Magnetic Oil Drain PLugs.

[stchman]

This has been talked about many times, but I can never get a straight answer.

It seems to be that people use magnetic drain plugs because it makes them feel better. Reasons like "can't hurt", or "it's a good thing to have" is the concensus for having one. That's all fine and dandy, but is there any empirical data that supports that use of magnetic drain plugs increase engine life, reduce engine wear, etc.

IMO, magnetic drain plugs are a feel good item.

 

[We're Metals]

This has been talked about many times, but I can never get a straight answer.

It seems to be that people use magnetic drain plugs because it makes them feel better. Reasons like "can't hurt", or "it's a good thing to have" is the concensus for having one. That's all fine and dandy, but is there any empirical data that supports that use of magnetic drain plugs increase engine life, reduce engine wear, etc.

IMO, magnetic drain plugs are a feel good item.

I mean, Ive gotten bits of Piston rings, bearing material attached to them before. In my eyes, this was Caught well before they made their way to the oil filter.

What sort of evidence are you looking for?

I always run them on Shared Sump machines like Motorcycles and Classic vehicles where the transmission and engine oil use the same engine. Also good for small engines with no oil filters.

If I had a Hyundai, Kia, Jeep, Chrysler, Dodge I would run a magnetic drain plug on those too. This is more of a fail safe than a feel good move but to each their own.

 

[Kira]

Two questions:
1) If you got a vehicle and did an oil change and discovered it had a magnetic drain plug and it was covered with ferrous metal fuzz, would you carefully wipe off the magnet and drop that wad of metallic fuzz back into the oil fill hole?

2) If you performed a pan drop and filter change on an automatic transmission and found the magnets in the pan covered with metallic fuzz, would you wipe the magnets clean then drop the captured fuzz back down the transmission's dip stick tube?

You're complaining about the absence of empirical data?
I submit one doesn't need any in cases like this. It would be monstrously expensive to run all the controlled tests and nobody would want to in the first place.
The concept of "Cleaner being better than dirty" would likely carry the day.
I detect the tone of playful obstinance in your question.

Now, if someone conducted experiments returning metallic fuzz to engines and transmissions and learned those machines lasted LONGER, well, then you'd have something.

Man bites dog! Now THAT'S news.

 

[Urshurak776]

@Kira is 10000% correct, but I do have one in my sons Kia Rio. Why? He took it for an oil change when I was on a business trip (only time someone else ever did it) and they stripped the old one. Went to the Nappper and they only had a magnetic one. It has only had very little shmoooooze on it when I change the oil.

I bought one for my Mazda 3 because of my last oil change fiasco, just to see if anything shows up. I don't expect it to.

 

[FTTSHO]

My 2001 gm 4.3 vortec has a magnetic oil drain plug.

Every time I change the oil, about every 3k miles, I see stuff on the magnet. Very very fine metal, doesn’t even look like metal because they are so fine. The drain plug has a very strong piece of magnet at the end.

If the magnetic oil plug was not there, all that metal will just get picked up by the oil pump, and it can cause wear on the pump before it gets filtered by the oil filter.

I feel that magnetic drain plugs help extend the life of oil pumps, by reducing metal that will go through pump. I do not know if the metal particles on the drain plug is smaller than what the filter can filter, but it’s just good to have a magnetic drain plug, to stop most of the metal in the oil from circulating.

I also have a couple flat pieces of very strong magnets on the oil filter, so that will further stop any magnetic wear metals from circulating, especially if it’s smaller than what the filter can filter, which is anything below 20-30 microns on a standard full flow filter.

So in my opinion (I know what they say about opinions), but magnetic drain plugs do help! It will only benefit, there are no drawbacks.

 

[I<3oil]

This has been talked about many times, but I can never get a straight answer.

It seems to be that people use magnetic drain plugs because it makes them feel better. Reasons like "can't hurt", or "it's a good thing to have" is the concensus for having one. That's all fine and dandy, but is there any empirical data that supports that use of magnetic drain plugs increase engine life, reduce engine wear, etc.

IMO, magnetic drain plugs are a feel good item.

What’s your proof they don’t work? Obviously you have some kind of proof to posit your opinion, especially since you made an entire post about them. We look forward to reading this data, thank you.

 

[Furious]

My Chevy 4.3 comes factory with a magnetic drain plug so I stick with magnetic drain plug, but very rarely does it every have metal on it, maybe once in a while there is a tiny bit of very fine metal.

With that being said if a magnetic drain plugs catches metal that is less metal in the oil and there simply is no logical argument against that, less metal in the oil is less metal in the oil period.

Is it something that is going to make any major change in the longevity of the vehicle, who knows that is where you can begin to debate using examples of millions of vehicles on the road without magnets.

 

[JeffKeryk]

I am in "it can't hurt" category.
Having said that, if they were that beneficial, why don't engines come with them? Automatic transmissions often do.

