Oil Filter Magnets
Discussion
as far as i have been told, the genuine lotus filter is the only one with a magnet already inside it. fra m ones are aparantely good quality (probably from the same factory), but without the magnet. but lotus ones are about double the price. anything like the magnet has got to be a good idea.
Hi,
Where do these Urban Myths come from..??
Unless it came in contact with a very strong magnetic field during transport, the Lotus oil filters are no more magnetic than a twig. I know... I've had one apart.
That having been said, it isn't an altogether bad idea to have a magnet to catch the ferrous bits circling through the oil. Despite the block being aluminum, most of the internals are either steel or cast iron. They do wear, and little bits do circulate through the system.
The filter media will catch most of them, assuming they make it to the filter. There are reusable wrap-around magnets which envelope the filter, and these are pretty good, such as the beartrap - www.thebeartrap.com/
Another way, which is what I use, is to put a strong magnet in the recess of the oil drain plug in the crankcase. I got a barium magnet (I think that's what it is called) and using an oilproof/high heat tolerance epoxy, epoxied it into the recess. To be safe, I also fitted a split washer into the recess and epoxied this too - couldn't pull it apart once the epoxy cured. Now when I change the oil, I also clean the metal bits from the plug. More than finding any actual bits, it usually has a thin layer of ferrous 'sludge' stuck to it. Not granular, but almost like 'iron dust', so there are some things moving in there, it's the metal that come from the internals as they wear. And this 'sludge' is the stuff the filter isn't catching.
Happy Motoring! ...Jim'85TE
Where do these Urban Myths come from..??
Unless it came in contact with a very strong magnetic field during transport, the Lotus oil filters are no more magnetic than a twig. I know... I've had one apart.
That having been said, it isn't an altogether bad idea to have a magnet to catch the ferrous bits circling through the oil. Despite the block being aluminum, most of the internals are either steel or cast iron. They do wear, and little bits do circulate through the system.
The filter media will catch most of them, assuming they make it to the filter. There are reusable wrap-around magnets which envelope the filter, and these are pretty good, such as the beartrap - www.thebeartrap.com/
Another way, which is what I use, is to put a strong magnet in the recess of the oil drain plug in the crankcase. I got a barium magnet (I think that's what it is called) and using an oilproof/high heat tolerance epoxy, epoxied it into the recess. To be safe, I also fitted a split washer into the recess and epoxied this too - couldn't pull it apart once the epoxy cured. Now when I change the oil, I also clean the metal bits from the plug. More than finding any actual bits, it usually has a thin layer of ferrous 'sludge' stuck to it. Not granular, but almost like 'iron dust', so there are some things moving in there, it's the metal that come from the internals as they wear. And this 'sludge' is the stuff the filter isn't catching.
Happy Motoring! ...Jim'85TE
Gassing Station | Esprit | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff