Magnet on oil pan& gear box?

[ArtMech]

double posting

 

[drizler]

They used to sell molybendium magnets to attach to the sides of your airplanes oil filter. They recommended 4 of them equally spaced around the outside of the filter. You opposed the poles of the neighboring magnet as you went around placing them. Aviation Consumer did a report on them and showed they did in fact trap a lot of the fine metal powder as was shown in pictures on f the cans after cutting. You could actually see the Goop in the shape of the fields with the concentrations at the pole ends. Mine were tiny, an inch long by 1/8" or so . Just stick em on and they stay put .
Notice too that most auto tranny pans have one sitting onside. Whenever I drop the pan to change the oil it always is covered in some goo. With that in mind the must surely do something

 

[ModMech]

If there is enough material in the "box" to warrant the use of a magnet, you have much bigger things to worry about

 

[Sodo]

Take a magnet and wave it around in sparkly oil, it's disappointing how little it picks up once it has a tiny bit of fuzz on it. Even neobdymium. If there is any oil movement, stuff washes off. Once theres a fuzz on it, you can't pick up any bigger parts with it. The capacity is very very small. All sounds like a great idea until you fool around with one in your hand. It's basically nothing compared to a pleated paper filter.

I think to make a difference it must be a large area, and low flow. Large magnet with lots of surface area on the bottom of a pan is great. Lots of magnets on the outside of a filter sounds good too, mostly because it's easy.

On the drainplug where you can remove and observe can suggest what's happening in there. I've been amazed at what settles by gravity, sometime I will try draining off the bottom quart after sitting and pour in a fresh quart on top.

 

[Texasmark]

If they didn't work OEMs wouldn't include them as part of their equipment's drain plug.....just an added expense. Besides if you ever pulled a drain plug that contained a magnet you will know instantly that they work. A magnet on the outside of the steel pan will work too. Only problem there is that the magnetic lines of force will tend to be contained in the steel pan but there will be some fringing inside the pan. Just get a big magnet so you have a lot of "fringing lines of force" and forget about it.

 

[Sodo]

They work to to give an indication of problems, early on. My point is that once they have a little fuzz, they are maxed out. Once they have a little fuzz then larger pieces are no longer collected therefore you have lost the "indication". Pretty much have to keep them clean and inspected (often). To use a magnet to gather metal it has to be a large magnet. A large magnet on the outside of a pan makes some sense only if you can or will remove the pan to clean it. What happens to that dust if you pull the magnet off? Does magnetized dust then stick to other stuff? Probably makes more sense on a removeable filter that you can clean or discard.

I don't think they capture metal dust while the oil is moving. Each time you shut off the engine, it caprtues some dust from the non-moving oil in the immediate vicinity, until its 'full', and thats it. Finished. Wave a magnet around in sparkly oil and you'll see. If you are not clearing off that magnet its not doing much.

However if the magnet is always clean you will have a smile!

 

[ModMech]

^Agreed. They are there to let maintainers know of an issue, not to prevent one.

 

[ModMech]

^Agreed. They are there to let maintainers know of an issue, not to prevent one.