 

[stchman]

Two questions:
1) If you got a vehicle and did an oil change and discovered it had a magnetic drain plug and it was covered with ferrous metal fuzz, would you carefully wipe off the magnet and drop that wad of metallic fuzz back into the oil fill hole?

2) If you performed a pan drop and filter change on an automatic transmission and found the magnets in the pan covered with metallic fuzz, would you wipe the magnets clean then drop the captured fuzz back down the transmission's dip stick tube?

You're complaining about the absence of empirical data?
I submit one doesn't need any in cases like this. It would be monstrously expensive to run all the controlled tests and nobody would want to in the first place.
The concept of "Cleaner being better than dirty" would likely carry the day.
I detect the tone of playful obstinance in your question.

Now, if someone conducted experiments returning metallic fuzz to engines and transmissions and learned those machines lasted LONGER, well, then you'd have something.

Man bites dog! Now THAT'S news.

OK. Engines and automatic transmissions have filters. I can see magnetic drain plugs on differentials, transfer cases, manual transmissions, as they don't have a filter.

Filters trap particles, we all know this. If the manufacturer puts magnets in the pan, or installs a magnetic drain plug, well, then they know best.

I should have made a caveat that this was referring to aftermarket magnetic oil drain plugs.

 

[Furious]

OK. Engines and automatic transmissions have filters. I can see magnetic drain plugs on differentials, transfer cases, manual transmissions, as they don't have a filter.

Filters trap particles, we all know this. If the manufacturer puts magnets in the pan, or installs a magnetic drain plug, well, then they know best.

I should have made a caveat that this was referring to aftermarket magnetic oil drain plugs.

Transmission filters do not filter very fine particles, some of them are not even really filters, a lot of Toyotas use a mesh screen instead. As people on BITOG like to call it they are rock catchers.

 

[stchman]

I am in "it can't hurt" category.
Having said that, if they were that beneficial, why don't engines come with them? Automatic transmissions often do.

Oil from the oil pan gets routed to the filter first before lubricating the engine, so those particles will be trapped.

 

[Passport1]

This topic always attracts attention. I've used several. Seems to capture some ferrous material. Does it matter? I don't know.

 

[Leo99]

A lot of things recommended don't have any data to support.

Early oil changes, thicker oil, prefilling oil filters, using a larger oil filter...

Maybe it helps. Can't see it doing any harm.

 

[samven]

Well my transmission and rear diff both have magnets in them from the factory, 1 a Dodge and 1 a Ford. The Dodge came with a magnetic oil drain plug but not the Ford. I put one in the Ford and am going to put 1 in the Mazda next oil change. If it can pick up iron particles small enough to slip by the filter or larger particles that might get by a defective filter then its worth $6.

 

[riff1006]

Well my transmission and rear diff both have magnets in them from the factory, 1 a Dodge and 1 a Ford. The Dodge came with a magnetic oil drain plug but not the Ford. I put one in the Ford and am going to put 1 in the Mazda next oil change. If it can pick up iron particles small enough to slip by the filter or larger particles that might get by a defective filter then its worth $6.

Where you getting that $6 magnetic drain plug. Most of what I see is in the $30 range.

 

[BHopkins]

The absolute definitive answer is, if it makes you feel good, do it. As @JeffKeryk said, having a magnetic drain plug is not going to cause any problems.

@Kira suggests that all the evidence needed is the black goo that comes off a magnetic drain plug. But for those of us that worked in industries where statistical data is used, know that the sludge on the drain plug does not necessarily correlate to reduced engine wear. Or at the very least, know that it does not correlate to engine wear that will ever matter during the lifespan of any car on the road today.

 

[sparky123]

Just installed a Volex transmission magnetic plug. Under $30 and boy o boy it's one strong magnet. I can tell it will work really well. I think it was money well spent.

 

[stchman]

The absolute definitive answer is, if it makes you feel good, do it. As @JeffKeryk said, having a magnetic drain plug is not going to cause any problems.

@Kira suggests that all the evidence needed is the black goo that comes off a magnetic drain plug. But for those of us that worked in industries where statistical data is used, know that the sludge on the drain plug does not necessarily correlate to reduced engine wear. Or at the very least, know that it does not correlate to engine wear that will ever matter during the lifespan of any car on the road today.

You signature has:

"Without data you're just another person with an opinion." W. Edward Deming

Just installed a Volex transmission magnetic plug. Under $30 and boy o boy it's one strong magnet. I can tell it will work really well. I think it was money well spent.

So the transmission will shift better, last longer, run cooler?

 

[GlenPratov]

IMO, magnetic drain plugs are a feel good item.

It's an indicator if you have bigger issues going on in your engine that oil analysis might miss. In an engine with roller lifters it helps if a roller starts comming appart. For those situations it helps even more if you have magnets around the oil filter because then it traps the lifter debris in there.

Bottom line: every time you drain the oil from your engine inspect it, and if there is a lot of magnetized goop or a small piece of ferrous metal stuck to the magnet then start worrying and looking for what's wrong with your engine.

 

[Owen Lucas]

Should be mandatory on Chryslers and Hyundais