Magnet on Oil Filter..

AlpineRaven · Post by **AlpineRaven** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 10:18 pm

Am I mad.. or nuts or crazy!?! or good idea!? hehe

I've put on 2 Hard Disk magnets on my EJ22's oil filter to get any unwanted metal bits in the filter and it'll be inside the filter once it removed... Does that cause any harm in the engine?

I remembered when I was a kid - my father had a ring magnet on the oil filter on EA81 engine - he had that for a couple of years till he sold it and replaced to EA82 L series back in 80s - I remembered him saying - good for engine - lasts longer for unwanted metals causes rubbing in engine... I thought wow.. etc..

Cheers
AP

Outback bloke · Post by **Outback bloke** » Thu Sep 06, 2007 6:03 am

I used to have one on my cars for years. Used to get them out of microwaves. I don't know if they did any good or not. Certainly can't do any harm.

AndrewT · Post by **AndrewT** » Thu Sep 06, 2007 10:41 am

Yep certainly can't do any harm.
I think the sump plug is already magnitised somewhat for this very purpose.

daveosubi · Post by **daveosubi** » Thu Sep 06, 2007 11:26 am

Instead of brockies fuel polarizer you can have something that actually works on your car with magnets?

I think its a great idea, Id just be worried if magnets moved or fell off giving the engine a large gulp of metal fillings in one big hit.

julian · Post by **julian** » Thu Sep 06, 2007 4:44 pm

I reckon Andrew is right on the money, some sump plugs are magnetised.

Brumby Boy · Post by **Brumby Boy** » Thu Sep 06, 2007 7:47 pm

not factory engine sump plugs, the gearbox and diff plugs are but not the engine ones

AlpineRaven · Post by **AlpineRaven** » Fri Sep 07, 2007 7:33 am

There isn't one from factory for sump magnet, but you can buy them, I'd rather have it on the filter because once its sucked on you remove the filter and it's inside it!! Next service which is due - I'll open up the filter to see if it has any trace of metals inside it.

Doesn't matter if the magnet gets any external metals from the road etc on it because its based on the bottom of the filter anyway.

Cheers
AP

AlpineRaven · Post by **AlpineRaven** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 6:35 pm

Okay,
After 8000kms (3000kms overdue due not enough time etc) I opened it up as promised above here photos of what it looks like inside it -

From what you can see the dark areas is very fine pieces of metal and muck and I used 2 hard disk magnets.

Here is a pic of behind the rocker cover (taken with different camera)-

Cheers
AP

Subaman · Post by **Subaman** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 8:39 am

Yeah like Brett ,I too used to run a magnet on the filter although I thought they were from the back of a Television, anyway we had a mate used to own a TV and electronics repair business and thats where we got them from, you could pretty much go through the scrap bin and find one that was about the same diameter as the filter itself, near perfect fit on the end of the filter, they were quite powerful magnets and never fell off, in fact it took quite a bit of effort to physically try and remove one once in place, I also used to stick one up on the side of the sump too, so if anyone wants to give it a try head down to your local TV repair man as he will have hundreds of them laying around. I have also used them on top of my drill press for storing drill bits, and another on the front of my steal shelves for hanging screwdrivers - this is handy because it helps magnetize the screwdrivers after a while too. We could be onto something here..... 1001 uses for a magnet

Cheers
Grant

Matatak · Post by **Matatak** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 9:09 pm

yer magnets are a great idea.

they usually put like 2 or 3 into Auto Tranny sumps and whenever ive taken one off its always been doin its job (ie. are always coated in sh*t)

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 10:47 pm

I have run them on sump plugs and anyone looked inside auto tranny sumps of Borg Warners of late, one magnet in each corner !

Matatak · Post by **Matatak** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 10:57 pm

if u look on ebay theres many sump plugs being sold with magnets already in them.

think they usually go for like 10 or something

AlpineRaven · Post by **AlpineRaven** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 4:31 am

Matatak wrote:if u look on ebay theres many sump plugs being sold with magnets already in them.

think they usually go for like 10 or something

Not all of them arrives in your place(!) They usually get stuck in somewhere that postie doesn't notice....
Cheers
AP