Magnetic drain plugs???

Rockrz · Post by **Rockrz** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 3:38 pm

Anybody know where a fella can get a magnetic drain plug for the rear axle housing?

Thought it might help catch some very fine shavings.

I've seen magnetic oil drain plugs, and magnetic tranny pan drain plugs...so surely they have these for rear axles.

Post by **HenryJ** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 3:43 pm

What cover do you have that has a drain? What size is the plug?
They do not have a drain plug stock.

Rockrz · Post by **Rockrz** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 3:48 pm

We'll, I'll have to find out what size the plug is on my new cover I got from summit.

And, I'll have to find out what size the stock plug is in the axle housing.

But, good news...I may have found a source for these at
http://estores.wws5.com/cgenterprises.c ... target=160

DLP · Post by **DLP** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 8:29 pm

We use to drill a hole in the cover (diff, tranny, transfer case ect...) and weld a nut over it. Then epoxey a magnet to the end of the drain bolt. Works good. But use a soft magnet and not a steal one. If your epoxey job doesn't hold, you don't want the chunk of steal magnet floating around. If you don't like the thought of glueing, you can buy a magnetic drain bolt and buy a nut to match it before welding it on.

Rockrz · Post by **Rockrz** » Tue Oct 28, 2008 4:47 am

Well, I wouldn't think any of that would be necessary now since they have drain plugs that are magnitized.

Rockrz · Post by **Rockrz** » Wed Nov 05, 2008 5:57 pm

OK, this is kinda related...but this is for my Derale High Performance Transmission Cooling Pan which is pretty deep...
( see this pane at http://www.mys10truck.com/96/tpan.html )

Anybody think it would hurt anything to put this type of magnet inside my tranny pan:

Rockrz · Post by **Rockrz** » Wed Nov 05, 2008 6:05 pm

...of course, I guess I could always stick 'em on the
outside of the pan and they would collect small metals
shaving just the same as if they are on the inside.

roadrunner · Post by **roadrunner** » Wed Nov 05, 2008 6:14 pm

Shouldn't hurt a thing. Many older trannys had magnets in the pans that were not permanently attached. During overhaul or fluid changes you simply took them out and washed and blew them off and put them back in the pan. Away from any linkages or possible moving parts of course. No I wouldn't put them on the outside as they would not be very effective there and would be very likely to fall or get knocked off.

I would NOT put them in a differential or transfer case as there is too much possibility of one dislodging and getting into moving parts causing a lot of damage.

Rockrz · Post by **Rockrz** » Wed Nov 05, 2008 6:29 pm

Well, my only concern is that I don't know if this
magnet is built to handle the amount of heat it
would see inside a tranny pan.

Anybody know about how hot tranny fluid gets?

Rockrz · Post by **Rockrz** » Thu Nov 06, 2008 7:21 am

I just got an email back from the company that makes these and they say these magnets can withstand temps up to 300 degrees.

Considering the new pan has those air tubes running though it to keep the fluid cool...think my tranny fluid would exceed 300 degrees?

I've never really given any thought to how hot a tranny gets, so I wouldn't have any idea.

Post by **HenryJ** » Thu Nov 06, 2008 7:51 am

Not really sure why you need another one in the trans pan, but 300 to 310 is possible in a transmission although not likely in the pan itself.
I have seen 300 in a turbo 400 pulling a boat uphill. It was brief and did make us nervous.

killian96ss · Post by **killian96ss** » Thu Nov 06, 2008 8:15 am

Normal transmision temperatures are 200-220 degrees, but they can go as high as 260 when worked real hard.

Transmisison temps above 260 are very bad because the fluid is breaking down which leads to trans failure in a short amount of time.

I have the Derale transmission cooling pan on my SS and I just used 2 of the flat factory type magnets in the bottom of the pan.

Steve

Rockrz · Post by **Rockrz** » Thu Nov 06, 2008 8:32 am

HenryJ wrote:Not really sure why you need another one in the trans pan

Because more powerful magnets collecting even more of the tiny metal shavings and preventing them from circulating around in the tranny is better than having one small not so powerful magnet.

I know, it may be overkill but it's going in the right direction.

I just got another response from the manufacturer and they say these magnets aren't effected in any way by most chemicals so I guess this won't hurt anything.

I'm still going to have to think about it because this is un-known territory as far as there being the potential of un-compatibility.

I could always go with the big squre magnet I saw on Jegs.com that you simply stick on the outside of the pan on the bottom. At least with that one I know there would never be any potential damage to the tranny.

Plus, they have one you stick on the bottom of your oil filter that stops tiny particles from circulating in your engine oil.

Post by **HenryJ** » Thu Nov 06, 2008 8:53 am

I have attached one over my fuel filter, but really haven't worried about the one on the transmission. IMO is is plenty I have seen them fuzzed up over a half an inch thick. If there is that much metal, you have a problem. The squares in the pan really do a good job.

You are right it will not hurt to add another.

BTW, it seems GM has discontinued the magnetic drain plugs for our engines. The same part number does not have one now. I am not sure what happened there.

Rockrz · Post by **Rockrz** » Thu Nov 06, 2008 12:06 pm

Hopefully the site linked above will have something that will work.

I'm going to try 'em next time I have need to be up under my truck so I can find out exactly what size plug I need.