magnetic drain plug useful?

[james]

Has anyone tried installing a magnetic drain plug (say on a WRX)? Did it
gather up any metal particles?

 

[Clifford Heath]

Has anyone tried installing a magnetic drain plug (say on a WRX)? Did it
gather up any metal particles?

If it does, something in your engine is already rooted or is being totally abused.
The reason we use lubricants is to avoid *any* direct metal-to-metal contact.
At best, a magnetic plug will stop an abused engine getting worse as fast as it might.

 

[m.j.]

Has anyone tried installing a magnetic drain plug (say on a WRX)? Did it
gather up any metal particles?

For the money, 10$, I think it may be useful, especially
so on a high rpm, high revving engine/steel valvetrain
(many motorcycles have these). I put one recently
- last oil change, on my 58k mile engine. Haven't had
a chance to see it work yet, but people report small amounts
of metalic dust depositing after only 1000 miles.

I'll provide an update as soon as I change my oil.
In about 2000 miles or 3-6 months time.

M.J.

 

[dbaldwin13]

I've run into these several times in the course of my life and
they've never failed to have some filings collected on them. I'd much
rather have them there than flowing through my system. Of course I've
never bothered to install one on a car that didn't already have one
from its previous owner.

 

[m.j.]

I've run into these several times in the course of my life and
they've never failed to have some filings collected on them. I'd much
rather have them there than flowing through my system. Of course I've
never bothered to install one on a car that didn't already have one
from its previous owner.

Magnetic plugs are far more effective in differentials
of all sorts, transmissions etc., where micro metal
shavings are rampant and greatly accelerate wear.
Of course manufacturers install magnets or magnetic
plugs there to begin with.

In an engine they are much less effective as by-products
of combustion not microscopic metal debris is responsible
for most wear.

I am a great fan of keeping the engine oil as clean as
possible. So frequent oil changes, synthetics, oversized
filters, magnetic oil plugs, upper cylinder lubricants in
the fuel (such as MMO etc.) are all in my book.

It is true that one will probably never wear out a
modern engine in the life of the car, but what
a diference it makes, and great satisfaction (not to
mention saving) when your 56k mile, 8 year old
engine runs absolutely no different than a brand
new 25 mile engine in a test drive car at the dealer's.

This is why the effort is worth it to me. It is also
why I like well balanced engines like boxers'.
They can run forever, and with a bit of extra care
they can run like-new for a very very long time.

M.J.

 

[Robert L Wilson]

The Alfa Romeos I drive in my other life have them standard, both in the
crankcase and in the transmission. Metal parts moving against each other are
always grinding off a little bit, hopefully very slowly. Every time I change
the oil I expect to find a little bit of grey paste on the magnet,
microscopic bits of metal from all around the engine. Think about the cams
rubbing against their followers: You can visualize metal wearing all the
time. The cams and followers are extremely hard steel, but not infinitely
so.
The Subys, and most cars, depend on the oil filter to catch all of this.
Maybe it does, but I'd rather have two systems at work than just one. The
"dirty" oil goes to the crankcase before it gets pumped through the filter,
so the magnet gets first chance at anything except metal worn off in the oil
pump.
Bob Wilson