Magnetic Oil Drain PLugs.

I'll chime in,
I did not think a magnet would pick up aluminum! Being most of our new engines are aluminum. I would think the only metal it would pick up is something that is a catastrophic failure part like a piston ring etc.
 
Whenever I have had to pull or replace a cracked sump I was surprised how much deposits were to be found in the pan. No idea what they comprised of or if they were adversely impacting the longevity and performance of the engine. As available I do use a magnetic drain plug, not so much out of concern as assuming the oil filter will capture anything problematic, but rather out of curiosity as to how much metal gunk (technical term) is captured by the magnet every time the oil is changed. Basically, just a monitoring device.
 
I'll chime in,
I did not think a magnet would pick up aluminum! Being most of our new engines are aluminum. I would think the only metal it would pick up is something that is a catastrophic failure part like a piston ring etc.
Magnet will not attract aluminum or non ferrous metal. Aluminum blocks usually have steel liners, except maybe for the nikasil blocks.
Iron is still in cylinder liners, rings, camshafts, crankshafts. A lot of main bearings are AL now.
Rocker arms, timing chains, oil pumps, engines with lifters all have ferrous content
 
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 hear ya, yet Beer is a feel good item and it don't hurt their sales at all
 
I installed some on 3 of my vehicles. Each time I change oil there is a small grey stuff on the magnet. Would the filter catch it? Hopefully but if you have one of the Fram's with the Ruffles/Wavy spring then maybe not. I also have a Filtermag on some of them. When I cut the filters you can see exactly where it was with grey pasty rectangle outlines.

I think originally when I got the Filtermags part of the advertisement was like wear cycle and a snowball type thing. These small particles wear the metal some, creating more particles etc. If you eliminate that early in the cycle then you help stop or at least slow that.

I know what I see each time that it captures something. Does that mean much? Maybe my motor will last an extra 100 miles than it would have if I didn't.

Drain plug from '21 Hyundai Tucson, 26k on the motor, 2300 on the oil, 7 months.
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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.
Well in the absence of anything resembling an actual test, it most is a "feel good."

The key difference between the engine and the other fluids on your vehicle that might have magnetic plugs is the presence of a full flow filter that's catching a LOT of the stuff. Not only does your engine oil have a filter, it has lots of circulation (vs say, an differential) and the oil has a much shorter life, giving ample opportunity for particles to drain out.

Magnetic plugs on transmissions and differentials make a ton of sense. On an engine, I think it's a shoulder shrug at best.
 
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.
He references some papers related to magnetics, wear and extending filter capacity.


They are commonly used by OEM's when there isn't a filter (differentials, some transmissions).
 
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