Do magnetic drain plugs really work?
I use to have one many years ago, but
I never, ever saw any metal particles on it.

Is it more magnetic bs?

 

I think your car just wears too little or you change your oil too often.

 

i'll let u know when i do my 2nd oil change b/c i installed mine on my first change.

 

i had the spoon set and it sucked up some metal dust on the tranny oil and the engine oil, up to the third change

-joe

 

The transmission magnet won't be that accurate since there's a big one in the transmission to begin with.



Part #3 is a magnet. So for the transmission, your drain plug magnet could be clean, yet the internal magnet could have caught some metal particles.

 

Guys,

Just a quick question, I purchased the magnetic drain plugs from Aj.
Which is for the tranny? The shorter one or the longer one?

Thanks,

Mike

 

Thank you...

 

how much do you pay for the aj magnetic drain plug?

 

Yes, they work VERY well, but the cars are new and the parts are pretty well designed. So you won't see a whole lot of metallic/magnetic FOD (foreign object debris) in the oil. Give it a few miles.
-bix

 

Have you ever ran a magnet through "new" oil? Give it a shot and I guarentee you'll be suprised. PLUS 10K-km isn't exactly new.
-bix

 

i dont think it really worth it because wouldn't the particles get trapped in the oil filter anyways? the only reason i think the particles are on the magnet is that the magnet just caught it before it passes through the filter.

 

yeah i guess you could be right but i still think the magnet just happens to catch it first before it passes trough the filter, there's no way neither of us can prove our theory. but have you seen a dirty oil filter? it catches particles like that on the magnet but much much more. idk even though im young im still old fashion, a lot of companies are out there to get your money, and im very skeptical of what they advertise.
engines have survived hundreds of thousands miles without a magnetic drain plug in the past, so i dont see a point in them now. i don't think it will help you but at the same time it cant hurt you, but if you like to use them... more power to ya!

 

I just buy the quarter sized "earth magnets" and stick them on the end of the oil filter (guess you could put on the drain plugs so you could see the gunk ). They are strong magnets and fur sure it's cheap insurance....

 

I think you proved the point to yourself, a magnet is better. If a magnet traps metal particles before the filter it is better for the engine. The only way a metal particle can get from the oil pan to the oil filter is to circulate through the engine and reciprocating parts. Therefore, according to your own hypothesis, a magnet is a good idea because it traps these metal particles before circulating through the engine to get trapped by the filter and you still get the protection of the filter.

 

what i meant was the amount of particles the magnet catches is minute compared to the amount of particles the filter catches, so IMO the magnet is useless but it can't hurt the engine if you do use one.

 

it does give you a visual indicator of what's wearing out. So it may give you time to get it fix before you blow it up. Also it only catches ferrous metals , so bearing materials and other non magnetic particals go free untill the filter gets them,,,half dozen of one,,,,six of the other
in all honesty the answer to the ????? "do they work" is,,,,,sure they work to catch metal particals,,,,,
,,,,,don't know if they really saves your engine or tranny

 

Magnetic particle filters for lubricating fluids are well established technology with patents extending back at least to the 1940's if not earlier (US patent 2307954 "magnetic oil cleaner")

Magnets are able to trap very small particles that normally pass through the filter media. There are many companies selling various incarnations of engine and tranny oil filter magnets including this nifty device that wraps around the outside of your spin-on oil filter and looks like the logical extreme for this type of thing.

 

I have one in my 94 Prelude VTEC and there are deposits on it at every oil change... I'd say it works. I believe there are also magnetic bands that you can place around your oil filter that will cause any particles to stick to the inside of the filter. (Edit: lol... just saw the post above me... haha)

~Peace

 

A quick photo that shows they REALLY work.




That photo was from the oil pan plug at 1,000 Km. The trans plug looked similar with whiskers of chips on it also.

But at my 5th change at 20,000 oil change I'm happy to report that this time there were NO CHIPS on the plug. It had a black coat of slime, that looked like powder coating, which wiped right off but no hard particles like the first 3 changes.

So it looks like it takes about 20,000 km for the engine and transmission (manual) to be worn in and stop shedding wear in metallic shavings.

 

Thanks for the pics..is that the shorter plug? As mentioned above that the shorter is for the tranny and the longer is the oil. I'm a bit confused to which goes with which.