What kind of magnetic drain plug do I buy?
 

changing oil soon, which one?

I like Dimple, well engineered and extremely strong magnet.

I use Black Holes on my filters as well. I'm blown away by how much particulate that they hold in the filter.

I have a Dimple plug for the first change on my ZLE. Black Holes for the filter as soon as it gets home. Some extra insurance for break in.

I have dimple as well on my Z06, and will do the same for the ZL1 1LE. My Z06 has 2 oil drain plugs that are dimple, the black holes on the filter and a drain and fill plug from dimple on the trans and the rear.

I haven't changed the oil yet on the ZL1, does it not come from the factory with a magnetic plug, or is the Dimple just a stronger magnet?

Anyone know the size of the plug?
M12x1.75x21 or 1/2"x20x1/2"?

Thanks K20, will order a dimple tonight.

Just ordered mine too after seeing this post haha!

Don't bother ordering the one for the rear end. My car came with magnetic fill and drain plugs on the rear diff.

Thanks for this suggestion. It prompted me to do some digging. During my first oil change in early 2017 I discovered that my LT4 motor didn't come with a magnetic drain plug so I bought this one from Amazon: [LT1 LT4 Magnetic Oil Drain Plug NEO Magnet $12.99]

When I had a tough time pulling my drain plug off the work bench I was happy with my choice but now I'm wondering if the Dimple is better. Both are made with neodymium, a "rare-earth" element. However, there are various grades and temperature ratings of magnets made with this material - some stronger than others.

Neither the one I bought from Amazon nor the Dimple give the exact grade or temperature rating of the magnets in their plugs. The Amazon plug implies in the description that it will pick up a 2 lb wrench and says it's "5X more powerful than GM" drain plugs. Dimple says theirs are "the strongest high temperature grade neodymium magnets in the world". They also say "Dimple's® Black Hole High Temperature Magnets are rated at over 300 degrees." That would be EH grade or better but what about their drain plug magnets?

According to my references, the strongest grade is N52 and the highest temperature rating is EH. However, you can't get a N52EH magnet because the properties are derived from the proportion of materials and methods of production. The highest grade you can get for the highest temperature rating of EH, for example, is N38EH.

Temperature ratings range from standard (no rating)=175°F to EH=392°F. LT4 engine oil temps are normally 195-200°F but Corvette (dry sump) LT4s have seen 230-240°F in stop-and-go traffic. On a road course I'm guessing sustained loads could bring it much higher. I'm thinking we'd need either H=248°F or SH=302°F to be safe. So, the strongest "Neo" magnets for these ratings would be N48H or N45SH, respectively.

I've left questions about grade and temp ratings for Midwest Corvette who sells their plugs on Amazon and for Dimple on their web site.

[Update] Dimple responded right away. Their plugs are all N48SH. That's very strong and capable of maintaining strength up to 302°F.

From what I've read and the commercial and independent videos I've seen, I'm inclined to believe that Dimple does make the strongest, most temperature tolerant magnetic drain plugs. I've always believed that a good magnetic drain plug will keep oil clean longer and extend the life of the components in which they're installed. I'll be ordering replacements for mine for the next oil change.

Looks like this one is for all LT1 and LT4 motors. Probably fits the V6 too.

$34.95 M12x1.75x21 Magnetic Drain Plug for GM
Attachment 927882

I'll definitely be getting these too:

$34.95 4-Pack of Super Black Hole Engine Oil Magnets
Attachment 927865


Can you give me a link for the ones you used on your transmission and rear differential? I'm wondering if they'll fit the TR6060 M6 and diff sump on the ZL1s. I didn't see anything other than engine oil plugs on the Dimple site for GM/Chevy/Buick.

Mine was built during production week 12/5/2016 and DID NOT come with a magnetic drain plug in the engine. However, both drain and fill plugs for the TR6060 M6 and the rear differential did come with them.


--Cal

References:

Dimple Motor Oil Magnets

Neodymium Magnet Information

Neodymium Wikipedia Article

Scale of 1 to 10 how much is something like a magnetic oil plug really going to do for your engine? If it's big enough to do damage, the chances of a small magnet holding it are probably not good.

I'd have nothing to compare with in a 1 to 10 scale. I guess I'm looking at it from a different perspective. I'm not trying to protect against chunks. That would signal some kind of severe or catastrophic damage. Still, it would be nice to detect larger particles before a catastrophic failure occurs.

Removing the fine metal particles before they circulate through the engine seems to me like just good preventive maintenance - less to clog the filter and less wear and tear on moving parts. $35 doesn't seem like a big expense to me to keep this "normal" debris out of the oil.

--Cal

I have always run them on my vehicles. It catches some good stuff on my truck. I wil have to find a photo of my last oil change and post.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...5ef9f7d86b.jpg


Ryan B.