Oil filter with magnet = more efficient?

[qdeezie]

I bought a brand new 1997 Cavalier that came with a magnetic drain plug, totaled that one and got the 98 Cav that I own now and that one came with a magnetic drain plug as well.

I will say that aftermarket magnetic drain plugs have much better holding power than OEM drain plugs, though so it wouldn't hurt to upgrade either way.

 

[Sayjac]

I've owned and changed oil on vehicles (including those I now own/maintain) from the Big Three American and Big Three Asian and not one had an oem magnetic drain plug. Now Honda transmission plug is magnetic.

I'm thinking though if I was interested, cost being a consideration, I'd go with the magnetic drain plug over buying for the oil filter.

 

[Jim Allen]

I tried it with a well known product but it didn't show any difference in the UOA... but the engine was already a low iron producer Some changes in the particle count but nothing drastic. Testing is ongoing but I'm not sure of the destination.

 

[Michael_P]

I put one of those neodymium magnets on the outside of my oil filter once. Not at the bottom since that is where there is a bunch of flow, but rather in the middle on the side. After 7500 mile, I cut it open and it did get a slight little bit of metal fuzz. I wasn't sure it was beneficial so I never did it again. I have seen magnetic collars that slide over oil filters you can buy, but once again, I don't know if it is beneficial. Furthermore, if the magnet fell off, that might cause a rush of metal into the lube system. I do like the magnetic drain plug though.

 

[AccordV6MN]

Originally Posted By: Michael_P
I put one of those neodymium magnets on the outside of my oil filter once. Not at the bottom since that is where there is a bunch of flow, but rather in the middle on the side. After 7500 mile, I cut it open and it did get a slight little bit of metal fuzz. I wasn't sure it was beneficial so I never did it again. I have seen magnetic collars that slide over oil filters you can buy, but once again, I don't know if it is beneficial. Furthermore, if the magnet fell off, that might cause a rush of metal into the lube system. I do like the magnetic drain plug though.


Maybe you duct tape over it so it won't fall off.

 

[Stephenb1956]

OK guys I will back up and elaborate on the use of the "FilterMag" that I had contact with.

At the time I was a mechanic working the oilfield in the gas compression end of it. The way I explain this is if you had a car and drove it 50 mph for 720 hours (one month) how far would you have gone??

The ugly answer is 36000 miles.

The engines that I worked on did this month in and month out, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for about 2 years before they would be overhauled. Anyone guessing what the mileage is now??? That would be something a little over 850,000 miles. Engines now days in the oilfield are running in excess of 5 years before a major overhaul because of improvements in the fuel and lubrication systems.

Now, we did run with UOA and the condemning of the oil usually came from the increasing level of iron and nitration hence the reason we started using the "FilterMag" and was able to extend our oil change intervals out beyond 1500 hours and depending on the engine we had some out there at 3000 hours before we would condemn the oil.

Just a little background on the reason why we were using the "FilterMag". I as you guys agree that the cost is high and even though I know the results I do not use them on my cars. Believe in a good filter and regular maintenance and the automotive engine of current day will last for 250 to 300K before internal engine problem present themselves.

 

[ZeeOSix]

Originally Posted By: Stephenb1956

Now, we did run with UOA and the condemning of the oil usually came from the increasing level of iron and nitration hence the reason we started using the "FilterMag" and was able to extend our oil change intervals out beyond 1500 hours and depending on the engine we had some out there at 3000 hours before we would condemn the oil.

Just a little background on the reason why we were using the "FilterMag".


Good info ... thanks!

 

[Jim Allen]

Reducing iron and copper in the oil is said to also reduce oxidation and additive depletion.

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: motor_oil_madman
All cars have magnetic drain plugs. You don't see any metal on it because it shouldn't be there. Atleast all my past/current vehicles have them.


I currently own 2 Fords and a Jeep and not one of them has a magnetic drain plug. In fact I don't remember ever owning a car that had a magnetic drain plug for the oil pan. I've probably owned 20+ different vehicles and never saw a factory magnetic drain plug. Maybe its something with foreign cars? I've only owned domestics.

 

[Filter guy]

Stephenb1956

What engine are you using this on in the oil patch?

 

[ZOMGVTEK]

3,895 Miles, and this is what my RA300 picked up... A bit more than I expected.

The magnet needed to be removed to get the filter off, and was moved around a lot cutting the filter open.

