Thought those magnetic oil drain plugs were a total gimmick until last week

Honestly, I was working on a 2018 Duramax in the shop and the owner had one installed. I pulled it and the magnet was covered in fine metal fuzz, way more than the usual few specks on the factory plug. It was a $40 part from a brand I'd never heard of. Ngl, it actually caught some stuff I wouldn't have seen otherwise. Has anyone else run these long-term and seen a real difference in engine wear?

3 comments

3 Comments

paul_taylor211mo ago

Actually, factory drain plugs often have a small magnet already.

wendy1311mo ago

How often do you check the factory plug on that engine? My neighbor has an older diesel he uses for plowing, and he swears by those magnetic plugs. He showed me his once after a hard winter, and the buildup was shocking. Makes you wonder what's floating around in there during normal driving.

west.richard1mo ago

Wow, that magnetic plug trick is smart. It's basically a free early warning system for internal wear. More people should know about that.