Bonneville America Forums Forums Technical Forums General Tech Magnetic Drain Plugs vs. Magnets on the Oil Filter

I took a set of rare earth magnets from out of a failed computer hard disk drive and slapped them on the side of my oil filter. These magnets are stupid strong and certainly encounter more oil flow than a magnet at the bottom of the oil pan.

Pending anyone with advice to the contrary, I'd say this is a better solution than a magnetic drain plug, and is cheaper, too.

Wow! great idea. I have old drives laying around here and you are right. Those magnets have big power.

Donnie,
This is an excellent idea. They also help you trip most traffic lights (signals). You are right about them being strong = so decide where you want them before they are close to filter.
I've used them on the filter and drain plug for 26,000 miles. Using Amsoil for most of that, 6,000 (3k x 2) of that was with Valvoline 4 stroke MC dino oil.
Then about 10k with RotellaT synthetic. I just went back to 20W50 Amsoil.
I've never seen one spec of anything on plug or where the magnets were mounted on filter (i'd cut near magnet on filter shell and peel it back).
I am hoping my engine was perfectly "broken in". These engines ain't made out of 'lumium, is they? (that's aluminum, for you non redneck types).

I just ordered two gallons of Amsoil 10W-40. I'll run 100% when I change my oil in the spring. At $35/gallon, it will be a pretty expensive oil change.

I have 2,500 miles on her. I'm currently running dino oil. I changed the filter and oil at 50 miles and again at 500 miles (or so). I used the Motoman method for breaking the motor in. The only thing I wish I would have done differently is put rare earth magnets on my oil filter from day one!

Now there's an idea. Thanks.

I am about to ditch or pitch a Zenith 286 cpu purchased in 1990 for more money than I care to think about. I imagine it has magnets hidden inside.

JH

The only problem with magnets on the filter is that they trap a bunch of metal shavings BEFORE they get to the filter element... this bunch gets bigger and bigger till a clump releases from the magnet coz it gets too big. Then a whole bunch of metal shavings hits the filter element all at once in the one spot. Not healthy. Either change your filter fairly frequently or invest a couple of bucks in a magnetic sump plug instead.

The following is all personal opinion and not meant to lessen your ingenious recycling of magnets

I'm not one to succumb to the whole magnet concept. I understand that there was a time when filtering was non-existent, followed by a time when filters were less than adequate. However, my belief is that that barring catastrophic failure in which the damage is already done, a good filter will trap metal wear fragments to the same micron size as any other non-ferrous particle that potentially could cause the same scouring. And, there is far greater likelihood that non-ferrous particles (i.e., dirt) will be the most prevalent source of oil contamination.

That said, and if one were still in favor of a strategically place magnet, my opinion is that the most probable location to collect metal bits is at the drain plug. This is due to its location at the bottom most portion of any wetted component of the engine and because ferrous metal is inherently heavier than oil, and every time you shut it down, that's were the heavy stuff will settle.

The best defense against the effects of premature wear from suspended contaminants is a quality filter and oil; both changed at or before recommended frequencies

Still, if it provides comfort – use them wherever you feel they work, but IMO – The best place for magnets these days is on the refrigerator.

I wear a magnetic headband to help me thought my aligns....

I thought you wore an aluminum foil hat to protect you from the aliens.

Gonna ask a stupid question here, but what metal are you collecting? Don't get me wrong, I understand the idea of collecting ferrous metal shavings as the motor wears, but our motor is almost exclusively aluminium, therefore, non-magnetic, except for the crank, conrods, pistons/rings, cams and valves. Therefore, my thought, and it may be wrong, is that the majority of the metal shavings in the engine would be aluminium shavings and therefore swim by the magnets like sperm on the way to an after-prom party...

I think there is a lot of metal. That transmission does not have aluminum hard parts either. The oil does it all from motor to trans to clutch. It touches a lot of metal.

Do magnets matter. Prolly not but its a fun idea. Cutting my hard disc open as I type. :-)

I bet some of you guys don't believe in Gremlin Bells either.

I just stuck two more magnets on my filter...found another hard disk drive, this one obsolete, in the basement. What else am I going to do with it?

It came with the aluminum foil hat.