Magnetic Drain Plugs

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Does anyone on the forum use magnetic drain plugs on their oil pan and trans pan?

If so, what company sells the best ones? I was thinking about replacing my OEM drain plug with a strong magnetic one.
 
The best one I've used is the OE one that I got in my 98 Chevy S-10. It has showed no corosion.

I tried to get another, but the aftermarket one (GM no longer uses them) rusted after a year. I have another variety now, which I've used on my MB and VW, but I can't recall the company I bought them from. They seem to be high quality - some are painted too.
 
I had one OEM'd on my last truck and it never seemed to pick up anything. So I haven't bothered looking for one for the truck I have now.
 
They are weak compared to other magnets like oil filter magnets. They also don't have as much flow around them.

Read about buying oil filter magnets, using hard drive magnets or buying small strong Neodymium magnets. You could then slap them on your pans or oil filter.
 
Ive thought about hooking up a drain plug to a drill press and then using some JB weld to perminately glue a high temp neodymium magnet in there.
It would be better than anything currently produced.
Although dropping the oil pan cleaning it extremely well, roughing up a spot and JB Welding a larger (or several of them) magnet would do a better job.
Anyone know if JB Weld is effected by today's oils?

I guess there is a point of negative returns as at some point your engine stops shedding iron and is "broken in".
 
Just wanted to note that your transmission already has a few magnets inside the pan, so using a magnetic drain plug on that is probably worthless.

Jury seems out on oil magnets. My two cents: I have two hard drive magnets on my filters, if they weren't free they wouldn't be there.
 
I have one on my transmission's drain plug. Seems to catch a fair amount of metal every time I change it. It came from the factory with it. I just use a standard oil drain plug however.
 
"Anyone know if JB Weld is effected by today's oils?"

What's the JB weld for? It's a super strong magnet on a steel pan... it's not going anywhere. Even if it did, it's below the windage tray. The hard drive magnets I have you wouldn't be able to get off without a pliers.
 
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
The best one I've used is the OE one that I got in my 98 Chevy S-10. It has showed no corrosion.

I tried to get another, but the aftermarket one (GM no longer uses them) rusted after a year.



GM has a magnetic oil drain plug for their trucks. It should still be available. But it is 12mm x 1.75mm thread. this is what is used on 99-1/2 and newer trucks. Your 98 may have 1/2 inch threads. Dorman has a good plug that has not rusted on my truck in 2 years, but I live in California with no salt on the road.
 
Originally Posted By: SuperDave456

Anyone know if JB Weld is effected by today's oils?




I think that under continuous service under hot oil, it would not hold. I have seen it used successfully on the outside of an oil pan but not on the inside. It also works on the outside of a carburetor with a pin hole in the bowl. You would need to make all JB weld patches smaller than the total opening of the oil pickup screen in case they all came lose and got sucked into it. If you have a steel pan, just attach them to the outside. Then remove them when you drain the pan. I do that with my tranny pan.

Can you glue a high temp niobium magnet to the outside head of a steel plug? the magnetic field should go through the bolt, but it may deposit too much grit on the thread surface.
 
I like magnetic drain plugs because they stick to the bottom of the oil pan during changes which keeps it from falling in the drain bucket.
 
Originally Posted By: [RT
ProjUltraZ]

omg it's strong



it says 169 lbs of pull. almost strong enough to pull the connecting rods into the pan
crazy2.gif
 
FilterMag makes some great (although pricey) magnets. For the oil pan, I use one of their transpan mags (TM 360) and stick it in the middle. It has an advertised pull strength of 45lbs. A drain plug, besides being very small, has VERY little magnetic force.
 
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