After seeing pictures like these:







I bought a FilterMag magnet to put on my oil filter:



The idea is to trap ferrous particles that are so small that they would otherwise pass through the filter.

Anyone else use FilterMag or some other magnet product on their filter?

 

Heh, with that headline I was waiting for a bomb to drop at the end of the thread. I've heard of using magnets for the oil drain plug. I guess the debate would mostly be about whether particles that small would otherwise harm the engine. And if so, why not magnetize the filters in the first place?

What am I looking at in the pics?

 

The first 4 pics are pictures of the inside an oil filter that had the FilterMag on it.

 

You are looking at the inside of oil filters showing particles attracted to the magnets placed on the outside of the filter.

 

that looks pretty awesome...but is it a gimmick or legit?

i found these places that have the ones we need:

FilterMAG SS250 - FilterMAG SS Autos and Light Truck Series Magnets - Overview - SummitRacing.com

FilterMAG RA250 - FilterMAG RA Series Magnets - Overview - SummitRacing.com

Amazon.com: RA250 FilterMag: Automotive

FilterMAG SS Autos and Light Truck Series Magnets SS250 - AutoPartsDealer.com

 

That's my question too. But I figure if the magnet traps anything that the filter would pass through, what harm can it do?

 

See: How Oil Filters Work. Gimmick.

 

man, it sure does pay to do about 5 minutes of research on the interwebz

 

Perhaps it is. It's surely not "necessary" in that our engines will run forever without them. Still, I'm thinking that it can't hurt, especially during the break-in period of the G37 when it's shearing wear metals like crazy.

I would note that one of our members reported an 8% increase in MPG after installing a FilterMag. Who knows if it was coincidence or cause & effect.

There are discussions pro & con both on BITOG and the370z.com forums about them.

 

Possibly.. interesting to know that it will also attrack particles that were put into the oil to aid combustion... doesn't sound exactly helpful here. Also, if you're one to push for long oil changes and filter media does become loaded to the point to where the bypass value is used one can invision a possibility of where now conglomerated chunks of ferrous metals escape the magnetic field either by shock or flow into your engine. I'm sure that would be rare but none the less possible.

 

Based on that one article that cites no support for its claims, you take that as scientific fact?

If the article is all you are relying on for scare tactics, it even said the particles attracted that might aid in combustion don't "account for much effect in the real world."

I see your undocumented combustible particle internet mention and raise you an UOA that Predictive Maintenance Services performed on oil samples were taken on a 2002 Chevy with a Diesel Engine that has a Harvard Bypass System.

Test # 88532, 88069, 79299 was WITHOUT a FilterMAG™ placed on the filter. Test #95049 was performed WITH the FilterMAG™ in place on the filter.

While the spectro Fe (iron) stayed essentially the same, if you look at the graphic in the center you will see a huge drop in the particle count (350 on test #88532, only 58 on #95049). The symbol >2 and >5 refer to particle sizes, 2 micron and 5 micron respectively.

 

In theory, wouldn't the magnet aid in keeping the filter media from getting loaded in the first place?

 

I beleive I offered that up as a interesting point, although granted they offered no documentation. Perhaps "read" would have been a better word then "know."

The article in question didn't doubt the ability of the Mags to aid in filtering Ferrous material, the assertion is that it would make no real world difference because the far more common contaminents aren't ferrous so your Ferrous test is pointless.

As to Mags extending the filter, I'd rather have contaminates trapped in filter media then by a magnetic field, that's just my preference though.

 

I get the argument that:

1. It's a gimmick
2. It doesn't materially help your engine
3. It's a waste of money

If that's where you are coming from, that's cool. You may well be right.

I do have a problem with an unsubstantiated argument that the FilterMag is harmful to your engine.

If that's what you believe, please cite one anecdotal story from anywhere on the internet where someone had engine trouble and the mechanic blamed the FilterMag. Or one mechanic who has posted "Hey we are seeing Problem X when people use magnets on their filters." Obviously, stories like these would be very important to know about.

I have already posted one anecdotal story of an 8% increase in MPG after FilterMag installation, from a member of these forums. So far, the score is:

Helpful 1
Harmful 0

 

First off, the pictures of the cut open filter have to be taken with a grain of salt. Either that engine was in bad condition or that filter was on there a long time. Second, the filter element would have caught most of those particles. Third, it all depends on the filter too. If you have a great filter, only a small percent of the smallest of particles will make it through. With that being said, if you can find a way to stop even more of the smallest stuff, then go for it.

I can see the agruement of the bypass taking some particles with it and that could be a concern. It would definitely be bad, but I don't know how likely that is. I also see the agruement of stopping everything you can.

Whether you get a filter mag or not, get the best filter you can find.