I guess it wouldn't hurt any, but I'm with Mole and Pat... the oil's just going too fast, under too much pressure and turbulence to convince me it's gonna help.
As for pulling particles through the filter, I don't think that'll happen. the field would be strongest by the walls of the filter, which is where it is pumped in. IF the magnet works, it would keep the particles away from the filter element (and hense out of the flow through the filter and out the middle/top of the filter).
I just don't think it'll do it however. 40 to 60psi is A LOT of pressure... and considering V8 oil demands (compared to the volume in the filter), that's alot of turbulance.
Here's a few different designs to look over:
http://www.filtermag.com/ - solid 1/2 wrap around
http://www.thebeartrap.com/ - small solid chucks wrap around
http://www.llcg.com/magstrap/main.htm - solid field-opposed magnets
http://www.magnaforce.com/ - solid bottom (unidirectional field
)
http://www.synlube.com/magnets.htm - solid wrap around & just a plain magnet to stick on.
Of any of them, I'd wager the Super Magnaforce has the best chance since it's on the bottom of the filter, and theoretically, it could avoid more of the turbulance in the bottom of the filter, and perhaps pull any magnetic particls through the sludge that accumulates at the bottom of the filter to prevent turbulance from whipping it up and through the filter again. But that's only a wild guess. Plus it looks like it's the largest/strongest magnet of the ones listed.
If any of them were to work, I'd put my money on the Magnaforce... but then again, you don't see actually spending my money on these things anyway.
Just change your oil often during break-in and be done with it.
[ July 06, 2002, 02:18 AM: Message edited by: Steve in Seattle ]