Handy Tip

[Ken in Australia]

Hey Bimmer nuts, try this little trick that I thought of when having a beer.

Next time you change your engine oil, have a look at the 17 millimetre sump plug and you will notice that it is drilled out in the centre to about 8 millimetres diameter (sorry, all you experts have already noticed this long ago). Go to a hardware shop or medical magnets store (there's one in almost every city it seems - for hypochondriacs and faith healers, I think) and buy a cylindrical magnet about 7 millimetres across and 4 centimetres long.

Get some electrical solder wire and place a length of it in the sump plug hole and place the lot on a hotplate or heat it up with a gas torch until the solder melts. Get the cylindrical magnet and place it in the hole - wipe away any excess solder that may flow out. Wait for it to cool and bingo you have a neat little metal filings trap - use solder and not two part expoxy glue, as this softens with the heat and may loosen the magnet.

You will be surprised with how much metal burr accumulates around the magnet when you next change the oil. I'm a bit of a freak and I even put a large flat magnet on the actual sump exterior right near the drain hole and remove it when I change the engine oil - all the metal wear sediment sits there until you drain out the old oil. Put it back when finished and you have a perfectionist's method of keeping the engine free of metal crud. If you are a perfectionist like me, you might like to do this double whammy bit as well. I figure every little bit helps.

Love that car and it loves you right back - sorry guys, this is my second post and I'm already getting the hang of it. Might bore you all with more useless information soon.

All the best from Australia - especially to all you American Bimmer Nuts - always had a great time in the States - been over many times - love the people and love the country.

[Dan in NZ]

I thought sump plugs were magnetic to begin with...

[Ken in Australia]

I thought sump plugs were magnetic to begin with...

Thanks Dan

love your replies - always read them. Not all plugs are magnetic - mine wasn't - try it and see. Anyway, I like a bit over of overkill on this one.

All the best.

[FWinNH]

Hey Bimmer nuts, try this little trick that I thought of when having a beer.

8<

I'm a bit of a freak and I even put a large flat magnet on the actual sump exterior right near the drain hole and remove it when I change the engine oil - all the metal wear sediment sits there until you drain out the old oil. Put it back when finished and you have a perfectionist's method of keeping the engine free of metal crud.

8<



Ken, How do you fasten the flat magnet to the sump? Are you sticking it to the drain plug (from the outside obviously) too? Just curious...

-Fred W

[zygoteer]

... Not all plugs are magnetic - mine wasn't ...Hmmm ... You sure your magnet hasn't detached itself ?
... mine has a magnet fixed in it.

[632 Regal]

great idea but the magnet should hold into the hole...also...solder wont stick to a magnet, ask Juniors, he knows.

[Dave M]

I'm a bit of a freak and I even put a large flat magnet on the actual sump exterior right near the drain hole and remove it when I change the engine oil - all the metal wear sediment sits there until you drain out the old oil. Put it back when finished and you have a perfectionist's method of keeping the engine free of metal crud. If you are a perfectionist like me, you might like to do this double whammy bit as well. I figure every little bit helps.


Hey ken, looked to seee wheat type of e34 you have, to no avail (wouldn't put it past me to miss it though). Regarding the above, what oil pan are you sticking the magnet to? My M50 is aluminum so no luck with the magnet there. I suppose my question is: Does the M30, M20, M60s have a steel oil pan?

Thanks,

Dave M

[FWinNH]

Hey ken, looked to seee wheat type of e34 you have, to no avail (wouldn't put it past me to miss it though). Regarding the above, what oil pan are you sticking the magnet to? My M50 is aluminum so no luck with the magnet there. I suppose my question is: Does the M30, M20, M60s have a steel oil pan?

Thanks,

Dave M


M60 is alloy, so no go. Unless it is being stuck to the drainplug itself.

-Fred W

[grave77]

well gr8 idea .. I would get a small speaker magnet and place it in the filter and run the engine for few min. then remove it and I think this would filter everything if u have a new filter and new oil to change.

[Bill R.]

lower pan on most of them if i recall correctly. Yours may be different.
Any number of bmw parts houses sells drain plugs with a magnet on them already. But the filter will capture virtually anything that the magnet would, but if it makes you feel better then by all means go ahead.






M60 is alloy, so no go. Unless it is being stuck to the drainplug itself.

-Fred W

[Ken in Australia]

Hmmm ... You sure your magnet hasn't detached itself ?
... mine has a magnet fixed in it.

