Is it worth installing a magnet on the oil filter?
I decided to check the need to install a magnet on the oil filter. For this I chose neodymium, from a hard drive - it is quite powerful and if something metal in the lubrication system gets into a magnetic field, it will be securely held in it all the time. During the next replacement, I attached it to the end of the filter element. Having driven 5 thousand km, I changed the oil again, and now I will open the used filter to see everything with my own eyes.
What should be on hand
- Bulgarian;
- A container for draining the oil (an old plastic canister cut lengthwise will do);
- A rag to dry your hands.
I did not fulfill the penultimate condition, and I had to spill oil on the wooden floor covering the garage pit, which I do not recommend to anyone to repeat.
Opening the filter
For convenience, I plugged the central channel of the filter element with a paper plug to prevent the remaining oil from spilling. I cut the filter with a grinder, retreating 2-2.5 cm from the inside. To do this, I turn the body by hand as needed. You don’t need to be too zealous to prevent the hot metal from igniting the engine oil.
After the cut is made across the entire diameter, you should separate the halves of the housing and remove the filter element. It fits quite tightly, so you have to try. By the way, for the same reason, the shavings from the cut could not get to the bottom of the filter, which preserves the purity of the experiment.
Content Analysis
For research, we still have the cup-shaped rear part of the filter (we do not remove the neodymium strip!). After draining the remaining oil, I begin to manipulate the magnet, moving it around the body in different directions. An emulsion of motor oil residues and metal dust follows the movements of the field. In my case, there were even very large particles.
The filter capacity is 15 microns, so it does not interfere with the circulation of this abrasive through the oil system.
Summing up
I can say with confidence - bet magnet The oil filter is definitely worth it, because what it catches is always suspended during engine operation (the chips are too light to precipitate), accelerating the wear of friction pairs. This method is the simplest and most reliable for removing metal impurities from the engine lubrication system, which, in fact, I was convinced of with you.
