I doubt you could find a single auto manufacturer who was installing magnetic drain plugs back in 93-95. Most still don't have them from the factory. That certainly does not mean they don't work. It makes sense to spend $8 on a part that can only help keep the oil cleaner. My 05 chevy truck came with a magnetic pulg. It always has a little metal on it. I added one on my Volvo S60R and it had all sorts of metal on it. I certainly can't prove they would last longer with a mag. drain plug but there is probably not a soul out there who would say it won't help.

Nobody is going to make you buy one though.

 

Hey Alberto,

Let me know when it's available also. I'll pick one up too.

Jeff

 

These engines wear out the rotor housings and apex seals first and foremost, which should be lubricated only by premixed oil, therefore never seeing metal-particle-contaminated oil. The side housings, side seals, and corner seals are also lubricated primarily by the fuel-premix charge, and total plate and seal wear is provided almost entirely based upon the seal spring pressure.

That leaves the bearings, eccentric shaft, thrust bearings, oil pump, and oil control rings that are susceptible to damage by contaminated engine oil.
The wear to the bearings is off of the babbit material, which is para magnetic and would not be picked up by any magnet. The thrust bearings, oil control rings, and eccentric shaft are so rarely worn in a well maintained engine that they almost always spec perfect during a rebuild.

The only real engine component I could see benefitting from this would be the oil pump, which sees unfiltered oil. But then again, they are frequently still within spec on a well maintained engine.

This isn't a piston engine. We don't have high-wear valve trains and piston bores being bathed by oil. There's a reason why our engines don't have the grey metal particles lining our oil pan during rebuilds that piston engines do.


So what benefit do you think this will actually provide? It won't prevent wear to the combustion chamber seals, so there's no longevity or performance benefit there. You could argue that it prevents wear to the other engine components that typically don't wear, I suppose, but it seems silly to me, or you could argue that you don't premix and really on the MOP... in which case a magnetic drain plug is the least of your worries on oil-contamination issues. Moreover, this just seems like the typical, "If there's a product available to stop a problem, existing or imaginary, I MUST have it, because I truly care about my car" when really its just wasted money.

It'd make about as much sense to put those magnets into the intake manifold to catch the metal particles from turbo wear.

 

I think of it as an extra measure of protection. Call it insurance. It certainly can't hurt to trap some extra metal particles. I know the magnetic tranny and diff lugs are always full of metal shavings whenever I change that oil. Granted there isn't any kind of filtering system.

I'll probably try it out in the next 2 weeks. I've been working 7 days a week 12 hours a day for the last few weeks. Haven't had time for anything else.

 

Hey guys Richard wanted me to let you guys all know that he has the FD magnetic oil drain plugs in stock! I just ordered from him not too long ago and that guy gave great service! I highly recommend calling him as he is a great guy to talk to and gave very interesting knowledge into his products. He really is passionate about his products. Here is a link for the plug that he said should work for the FD.


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

I will probably install it this weekend as I change the oil for my car. Let him know that you heard it from this site as it seemed to make him pretty happy to know his product is being recommended.

 

I finally got around to changing my oil and checking out the results of what the oil drain plug magnet was able to pick up.

Here are a couple of crappy Iphone pics. On the second pic, I wiped off part of the crap that was attached to the magnet.

Overall, I was surprised by the amount of crap on the magnet. I sent a sample of the oil to Blackstone Labs for analysis so lets see what they have to say when I get it back.

 

That is more ferrous metal than I would have expected. How long was your oil change interval?

 

i just got one off ebay for around $13 shipped.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...m=180546829357

haven't installed it yet, but the magnet is very strong.

 

I thought so too. The oil change interval was somewhere around 3-4k miles. Motor was recently built also. I think only 5-6k on the motor.

 

So which one is for the Fd out of the two in his web page in the Mazda section http://www.drainplugmagnets.com/mazda.php Is it the normal one or the low profile one?

 

Look forward to seeing your results. The pics you posted are pretty typical for what I've seen from my magnetic drain plug.

 

Just ordered one from Hypergarage. This 12 bucks shipped.

 

I'm seeing the same thing you're seeing on my magnetic drain plug. Interval of 2.5K with pre-mix and OMP adapter so no engine oil being injected into the combustion chamber.

 

Glad to hear it poman and rice. I've never used one of these till now.

 

I think the 2nd one would work better. Email Richard and confirm. He is usually very responsive.

 

I only changed the oil once and that is how my plug looked too. I had also done a steam clean prior to the oil change so I had thought some of the crap might have been from that, apparently not. lol

 

a good thread... i will be switching my drainplug.

supportive for 4 ounces of ZDDP+ at oil change time.

see threads in 3rd gen section "you need to know about reformulated oil"

howard

 

Also going to get one of these plugs... great idea

 

Why not just run the oil filter magnet?

 

they actually sell magnets to stick on your filter now...

http://www.drainplugmagnets.com/oilfiltermagnets.php

 

rx7.com has one too

http://rx7.com/store/rx7/fdengine_maintenance.html

 

Question is what works better?

 

I'll install it on my next oil change.

as far as the oil filter magnet, it just sticks to the side of the filter? I'd rather have something like the drain plug which isn't really visible. Just my opinion. Seems a little easier though since all the particles will being the filter already and you won't have anything to wipe off

 

Why don't we all just stick a couple highly magnetic rare earth magnets on the bottom of our oilpans and magnetize the whole thing? I would rather get the ferrous particles out but whether they're out or stuck to the oil pan is really the same thing.

 

couldnt you just stick a strong magnet on the stock plug? I mean, the plug is magnetic as well... I dont think it should fall off LOL