Magnetic Drain Plugs Hardly get a Mention. Why?

[HangFire]

I'm very happy with my Gold Plugs for one simple reason, I can't drop them into the catch pan even if I try. On the steel bottomed engines they stick to the pan, for the aluminum pan they stick to my wrench.

Like Lapham3 I also use them as an early warning system to impending breakdown. Not a preventative so much as a predictor.

 

[David1]

Originally Posted By: ordinarybloke
On a site dedicated to Oil, I can't help but notice that there's post after post of stuff on this filter, that filter or the other, but very littel on fitting Magnetic Drain Plugs, or filter magnets come to that. I notice, few cars ex-factory have them which if you're cynic like me is understandable. (Extra cost with no showroom appeal)

Exception: my Aisin Warner Transmission has one.

Seems an obvious cheap-fit to me, I also put a Magnefine into my steering and ATF lines too. When i drop my oil I find a fine mist on my sump plug, stuff that missed the filter.

I was going to be putting a magnet on my oilfilter body too. They can't do any harm, but I ask, why is there not too much emphasis on what is after all an oil site? Makes sense to me, so why little or no mention

Is it me, am I deluded?




I just did a oil change and the magnet part on the oil plug actually popped off and I could see the GLUE... I was lucky it didnt fall into the oil pan.

However many Transmissions have magnets on drain plug or in the PAN.

Also with all the changes I have never seen metal on my oil drain plug....

I think if you see sheers of metal on a oil drain plug you have other problems.

Transmission are different b/c the fluid isn't changed as much.

 

[David1]

Originally Posted By: ZeeOSix
Originally Posted By: Lapham3
I have found the engine magnetic plugs pick up initial shavings/chip like material from the manufacturing process, and then generally just a small amount of very small 'filings'from normal wear.


Yep, all I ever get on the engine's magnetic drain plug is a slight amount of what I call "black paste". Super fine ferrous metal wear, too small to be caught by a normal oil filter.

Looks like sludge and varnish to me.

 

[ZeeOSix]

^^^ Sludge and varnish is not magnetic. What you see in my photo is super fine metal wear particles, way too small for any oil filter to catch.