WARNING - this thread actually concerns CARS, not POLITICS - sorry if this disappoints the D's and R's out there.

Anyone ever experimented with placing magnets of some type or configuration, on or in the oil filter of a vehicle, in an attempt to catch any metallic particles that were too small to be captured by the oil filter?

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Just say "NO" to Ethanol - Drive Diesel

Mitchell Oates
Mooresville, NC
'87 300D 212K miles
'87 300D 151K miles - R.I.P. 12/08
'05 Jeep Liberty CRD 67K miles
Grumpy Old Diesel Owners Club

With today's metals and alloys, I'd suspect that they're nearly useless on an engine. The transmission and differential are different stories.

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1987 560SL
85,000 miles

There's plenty of steel and iron in the engines of today, however the machine tolerances have gotten much better than previous decades, as has lubrication qualities. While it may not be as "productive" as in older engines, it can't hurt.

I use super magnets with about 50 pounds of strength on the boat's oil filters. Of course there is no way to tell if they work as the filters are disposed of and the magnets moved to the new filters. With 18 gallons of oil per engine I believe they can't hurt as MTI said.

Steel rings on steel cylinder sleeves, steel cam on steel lifters on steel valves...The bearings are nonferrous but most other wear surfaces are steel

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$60 OM617 Blank Exhaust Flanges
$110 OM606 Blank Exhaust Flanges
No merc at the moment

can say i have ever dont it on an oil filter, but i always add rare earth magnets to tranny pans when i have them off. you wouldnt belive how fine the metal that sticks to them is.

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have no worries.....President Obama swears "If you like your gun, you can keep it

Every time I pull a magnetic diff plug, it's got fine particles stuck to it. Doing the same with an engine that has an oil filter may not be as helpful, but I don't see how it could hurt anything.

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Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar.

83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 400,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 22,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.

I have magnetic sump plugs on several motors. They pick up fine sludge. It would be good for some one to try a similar thing with a magnet(s) in a location that has the oil flowing past it. The magnet(s) would need to be inside the part & weted by the oil for best results. You could probably fit a few inside the filter housing of a 617. They would need to be mechanically attached not glued in.

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Grumpy Old Diesel Owners Club group

I no longer question authority, I annoy authority. More effect, less effort....

1967 230-6 auto parts car. rust bucket.
1980 300D now parts car 800k miles
1984 300D 500k miles
1987 250td 160k miles English import
2001 jeep turbo diesel 130k miles
1998 jeep tdi ~ followed me home. Needs a turbo.
1968 Ford F750 truck. 6-354 diesel conversion.
Other toys ~J.D.,Cat & GM ~ mainly earth moving

I always thought it was a good idea. Every automatic transmission I've ever opened up had one in the pan. Big industrial engines have them. Why not? You know, if it wasn't for Obama's failed economic policies, we wouldn't need magnets on our oil filters.

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Remember, Safety Third!
'99 E300 Turbodiesel, '82 300TD, 1996 12V Cummins Turbo, '94 Neoplan - Detroit 6V92TA

A friend of mine uses a magnetic oil drain plug on his 1969 911. If grains of metal are present during an oil change he cleans them off. If tiny flakes of metal are present he rebuilds the engine.

I feel this is excessive, but to each his own.

Can't find a way to politicize this thread.

Enjoy!

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1982 300SD " Wotan" ..On the road as of Jan 8, 2007 with Historic Tags

I had them on the oil plugs on my Fiats. Every change (at approx. 3,000) I would wipe off about 1-2 grams (approx.) of metal flakes and metalic sludge.

The way I looked at it was this...

If it's on the plug, it ain't in the filter or being "carried" by the oil to do damage to another part of the engine...like scored pistons or piston walls.

Any little help is better than none at all.

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M. G. Burg
'10 - Dakota SXT - Daily Ride / ≈ 172.5K
.'76 - 450SLC - 107.024.12 / < .89.20 K
..'77 - 280E - 123.033.12 / > 128.20 K
...'67 - El Camino - 283ci / > 207.00 K
....'75 - Yamaha - 650XS / < 21.00 K
.....'87 - G20 Sportvan / > 206.00 K
......'85 - 4WINNS 160 I.O. / 140hp
.......'74 - Honda CT70 / Real 125
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“I didn’t really say everything I said.”
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ~ Yogi Berra ~

Here! Hold my beer and try this...

No magnet? Democrat

Magent? = Republican

No oil change at all? = Independent

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M. G. Burg
'10 - Dakota SXT - Daily Ride / ≈ 172.5K
.'76 - 450SLC - 107.024.12 / < .89.20 K
..'77 - 280E - 123.033.12 / > 128.20 K
...'67 - El Camino - 283ci / > 207.00 K
....'75 - Yamaha - 650XS / < 21.00 K
.....'87 - G20 Sportvan / > 206.00 K
......'85 - 4WINNS 160 I.O. / 140hp
.......'74 - Honda CT70 / Real 125
.
“I didn’t really say everything I said.”
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ~ Yogi Berra ~

I stack some neodymium magnets on my oil drain plug. Started this after my vacuum pump grenaded and I needed to collect the balls from the bearing. Got all the balls but one (out of sight, out of mind...) So far no other debris noted after a couple years like this, but I feel better about it.

Rgds,
Chris W.
'95 E300D, 379K

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Objects in closer are mirror than they appear.

JP, I've never tried it, but I have never considered that to be NEARLY as effective as a magnetic drain plug. A quick google will come up with a site that sells nothing but magnetic drain plugs and they are quality made. Very worthwhile addition.

I might be dead wrong about it. I've never cut open a filter with the magnet band on it. But I've cut apart a lot of them in engines with magnetic drain plugs and found nothing.

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2001 SLK 320 six speed manual
2014 Porsche Cayenne six speed manual

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