Oil FIlters

[onedash]

Has anyone ever dropped a magnet in their oil filter??? I know a lot of oil pan bolts have magnets in them now. I don't know how fast oil pumps through a filter or if that even matters but it sounds convincing I guess.

What do you think?

http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/B...005141/c-10614

[LinuxRandal]

If you need it, you have bigger problems!

Tranmissions have gears that interlock. As they work/wobble around each other, they generate fine particles of metal, which the magnets attract. If you drive normally (not race, try extreme gear changes etc) the fillings should be minimal.
Oil filters tend to pick up bits from the rings. Mostly in the engine break in period. Or in there end of life (you'll notice your mileage dropping off, and increased oil consumption).
By dropping a magnet INSIDE your oil filter, you run the risk of any sludge, along with that magnet of stopping the flow of oil through your filter, not a good thing for an engine. Ever hear of a heart without blood?
I think unless it's eitther a new engine, or a really, really, really high performance engine (which aren't designed to last, just go fast, aka a nascar engine in your daily driver), it's a gimmick, like the magnets on the fuel line.

[LinuxRandal]

P.S. The oil plugs, have been magnetic in a lot of vehicles for some time. They expect people will see that, rather then cutting open their filters.

[Bollox]

I'm a mechanic by trade, and my feeling is that the filter would catch anything the magnet would attract anyway. I wouldnt bother.
A transmission is a different story. A magnet can catch a big chunk (for example part of a gear tooth) that otherwise might be picked up by some of the other moving parts (for example other gears sets) and can reduce the amount of damage done to everything else.
Mike

[Tom Slick]

Bollox just posted exactly what I was going to say.