magnetic drain plug useful?

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

Reply to
james
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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.

Reply to
Clifford Heath

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.

Reply to
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.

Reply to
dbaldwin13

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.

Reply to
m.j.

Reply to
Robert L Wilson

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