I was reading an oil link provided by KavexTrax The Engine Oil Bible on another thread and it linked me to something called The Bear Trap. This is a magnetic sleeve that goes around the oil filter and thereby helps preciptate ferrous (magnetic) particles within the filter.

I did an internet search and found a couple of these devices out there:
www.klearforce.com
www.magnaforce.com
www.oilfiltermagnet.com

They run $20 - $30. It doesn't seem like too much money for something that would be long lasting (magnets take a long time to loose activity).

I'm guessing the actual cleaning activity is probably pretty limited as I've never heard of this before, and if is was worthwhile I'm sure that the oil filters themselves would be magnetic.

Any idea what percentage of metallic debris in the engine is acually ferromagnetic? The aluminum block wouldn't be.

I know there are also magnetic oil pan drain plugs out there like http://www.superplug.com/.

Thoughts on this?

 

dude you wanna know the cheaper form of this is?
drive or let your car run for 15 or 30 mins. go do a few errand or whatever. when I worked for my grandpa (he farmed before he retired) we'd go out plow all day (so the oil was hot) come in that night after we were done for the day plowing pull the drain plug and let it drain. now 3 things are important when you drain your oil #1 It's good and warm like i said(it might take longer if you live where it gets cold cause cold oil is almost like honey if it's REAL cold)#2 if you can afford to leave the car or truck or whatever over night to drain that's the best because I admit I use jiffy lubes now (mostly cause my life so busy) but those jiffy lubes don't let all the oil drain so therefore your mixing old oil with new oil if you want the purest new oil let it drain overnight. #3 take a little bit oil and run around that seal on oil filter when you put it on(dad used to think I was nuts when I did this until he blew a seal putting one on ever since he's started doing that his seals are fine )

 

(At least in theory) the magnet thing would help to preciptate ferromagnetic metallic fragments for those 3 - 7K miles between oil changes.

I understand that you should drain your oil warm so that all particulates are better suspended in the oil solution.

 

I think it's a rip off cause Hondas will run forever without this oil filter magnet cause my sister's old car ( 86 Accord Lxi)had 210 grand on it(now it has 230 grand on it)
I got 200 grand on my Accord and it's not phased(knock on wood)
my dad's friend had a car like my sister(about 86 or 87 Accord LX) it had close to 300 thousand on it before he totalled it and he got one like what i got now.so why change a good thing

 

I fully agree that this is an unnecessary gadget. If it was really a good thing I'd expect it to have flooded the market a long time ago.

I was just wondering if anyone has any real experience with this or engineering based commentary.

 

Let's see; aluminum block, aluminum heads and non-ferrous bearing material? Unless you plan on catching pieces of valves or connecting rods I think you can skip the magnet.

 

It would work (the rings and cylinder bore is still steel, same with the valve train). Do you need it? Nah, save your money.

I used to have a magnetic drain plug on my car, and every oil change there would be some metalic sludge on it. I do believe my 2000 Chevy Truck has a magnetic plug in it from the factory. It wasn't a lot of sludge.

Here's my $0.02 with the filter magnet:
1) If you have that much metal flying around the crankcase, then you got bigger problems!
2) All oil get's pumped through the filter (except when it's really cold, or plugged, then it bypasses the element). So, any damaging metallic particles are going to get trapped anyway.

So, buying it is just :pee: $30 down the drain!

 

I don't think its a total waste of money. The concept is well proven... After all our transmission drain plug is magnetic, did any of you realize that??? Last time I changed my tranny fluid there was a bunch of ity bitty metal flakes stuck to it and I used a rag to wipe them all off. I looked at the rag and I could see thousands of metal peices glittering in the sun.
I don't think it would be as effective on our cars as they would be on something like a 350 block chevy, ect.

Be a guinnea pig for us and buy it and report back on your next oil change. I bet there will be at least a few metal shavings stuck to it... imho

 

Is our oil drain plug magnetic too? If the tranny is, I'm guessing the engine is too.