Magnetic Oil Drain plugs - options and results
 

I'm considering replacing the stock oil pan drain plug with a magnetic one. Anyone know where I can find one?

I tried the local Pep Boys but they don't have it. Not sure where else to look.

Thanks in advance.

I did find this cool filter magnet at RX7.com
http://rx7.com/store/rx7/fdengine_maintenance.html

Too bad they don't have a magnetic drain plug also.

ebay has them.

Checkers has them, also ACE's hardware store carries it. I use a magnetic coupler on my oil filter. You can also use the magnets on a discarded computer hard drive, they are pretty strong.

I had a few SARD ones in stock. I could get more if you like.

Possibly interested depending on timing. How long until I would have it in my hands?

Alberto, wherever did you get that idea :lol:

Oh I :dunno:

You talk, I listen :)

Found a source for these. Turns out there are plenty of sources actually since the FD uses a pretty common drain plug size M14 1.5 pitch thread. That size is shared with the RX8, Miata, MX5 and lots of other cars.

I bought mine from Hyper Garage:
http://hypergarage.com/store/index.p...index&cPath=73
http://myworld.ebay.com/ebaymotors/hypergarage/

I think it was $12 all together when I ordered from their ebay store. Excellent service from Hyper Garage. It shipped immediately and arrived in perfect condition and they actually answered my pre-purchase questions immediately.


I haven't tried it yet but the magnet does feel pretty strong and is of a decent length. Some of the ones I saw had very short magnets. The magnet on Hyper Garage's drain plug sticks out a good 3/8".

I'm about to order some Idemetsu from everyone's favorite rotary performance shop - Rotary Performance aka rx7.com :)
http://rx7.com/store/rx7/fdengine_maintenance.html
Will install when the oil arrives.

I'm going to send a sample of the old oil for analysis at
http://www.blackstone-labs.com/

Got-em!

cool just purchased one. thanks for this post!

They are useful - I've used them on my cars for years. :)

I bought one that was suppose to fit from a local Auto Parts store. It was the right thread pitch but was too long by about the same amount.

^^ Same here. The one from O-Reilleys was too long and ran into the baffles so you may have to have one that does not stick out too far. Let us know if yours worked.

Thanks for the info. I am going to order one too!

Might want to wait a bit so that I can test fit this to ensure its not too long

Thanks for the info, just ordered one!

just got mine in the mail today from hypergarage. It's red and the magnet is pretty strong.

/thumbs up

Any issues with it hitting the baffles?

nope. there's a good deal more room before it's anywhere close to the baffling. I have an old '93 oil pan that I recently pulled off the car and tested it. So unless they changed pan baffling after '93 then, it'll work.

Not had a chance to crawl under the car since I put a new pan on but I expect no problems.

Thanks!

Got mine a few days ago as well, will be using it this weekend.

I got one of those off ebay, works great, but after removing the plug it flies towards the oil pan, with a hard hit, after a few oil changes the coating starts to flake off, like the chrome off the stock chrome wheels, but then it attracts even more stuff.... looks like iron fillings and it's almost impossible to remove the stuff it collects.

Anyone uses a transmission fluid magnetic drain plug? I read a lot of thread that owners are finding shavings in their tranny fluid when they drain theirs. If yes, where do you guys buy one? What is the thread size and pitch it is? I have done searches on it and cannot find one for transmission, all I see is for engine oil. Thanks.

The OEM plug should have a magnet.

the one I just got from Ray Crowe didn't... and neither did the OEM one I took off it.

^The trans plug should have a magnet in it. It did on the 3 trannies that I've had. Diff too.

The engine oil drain plug does not OEM.

The oil is here. Will be changing it this weekend.

ah, I thought he was talking about the oil pan plug. re reading I see that he was talking about the trans plug.

I still haven't installed this thing yet but I did find another source:

http://www.drainplugmagnets.com/home.html

^This company is owned by a former military dude and he makes the parts here in the USA. Its more expensive ($25) than the ebay part ($12) but it is made here in the USA vs Japan.

I will order one for my wife's Mini (same size as the RX7) and compare both.

I used mine 2 weekends ago. The difference is that the head is a lot smaller than the OEM one. It looks nice and pretty when it's new, but after a few changes it'll blend right in with the dirt and grime :)

The magnet is stronger than I thought it would be.

Finally got around to test fitting the different oil drain plugs. The one from HyperGarage fit perfectly. The threaded portion was the same size as stock.

The Dimple one I got from DrainPlugMagnets.com did not. Its too long and interfered with something when I tried to thread it into the pan. It got aobut 3/4 of the way in. Check the pic to see the difference in lenths.

The magnet on the Dimple one is ridiculously strong! Much stronger than the HyperGarage one. I asked the Dimple guy if he is interested in making one that fits the RX7.

Thanks for the info. A plug from Dimple that fit our FD's would be nice.

I just searched ebay for the hyper garage plug but could not find it. What was the name of the seller?

i got mine from their ebay store. the packaging says they have a website.

http://www.hypergarage.com

I've been working with Richard, the owner of Drainplugmagnets.com to make a drain plug for the FD (and other RX7s and Mazdas that use a similar style plug).

