At 07:09 AM 1/14/2001 -0500, Bob Howard wrote:
> I read of the magnetic plug from time to time, ....
> What sort of stuff do you find on the plug?
Usually a pinkie fingernail size glob of iron fuzz, similar to the small
particles you find around a bench grinder. This is more prevelant at the
first oil change immediately after an engine overhaul, as the new rings
need to scuff a little material off of the cylinder walls to get themselves
properly seated.
> Is its value that it collects shards before they pass through the oil
pump on the way to the filter?
Yes.
In general, if the iron particles are relatively large they would get
caught in the oil filter and cause no harm to the rest of the engine. If
the particles are small enough to pass through the filter they will
probably do no harm to the oil film bearings, but may still cause some wear
on rubbing steel parts, such as cam lobes and tappets, drive gears for oil
pump and distributor, and the mating rotor surfaces in the oil pump. Most
of the iron particles would settle out in the bottom of the oil pan anyway,
but it is somehow comforting to see them come out on the plug where you can
dispose of them externally. I cannot say for sure that this will reduce
wear in an engine, not having any data from side by side comparison under
identical running conditions. However, for only a small amount of money
the magnetic drain plug provides considerable peace of mind.
Barney Gaylord
1958 MGA with an attitude
http://www.ntsource.com/~barneymg
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