Magnetic Drain Plug

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anybody use a drain plug with the magnetic ends? i picked one up at Advance Auto when i was stocking up on the PP. its been in there since i changed my oil...about 1500miles ago. do these actually do anything or what? i figured it couldnt hurt to use it. just curious.

thanks

-Bo
 
Yeah, they'll capture any big hunks that might make their way to the oil pan. They'll also get coated with a fuzzy metallic sludge that has the consistency of toothpaste. They don't seem to make a meaningful difference on UOA readings, however.
 
I use a rare earth magnet stuck to the bottom of the oil filter in each of our cars/trucks. It's about the size of a quarter and it's amazing how strong that little sucker is.

At each oil change I pry off the magnet after removing the oil filter, then stick it onto the new filter.

My thinking is that I would rather the metals be retained inside the oil filter rather than at the bottom of the pan.
 
There's been many thoughtful discussions on this subject if you care to do a search... many opinions and points of view were presented.
 
I run both a SuperPLUG and a head-drive magnet scrounged from a failed hard disk a computer store let me have for the asking on the oil filter. (I mount it away from the bypass valve, though on the off-chance the magnet might affect its operation.) Both are neodymium-type magnets. I'm with Mud on this.
 
Why are you stocking up on PP in this post and buying M1 for 7 a gallon in the other on the same day?
 
i was buying PP for 2.08/qt at AA w/ rebate of course. I can get M1 from my buddy who owns his own shop for very cheap...7 bucks a 5qt jug. i dont see how it hurts to stock up on both? He didnt have alot of PP at the shop, and im not sure what kind of deal he gets on it anyways. (as he features M1 products). your point??

-Bo
 
plus this was before i got the M1, it was not same day if u look closer...

"i picked one up at Advance Auto when i was stocking up on the PP. its been in there since i changed my oil...about 1500miles ago."

i bought the PP a couple weeks ago

-Bo
 
Blake's right. They'll allways have goop and maybe particles of metal. I guess if you were just before catastrophic engine failure and happened to pull plug and find BIG chunks ???

What the ****,, they can't hurt!!
 
They seem to do a good job getting the large chunks out. No reason to let stuff float around in the oil if it don't have to. My motorcyle drain plug is always covered with fury debris.
 
thats what i figured...it cant hurt!

actually, to give u a quick background to the reason i bought it...

when i changed my oil last i discovered that when i removed the drain plug there was what seemed to be a strip of aluminum stuck to the threading of the plug. it really concerened me! im not sure what the deal with this is. needless to say i bought a magnetic plug to replace it just in case. i am curious to see if it captures anything.

-Bo
 
i have used rare earth magnets on my oil filters for 5 years now. i don take the filter apart to see what it gets, i just like the peace of mind. i have a magnetic drain plug on my lawn tractor. it gets all kinds of crap on it.
 
Ray H, I put a hard-drive magnet on my Subaru oil filter end. Made a lifter click like crazy at start-up! Obviously, it interfered with something in that filter. Took it off, put it on, took it off, just to make sure it was really doing it, and it was. It had to sit overnight to make it click, it wasn't an instantaneous thing. Anyway, that magnet is on the drain plug now!
 
I have been using a SuperPlug and a over priced FilterMag. I have found very small metal particals on the SuperPlug but haven't cut open a filter yet since using the FilterMag.
 
I've been making magnetic drain plugs for many years for all my toys (cars, trucks, motorcycles, tools (i.e. power washers, generators, compressors, etc). I simply drill the drain plug to the size of a rare earth cylindrical magnet and carefully press it into the drilled hole that's coated with epoxy. I don't usually find much of anything on the magnets except on motorcyles, which is the usual coating of gray slime on 'some' bikes and sometimes a little iron fuzz, and sometimes even some slivers, etc. Last week however, a round dowl with an o-ring was stuck to the magnet. I'm just glad it clung to the magnet instead of getting munched and or damaging something else. My son had some problems aligning one of the crankcase halfs and this short dowl simply pulled back and dropped into the sump when he was assembling the engine. The magnetic drain plug definitely paid off for us in this case
smile.gif
 
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