Magnet placement to trap needle bearings?
06-16-2012, 04:19 AM
#1
On The Tree
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 159
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Magnet placement to trap needle bearings? I am installing a Comp Cams trunion bearing upgrade kit on my LS1 98 WS6 this Monday. I was lucky enough to have my friend let me use his shop facilities to do this but I will only have enough time to do the bearings and not drop the pan too. I am going to install a couple of these very strong magnets to the bottom of the pan near the drain plug to try to capture any loose bearings in there and fish them out through the oil pan drain plug hole with a pen magnet extension when I have the car in the air on a lift.
If I can't account for all the missing bearings I plan to put these magnets along the bottom of the pan in the meantime to at least trap any loose remaining bearings as they pass nearby. I was wondering if there was any place that was particularly good or to avoid placing a magnet or just line the entire bottom?
These are some 2 inch X 1 inch X 1/4 inch Neodymium (N52) magnets which each have a pull strength of 56lbs. They are so strong that far heavier metal objects will jump off a table several inches to attach themselves to them so even being on the outside of the pan I expect the pull to be more than enough to cause the tiny needle bearing to firmly attach.
I think this is cheap insurance until I can either account for all of the bearings or remove the pan to look for them but want to make sure I don't cause any issues that don't come to mind regarding placement.
Thanks for any advice.
If I can't account for all the missing bearings I plan to put these magnets along the bottom of the pan in the meantime to at least trap any loose remaining bearings as they pass nearby. I was wondering if there was any place that was particularly good or to avoid placing a magnet or just line the entire bottom?
These are some 2 inch X 1 inch X 1/4 inch Neodymium (N52) magnets which each have a pull strength of 56lbs. They are so strong that far heavier metal objects will jump off a table several inches to attach themselves to them so even being on the outside of the pan I expect the pull to be more than enough to cause the tiny needle bearing to firmly attach.
I think this is cheap insurance until I can either account for all of the bearings or remove the pan to look for them but want to make sure I don't cause any issues that don't come to mind regarding placement.
Thanks for any advice.
06-26-2012, 05:35 PM
#2
On The Tree
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 159
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
UPDATE: Turns out that my car at 16K miles had the rocker trunion bearings go. GM replaced the rocker arms and did a motor flush but obviously did not get all the bearings out. So when I went to do the trunion bearing upgrade from Comp Cams I was confused why there were none missing from the rockers. Now I am having most anyplace there could still be more bearings taken apart and upgrading parts as it goes back together. So there were at least 5 (that I found so far) that have not shown up until now just at 40K miles. Been hiding for a long time. So I will see if any damage happened as well as installing new parts. There could be a tiny chance there is a gallery or two they could hide in that I won't see but I will be 95% sure there are no more loose bearings.
