Magnetic Oil Drain Plugs? The good/bad/ugly?

[smfcpacfp]

If they were useful, the manufactuer would install. To me it is very similar to the magnets that some people install on fuel lines which "line up the electrons" to improve fuel mileage. :laughing:

However if it makes you feel secure, you should do it. I am confident that it would not hurt... except your wallet a bit. I have had some high mileage vehicles which didn't seem to suffer from lack of magnets.

 

[jlrsn]

Are Magnetic Drain Plugs required on a tractor. Probably not to most tractor owners but to an experienced eye the type and size of the metal on the magnet can give you an indication of future action. To me a Magnetic Drain Plug is a tool more important than an Oil Analysis. The Screens and Filters will usually take out harmful particles. I don't agree with the following statement.

I've always thought that magnetic plugs are somewhat of a waste . In My 22 years of working on acft , every mag plug that read continuity ( fouled ) was just pulled and then wiped off by the engine techs . If You are truly concerned about the metal floating around in the sump ,do a UAO . It'll give You a better idea of what's going on in Your machine .

My 50+ years of hands on experience with and on aircraft greatly differs. Too often mechanics, even Certified Aircraft Mechanics, are lacking proper training and experience to interpret what is on the magnetic drain plug. As an independent FAA DME (Designated Aircraft Mechanic Examiner for Airframe and Powerplants Ratings) for many years it was my job to weed out those that lacked proper training or hands on experience and I weeded out many that just cleaned the magnetic drain plugs with no further analysis or understanding. I don't mean a lab analysis but a few seconds to a trained eye can tell a lot!

On aircraft I agree that more times than not a chip warning light can give nuisance indications but as a Certificated ATP Pilot flying Fixed and Rotary Wing Aircraft, and as a Certificated A&P Mechanic with Inspection Authorization (IA), and as an Aircraft Owner any metal on a magnetic drain plug should be used like every Instrument on the panel. Prior to the advent of the Pulsed Circuit Chip Detectors that are designed to vaporize nuisance normal wear debris off of the chip plug it has caused me to make many precautionary landings, mostly in helicopters. A lot of aircraft don't have Pulsed Circuit Chip Detectors and you have to decide on your course of action. If I have a smooth running aircraft with all temps and pressures in the green I'd mentally schedule a chip plug check at my next landing. If temps are climbing and pressures decreasing, especially if I feel or hear abnormal vibrations or sounds I'd land ASAP. Metallic chips of over 1/8th inch found adhering to the magnets are cause for concern.

Jim

 

[Denwa]

If they were useful, the manufactuer would install. To me it is very similar to the magnets that some people install on fuel lines which "line up the electrons" to improve fuel mileage. :laughing:

However if it makes you feel secure, you should do it. I am confident that it would not hurt... except your wallet a bit. I have had some high mileage vehicles which didn't seem to suffer from lack of magnets.

As Jim is saying, seeing what hangs to a magnetic drain plug CAN be useful information if tracked in one's maintenance logs (maintenance logs??? Why would one want to mess with those???) Not necessary, but the more info you have, the better you can predict problems.

Jim comes from a bit of a different ethic. One predicated on the fact the system failures may lead to imminent death. Not quite that exciting with tractors. Perhaps imminent financial failure ;' >

On my BMW motorcycles the engines don't have mag plugs, but all the transmissions do. so, some perceived value there by the maker. The
transmissions are separate from the engine and don't have filters.

Cheap insurance or at least diagnostic tool. I'm be converting all my oil
drain plugs to magnetics.

Dennis

 

[AMR]

I hadn't paid much attention to this thread until I changed the lower unit oil on my Evinrude E-Tec 150 this weekend. It is the first time I ran into a magnetic plug. I nearly had a heart attack when I took the plug out. Thankfully the stuff attached to it was like fuzz. I took it onto my finger and you couldn't even feel the metal. It looked like a crazy hairdo on the end of the upper plug, not so much the lower.

It probably doesn't hurt to have them but I don't know that I'll go and change out other plugs that didn't come that way.

 

[jlrsn]

As Jim is saying, seeing what hangs to a magnetic drain plug CAN be useful information if tracked in one's maintenance logs (maintenance logs??? Dennis

Yes I've got a lot of old habits to break....maybe!! Like I stated earlier I still haven't installed Magnetic Drain Plugs on my L39 (yet) but my BMW Motorcycles, ATV, Trucks, and Cars all have them. And yes, I have computerized maintenance logs on every one of them. It gives me immediate access to when I did what and when. Like I said, old habits are hard to break but some are very useful. :thumbsup:

You've got some nice Beemers!!!
Jim

 

[jlrsn]

I hadn't paid much attention to this thread until I changed the lower unit oil on my Evinrude E-Tec 150 this weekend. It is the first time I ran into a magnetic plug. I nearly had a heart attack when I took the plug out. Thankfully the stuff attached to it was like fuzz. I took it onto my finger and you couldn't even feel the metal.

That metallic fuzz is a byproduct of the gears and other moving ferrous metal parts seating in, especially with new equipment, and is normal. The long slivers of hairlike metal is usually from new gears seating in and is normal. What you usually find is a metallic gray paste which is normal. When you start to find small chunks of ferrous metal or very shiny pieces of bearing races you can expect future problems.

Take care,
Jim

 

[Chilly807]

I'll probably take my own advice and stick a magnet (two in my case) in the oil plugs on the L3400 next oil change. As a mechanic, I like to know what's going on in the engine wear-wise.

It does take some of the finer debris out of circulation, and I can see if a trend toward more wear starts.

The magnetic ring on the hydraulic filter was interesting on the first change, a few curly machine chips, a few long strands of steel, and a lot of fine fuzz/grey paste.

Chilly

 

[AMR]

Thank you for the reply. I got the sense that the fuzzy/pasty sort of look was ok on my outboard lower unit drain plugs. I looked closely at the oil as I drained the pan and I saw no shiny parts in there. It makes me sick to think that the engine rivals my B3030 in cost.