Thanks Zygoter

I bought a new one (5 bucks) and it had no magnet.

[Ken in Australia]

Ken, How do you fasten the flat magnet to the sump? Are you sticking it to the drain plug (from the outside obviously) too? Just curious...

-Fred W


Thanks Fred

it's not stuck on - it just the magnetism that holds it there - when I drain I just pull it off and the accumulated debris inside comes out with the flow of old oil. When it's done, I put it back, just next to the sump plug.
Works great for me - I was surprised how much crud came out once when drained it through a tea strainer.

[grave77]

by the way .... the magnet will catch the Iron only ... still there is lots of Aluminium particles in the oil ... therefore the oil filter is doing hell of a job.

[Ken in Australia]

Hey ken, looked to seee wheat type of e34 you have, to no avail (wouldn't put it past me to miss it though). Regarding the above, what oil pan are you sticking the magnet to? My M50 is aluminum so no luck with the magnet there. I suppose my question is: Does the M30, M20, M60s have a steel oil pan?

Thanks,

Dave M


Thanks Dave

My M60 engine has a metal pan.

Good luck

[Alexlind123]

Doesnt the oil filter have magnets in it?

[genphreak]

I thought sump plugs were magnetic to begin with...Magnets can damage engines! It's unbelievable, but true.

The magnet can magnetize particles in the oil, or worse create lumps of magnetized particles in the oil, and also somehow magentize the moving components within the engine. This can cause particles to build up on those parts (ie bearings, rods, cams etc) and this can cause damage (somehow). It is an argument many engineers at the factories have regularly, and I think the magnet camp only win in obvious cases, or where they are politically more powerful than the 'leave it alone' it ain't broke cos we have a filter in the thing camp.

Either way, given that there is a filter in the engine already, I'm pretty happy to go with what they decided back in Germany.

Just my 2c worth ;) Nick

[632 Regal]

no.
Doesnt the oil filter have magnets in it?

[Ken in Australia]

Magnets can damage engines! It's unbelievable, but true.

The magnet can magnetize particles in the oil, or worse create lumps of magnetized particles in the oil, and also somehow magentize the moving components within the engine. This can cause particles to build up on those parts (ie bearings, rods, cams etc) and this can cause damage (somehow). It is an argument many engineers at the factories have regularly, and I think the magnet camp only win in obvious cases, or where they are politically more powerful than the 'leave it alone' it ain't broke cos we have a filter in the thing camp.

Either way, given that there is a filter in the engine already, I'm pretty happy to go with what they decided back in Germany.

Just my 2c worth ;) Nick

Thanks Nick
you're scaring me now. If all this is true, what about the 2 large magnets in the tranny pan - wouldn't they do the same thing?

[ericcamaro]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/BMW-Magnetic-Drain-Plug-E36-M3-318ti-328-325-323-318i_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33660QQitemZ801774 4464QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

[Jay 535i]

Thanks Nick
you're scaring me now. If all this is true, what about the 2 large magnets in the tranny pan - wouldn't they do the same thing?

Transmission fluid isn't filtered and changed every 3000mi.

[genphreak]

Thanks Nick
you're scaring me now. If all this is true, what about the 2 large magnets in the tranny pan - wouldn't they do the same thing?Hey Ken, I know its weird- I thought so too.

Like I said its a debate. My guess there is that trannys are a simpler issue than engines (maybe the hydraulic heats and pressures are more predictable). There are some engines (not the majority) that have rare-earth magnets in the sump plugs, but they aren't the better ones, or even the more expensive ones... I found one in a Land Rover once (an old Chev engine).

If any of you still don't believe me, just think, a lump of hardened metal shavings is stuck neatly on your sump magnet. It gets bigger and bigger, and every now and then some comes off and goes round the engine. If it avoids the filter (or on the way to it) and ends up somewhere that it can slow down, it will (since it is now magnetised) stick on the part it is nearest to.

I think the reason is that sometimes engineers have found pistons with furry filings on them and noticed wear problems.

I'm no expert on this, its just what I've heard... :) Nick

[genphreak]

Doesnt the oil filter have magnets in it?I believe the point with the magent is- put it down the bottom where the heavy bits go and keep it away from the turbulent areas. See my other post, they are NOT necessarily a good idea at all! Perhaps Grave77's idea is a good one, but I don't think any of this is really that important when these engines are soooo well filtered already. :) Nick

[Blitzkrieg Bob]

I got one it didn't fit my M20, so I just transferred the magnet to the old one.