Magnets

[Bugzilla46310]

I’m a believer in magnets. First oil change I drill the drain plug and install a magnet in it on all my vehicles. Also put a few high strength nickel sized magnets on the filter housings. K&J magnets have some crazy strong magnets. My observation on the engine oil, after the second oil change (first change with the magnets) the amount of metal on the drain plug drops significantly. Only tore a filter apart one time and the metal contents seemed insignificant, but spread over a larger area due to the size of the magnets (Magnets could be on the after filter side of the filter). I use stronger magnets now on the filters. The attached photo was from the 3rd oil change on my 2016 F350 gasser. Does anyone else out there do this?

 

[GreensvilleJay]

If you want a seriously STRONG magnet, open up any PC harddrive ! The small semi circular magnet used for head positioning is what you want. You'll need a t9 torx to open most harddrives.

 

[old and tired]

I put magnets on the outside of the filters...

 

[woodman55]

I love the idea. I can see me putting them on the outside of all my filters, engine, trans and hyd. Guess I need to get a bunch of strong magnets.

 

[85Hokie]

I put magnets on the outside of the filters...

I do too .... and on the oil plug

 

[DustyRusty]

I put a magnet on my watch and time stood still!

 

[GeoHorn]

I rely upon my magnetic personality…. thinking opposites attract….and being somewhat homely anticipating great success….. but which seems to repel all the pretty women…

Seriously, however, the grey “smudge” you’ll find inside your oil filter attracted to the location of the exterior magnets is interesting …but unlikely to actually affect engine longevity since particles less than 5 microns are not abrasive or harmful. Any particle large enough to harm anything in your engine will be caught by the filter media. (Remember, the filter is one of the first things encountered after the oil pump.….so anything the pump tries to pressurize toward the engine will be captured prior to any critical engine areas.)
However, a magnet on the drain plug may very well capture a broken part or chip of steel/iron BEFORE the pump even picks it up… preventing damage to the pump itself. (not a certainty, but a good effort, IMO.)