 

[steve20]

Originally Posted By: Jim Allen
I tried it with a well known product but it didn't show any difference in the UOA... but the engine was already a low iron producer Some changes in the particle count but nothing drastic. Testing is ongoing but I'm not sure of the destination.


Jim---the vehicle(s) in question under test--off road or highway use?

 

[Ken2]

The stationary diesels have iron pistons running in iron liners, right? This will create more magnetic particles for the magnets to catch.

I have neodymium magnets on the drain plugs in the family fleet. These retain more magnetic strength in the heat of the oil than conventional iron magnets. My motorcycle has a weak iron magnet on the drain plug, but I put a niobium magnet on the outside of the filter. The magnets are always covered in a black mud that is iron particles too small to be trapped in the filter, but still abrasive.

Are solid iron or steel particles detected in the usual spectrographic oil analysis?

 

[Jim Allen]

Originally Posted By: steve20
Originally Posted By: Jim Allen
I tried it with a well known product but it didn't show any difference in the UOA... but the engine was already a low iron producer Some changes in the particle count but nothing drastic. Testing is ongoing but I'm not sure of the destination.


Jim---the vehicle(s) in question under test--off road or highway use?


Off road... a farm tractor. Have them on a couple of other things too but they aren't be monitored in that much detail.

 

[ahoier]

Originally Posted By: sayjac
Only possible negative I've read is that, if the filter went into bypass the filings could come loose and flow back to engine.
I don't know......though I am no scientist, my thought, is that if you have a super strong magnet, on the filter, and the filter WERE to go into bypass, I would think the super strong magnet would "keep hold" of those metals, and thus keep them within the filter can......during the "bypass mode"...

Originally Posted By: Michael_P
Furthermore, if the magnet fell off, that might cause a rush of metal into the lube system.
I was under the impression the magnets went on/around/at the outside of the oil filter....? Not "INSIDE" the filter....? at least that's how the filtermag is.....slides around the outside of most "common" spin on filters.....

 

[AccordV6MN]

Originally Posted By: ZOMGVTEK

3,895 Miles, and this is what my RA300 picked up... A bit more than I expected.

The magnet needed to be removed to get the filter off, and was moved around a lot cutting the filter open.


It's rather hard to tell if the magnet catch anything at all from this pic. Care to elaborate?

What car is it from? Which filter brand is it?

 

[SteveSRT8]

The 'black mud' you see on the magnets is just what would normally be in the filter anyway.

I can't imagine anything big enough to be seen visually that a good filter would not catch.

The only place a magnet would be useful IMO is in the sump, where it may protect your oil pump from passing debris. Standard equipment on my GMC trucks.

 

[ZOMGVTEK]

Originally Posted By: AccordV6MN

It's rather hard to tell if the magnet catch anything at all from this pic. Care to elaborate?

What car is it from? Which filter brand is it?


This was off a 2002 Accord V6, Pennzoil Ultra 5w20, Puralator PureOne filter. 79K on the J30A1, my previous used oil analysis had very high iron levels with the same oil and filter. I didn't do a used oil analysis on my last change, and I just sent this oil off to Blackstone.

The magnet has been removed, and moved several times, so the lines of material are rather 'soft' in the image. It was tricky to get a picture inside the can, since it was covered with darker colored oil. I ran my finger across it, and it was VERY VERY fine black stuff that I question if the filter would have caught.

I purchased this magnet a few years ago, and it was much cheaper then than they are now. I don't really care if it has no noticeable impact, I just wanted to try it out and see if there was any impact at all. In a few days I will post my used oil analysis when I get it in.

 

[ZOMGVTEK]

Here it is after sitting a day with all the oil off the side of the can. The magnet is removed, but the particles still stick.

Its likely at least some of this would have been caught by the media, but its hard to tell exactly how much. At the very least, the magnet does help keep the pores of the filter media clean for longer, as well as visually showing ferrous material being passed from the engine.

Take it for what you will, but there is really only one case where very powerful magnets can cause harm. Should the magnet be removed or fall off, the collected material MAY pass through the filter more or less all at once.

 

[SteveSRT8]

Imagine this scenario: Put putting around town, lower rpms, magnet piling up debris on the side of your filter. Life is good.

Now you pull out into traffic and wind her up. The oil flow increases dramatically and that will cause...? Seems to me that may dislodge some of the particles on the outer edges of your 'pile'.

If you've got a significant pile of debris you may have an internal issue. One of my vans did this and had a bad lifter that was tearing up a cam lobe. Always had small filings on the factory magnet which is on the drain plug.