Found something interesting
 

Was working on my brother's 85 GS today, and while trying to find an oil leak I found something very interesting. Stuck to the inside of the exhaust manifold heatshield were 2 small, cylindrical magnets, about 1.5 to 2 inches in length, and what appeared to be a ribbed cap (of a similar diameter). I can't figure out where they came from. They have to come from somewhere local to the E-manifold, right? Does anyone know what these pieces are and what they go to? I'm perplexed.

Uh? Do you have or can you get any pics? Ive got no idea what they might be...

~T.J.

i know a few asians (not being steriotypical) do that with there intake and exhaust. they wrap em in magnets, i have no idea what it does..

as far as i know, exhaust fumes have no polarity. now, i know it used in trannies and diffs to collect metal out of the fluid.

Yeah, some people use high-power magnets on the oil pan of the motor and the tranny to pick up the metal shavings that can collect in oil. I don't know what the purpose is on the exhaust manifold though.

That's what I was thinking, too... that they were probably attatched to the oil pan to collect metal shavings. But wedged between the E-mani and the heat shield? That's a pretty tight fit. We're pretty confused around here. I'll try and get some pics up this afternoon. Hopefully someone will recognize them and have a clue. They look like they're designed to go...uh...somewhere. They don't look like magnets that someone would buy to attatch to the oil pan.

I keep a neodymium magnet stuck to my oil filter for the same purpose.

Do rotaries shred much metal?

Good question, one of these days I'm going to cut open a used oil filter and see how much metal (if any) is stuck to the magnet. Transmissions always seem to have a bit of metallic slurry when you drain 'em. 'Course we're talkin' about some OLD transmissions here.

havn't you guys ever dropped a bolt or something by accident in your engine bay? who knows.

Sticking a magnet to the outside of the oil fitler or bottom of the oil pan wont be very effective, as the magnetic field is all but blocked by the metal.

A better method would be to stick the magnet to the INSIDE of the oil pan or oil fitler. Unfortunately this makes them hard to clean.

There are magnetic drian plugs available. The tranny and differential have these stock.

that is what i've normally seen. the plugs are either made with a magnet in them or someone has attached one.

As one who has raced slot cars for 30+ years, I can tell you that the magnetic field of a level 40 neodymium magnet WILL extend through the thin metal of an oil filter, as well as magnetizing the oil filter itself. Try it for yourself if you don't believe me. -WG

Neodymium is hella expensive though... About the only place I know you can get them is to cut up an old hard drive or something like that.

I was talking about conventional ceramic or ferrous magnets.

lol, i'm envisioning 1g owners with harddrives strapped to their oil filter.

Okay... these magnets are definately NOT made to attatch to the oil filter to attract metal shavings... lol. It would be seriously difficult for these items to worm themselves into a position within the heatshielding... it's a tight fit. Does anyone know where they could have come from? I can't get any pictures up right now... and I know that makes identifying these mystical components difficult. But they do look like stock-type parts. Their location was near a serious oil leak... are there any 12A guru's who can help here?

Feng Shui?!:rofl:

The stock drain plug on my SE is magnetized BTW.

lol