Learned some interesting info about the magnetic oil drain plugs in the process. Figured I'd post here as an FYI. I'm feeling less enthusiastic about the Hyper Garage one now that I've learned a bit about oil drain plugs. The heat ratings in particular concern me since we all know how hot turbo rotaries run. Especially when you track your car like I do.



The fancy looking products you are looking at are aluminum plugs with the magnets pressed in them. Aluminum expands faster when heated than the magnets do......Magnets have been known to come out of aluminum plugs under certain conditions, not good.

All my drain plugs are steel only. My magnets are extremely strong but like most magnets brittle. The further in they are the more protected they are from dropping, etc. My magnets are not pressed in, that could cause internal fracturing. They are epoxied in with an epoxy good for 500 degrees. Bulletproof. If you have a steel pan, it is easier to put in and take out without the magnet trying to stick to the pan.

Trust me, the low profile I will be sending you is great. No clearance problems and easier on you trying to put it in and out. There was a lot of thought put into a Dimple® for the customers sake. Oh, my magnets are super high temperature rated, they do not loose their magnetism at 175 degrees F, A Dimple is good for over 300deg. F . They cost more, if somebody does not mention high temperature.....they're not.

Sincerely,

Richard Jodoin


I am sending one of the plugs that I received over to IRP so they can take a look at the product and critique. Ihor and Rich have seen many more oil drain plugs than I have so it will be good to get a professional's opinion.

what was the price on this Dimple plug? while we wait for their critique.

thanks, gracer!

all of the Dimple oil drain plugs retail for $24.95

Well if they decide to mass produce that dimple magnetic drain plug gracer7-rx7 tell them you can count me in.

I had one of those Autozone magnetic drain plugs put in and I didn't think about it at the time, but I couldn't hand tighten it all the way in and then just used a ratchet and socket to get it in the last bit that didn't get through...wonder if I might've damaged the baffle in some way now....:icon_no2:

Hm, I wonder what FD this plug could get tested in..... I just changed my damn oil too :lol:

Keep me updated...I've been looking for one for my FC.

Post up a pic of the FC plug alongside a ruler so I can compare to what I have here.

Me too. Idemetsu.

Hopefully you guys have a spare pan sitting around.

Pic of the Dimple drain plug w/ stock drain plug. I tried to do a side by side pic but the magnet on the Dimple drain plug would just pull the stock plug whenever it got within 2" of it. Definitely a strong magnet!

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3518/...7d7bcd344d.jpg

I just changed my oil 2 weekends ago for the first time since I threw on the new magnetic drain plug. Even though the car was hardly driven (~1000 miles), but it was coming up on 3 months so I thought I'd change the oil anyways.

When I pulled the plug out the magnet tip had a few black marks on it, no actual pieces of metal or chunky debris, whatever it was it came right off.

Any update???
 

Alberto,

Any word on whether or not dimple will be producing these for the RX-7? I am definitely interested in acquiring one...

I missed you at Sevenstock this year!

He definitely will be. These will probably fit the FC, RX8 and Miata as well. I have been slow to test this since I recently did an oil change using some nice $ Idemetsu and am reluctant to dump it any sooner than I need to. Especially since I don't get paid to do this.

I sent a second plug to Rich/Goodfella for his testing but I don't think he's done it yet on his car (for the same reasons as me). Not sure if he did a test fit on other cars at the shop...

Anyway, I will probably wind up installing after the holidays in January. I'm 99.9% certain it will fit. It was the same dimensions as the stock drain plug.

Stay tuned boys and girls.



I was bummed I couldn't make Sevenstock this year also but life was 'interesting' in 2009 and a trip at that time was not in the cards.

Any update on the plug?

Also have you guys thought of trying the filtermag?

Here is a video for those that like to watch instead of reading

http://www.shopfiltermag.com/filtermagcommercial.php

They are available at many locations and are around $39

tranny doesnt need it, there is a pretty big magnet on the inside of the bottom cover, only problem is that you have to remove the whole bottom plate to get to it. but its there!

Edit: somehow i missed the fact that there was a second page to this. but anyways, to confirm, i pulled the bottom plate off of my tranny when it was off and there is indeed a rectangular magnet in there.

Are you actually expecting this to make any measurable difference to engine longevity? I have never witnessed any form of accelarated wear on a rotary from metal particles being in the oil system that couln't be attributed to lack of proper oil changes or improper bearing installation.
If it did make a discernable difference, wouldn't mazda have put them in from the factory? They installed them on the transmissions...

Measurable difference in accelerated wear? I don't know. Who's got a 3 or 4 identically new engines around to make a contolled study of an $8 dollar item anyway. Prove it won't help.
I agree that oil related failures are rare, especially in a streeted car. But it can't hurt either. While I tend to respect MAZDA's engineering, I don't worship it like a religion either. They told us to change the plugs from above, and installed a worse than worthless temp gauge too.