magnetic?

 

[Patrick0525]

I've always wondered about those. I can see how they would be most useful on a new engine where there might be residual swarf from manufacturing and the tiny burrs that wear off in the first hours of operation. I'm not certain they would help a great deal once broken in because wouldn't most of the wear metals be from bearings, which are non-magnetic?

I agree. My Toyota 2GR-FE produces Fe 5 ppm per oil change. It will definitely with catch particles less than 30 microns which the oil filter doesn't catch.

 

[CarlB]

tldw; filter magnets just work at extending filter life, they don't do anything for engine wear

 

[wings&wheels]

I run them on our airplane and while I am not sure they matter much in filtration or engine health, my A&P (aircraft mechanic) likes them but as another diagnostic tool by observing the volume of swarf collected. I will say they did accumulate very slightly more deposits when we replaced a cylinder or two near the end of the last engine's service life.

 

[Pablo]

One thing for sure, they will need to be very strong magnets, as the field on the inside will be quite weak, and weaker when hot.

 

[Sequoiasoon]

One thing for sure, they will need to be very strong magnets, as the field on the inside will be quite weak, and weaker when hot.

I'll try to recall this when I do next OCI on Accord. That's still about 3400 miles in the future. What would you like to see if it will stick to it inside the can? from how far? I think it's just like a magnetic drain plug but bigger area. Many people agree they are not needed either but also on the really can't hurt camp as long as it doesn't break and somehow float around.

I do need to order one for the Pilot again since I'm using the smaller diameter PG filters now on it.

 

[Carlostrece]

tldw; filter magnets just work at extending filter life, they don't do anything for engine wear.

I don't see how you can be drawing hard conclusions from that video and sounding so sure of your opinion.

The guy who made the video said his tests were inconclusive. He said he needs to redo the tests over again, properly next time, on a gas vehicle.

 

[Carlostrece]

I've always wondered about those. I can see how they would be most useful on a new engine where there might be residual swarf from manufacturing and the tiny burrs that wear off in the first hours of operation. I'm not certain they would help a great deal once broken in because wouldn't most of the wear metals be from bearings, which are non-magnetic?

I agree that it'd might be especially useful for a new engine during breakin. I'm not sure how useful it will be for my high miles engine, but it can't hurt and might help. I don't regret buying it.

 

[UncleDave]

Helpful, sure.

According to filtermags testing they are good for between 1 and 3 iso code drops.
If true this is meaningful, and given the trend toward longer intervals more meaningful.

Machinery lubrication magazine and Jim Fitch have a great take on magnetic separators as being useful wherever you can fit them.

There are also lesser known benefits to them such as oxidation stability.

From machinery lubrication mag.

 

[CarlB]

The benefits provided by magnets on filter are not as dramatic as your photos seem because the magnets catch all magnetic particles BEFORE the oil enters the filtration material.

If you didn't have magnets, the filtration material would catch the larger metal particles, but the smaller metal particles would get through the filter.

The real benefit of the magnets is it catches the small steel & iron particles that filtration material can't.

I don't see how you can be drawing hard conclusions from that video and sounding so sure of your opinion.

The guy who made the video said his tests were inconclusive. He said he needs to redo the tests over again, properly next time, and on a gas vehicle.

I'm glad you're happy with your purchase.

 

[Carlostrece]

One thing for sure, they will need to be very strong magnets, as the field on the inside will be quite weak, and weaker when hot.

Filtermag are so strong that you can't pull them off the oil filter. You have to slide them off the end of the filter.

 

[ZeeOSix]

I agree. My Toyota 2GR-FE produces Fe 5 ppm per oil change. It will definitely with catch particles less than 30 microns which the oil filter doesn't catch.

A typival cheap UOA can only detect particles that are 5u and smaller. Most filters will catch most particles 30u and larger - many filters are 99% @ 30u or better. A filter magnet or good magnetic drain plug will catch the magnetic wear particles the filter can't. Running an effective magnet could reduce the ferrous metals ppm in a UOA because it would be catching the super small ferrous stuff (5u and less) that the UOA measures.

 

[Carlostrece]

Helpful, sure.

Machinery lubrication magazine and Jim Fitch have a great take on magnetic separators as being useful wherever you can fit them.

There are also lesser known benefits to them such as oxidation stability.

From machinery lubrication mag.

View attachment 294007

That is very interesting, but how or why could magnets increase oxidation stability of oil? I don't understand, but am intrigued.