Magnetic Drain Plugs in Auto Engine Oil Sumps

[m6pwr]

All of a sudden these things are the rage on one of the 2015 Mustang forums (someone saw them for sale on ebay).

I'm familiar with these devices that were sometimes used in the past on gearboxes (I think they serve the same purpose as filters to catch the larger debris), but I've never seen them used in a modern auto engine.

Are there any credible studies that show the magnetic drain plug has a significant benefit in the engine sump of a healthy modern automobile engine? Is there any evidence that these plugs can even attract and hold the small amounts of microscopic wear metals (measured in parts per million) that accumulate in engine oil?

Are there any car manufacturers today that install these plugs as original equipment, or even recommend their use as optional additions?

Thanks for any input. And apologies to Molakule if this steps on his question of yesterday about grp V base stocks.

 

[SnowDrifter]

I've noticed some GM trucks have them when they come into work. There's usually a little bit on there, but not much. Couple specks

 

[austinlunsford]

As far as I know, GM has been using them for years. I changed the oil in both a Yukon XL and a Chevy Suburban 2500 this past weekend, and both have them. There is always a little on there, but not too much. My wife's old 98 Malibu had one as well.

 

[Quest]

don't see the benefits of it.

Q.

 

[HerrStig]

They only work with iron and steel. Lots of wear products in engines will not stick to a magnet, unlike gearboxes where gear wear is steel. The presumption is the oil filter ( which we discuss endlessly here) will grab such material. Still, if I could find one I'd use it. As far as I can see it's like chicken soup.

 

[Georgiey22]

I own a 1999 Silverado and 2005 Pontiac GTO and these vehicles came with a factory magnetic fill plug. At every OCI I pull the plug and wipe off the metals that have accumulated and each time there is very LITTLE if any metal on the magnet. Due to the low level of metals on the magnet I have not proactively purchased a magnetic drain plug for my other vehicles. Just my experience with these type of drain plugs.

 

[Dyusik]

I put on in everthing. My thinking I'd that the oil pump gets the grime and sends it to the filter. I'd like to not send ferrous material through my oil pumps and possible extend service life. Also a way of keeping an eye on Fe levels without uoa.

 

[Falken]

If you want to use one, I was recommended on this site for a GoldPlug.

I am installing it next OCI.

I like the idea that if you see a massive amount of chunky steel stuck to it, something is wrong.

If it is always free of iron wear material, it is a nice check.

Just to confirm I tested the magnet, you simply wouldn't believe how strong it is. I think I picked up a medium sized Wescott with it with ease.

That alone impressed me that it must help.

 

[qdeezie]

I am a Goldplug kinda guy.....

However, it depends on the engine, oil used and driving style as to whether or not you'll actually see anything on the plug.

I have a magnetic drain plug in my Focus and there's never anything on the drain plug. For what it's worth: Zetec engine, I drive mostly easy, but sometimes I have to drive hard. I'm currently using Valvoline Nextgen 5w-20 conventional until my stash runs out and I move on to something else. There's never anything on on the plug.

However, on other vehicles, there's usually a little fuzz.

Basically, it varies as to whether or not there's actually a benefit, but if you can afford it, it wouldn't hurt anything to add it.

As far as whether or not any vehicles come with it, GMs used to come with a magnetic drain plug from the factory. I don't know if they do now.

 

[A_Harman]

My Camaro had a magnetic drain plug installed from the factory.
It always has some fine debris on it that I clean off at every oil change. It's good to know that that debris isn't circulating around my engine.

I recommend putting magnetic drain plugs in all engines.

 

[Nate1979]

Better to use a filtermag.

 

[Chris Meutsch]

My Honda's since 2001 have come with magnetic TRANS plugs but normal OIL plugs.

The trans plugs catch some stuff. Nothing overly significant but I'd rather have those there than on the engine.

 

[SaturnIonVue]

For the folks on here that blow off the usefulness of a magnetic drain plug as not being effective or useful, I hope you aren't some of the same people who endlessly fuss and worry about the beta ratio of their oil filters! Anything caught on a magnetic drain plug saves your engine a trip of that stuff through your engine where it might not get caught by your oil filter the first time. It's amazing how circular thinking works!

 

[Ducked]

I have one.

When I first got the car I also seemed to have a lot of fine ferrous metal in my oil, probably from cam lobe wear. I noticed it as a deposit on my dipstick after the car had sat for a while, and confirmed it using a magnetic pickup tool in the dipstick hole. Havn't checked it recently, couple of oil changes later, so not sure what the current status is, but in principle I think a pickup tool is superior to a drain plug, because you can check and clean it regularly.

My plug didn't collect much, about the same as the pickup tool. Probably a newer, stronger rare earth magnet version would collect more.

I wonder whether potentially magnetising wear metals is such a great idea though. If it gets dislodged from the magnet and re-circulates it might tend to stick to cam and crankshaft surfaces, though I suppose the oil flow in critical areas should be enough to wash it off.

 

[Olas]

Any type of magnet, wether its a magnetic plug, a filtermag, a normal magnet held on with tape, they're like condoms.
It's better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it.
Translated into car terms, it will not do any harm but it might do good.

Nothing to lose, potentially reduced wear rates to gain...it comes down to you and if you can be bothered to install them

 

[Ducked]

Originally Posted By: Olas
Nothing to lose,


Perhaps not. Perhaps there is (see above).

I guess they'd be a gain, but I don't know, and if anyone else does AFAIK they're keeping quiet about it.

 

[Stewie]

Originally Posted By: Nate1979
Better to use a filtermag.


Those thing defeat the purpose of an oil filter.