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Magnetic fill plugs for axles available from McMaster

m-4x4-chevy

m-4x4-chevy

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McMaster-Carr has magnetic fill plugs for my axles. That's the plug you take out to check or add gear oil to your axle housing. My 1982 Dana 60 uses a 3/4 NPT (National Pipe Thread) with a 5/8 square head. The McMaster part no. is 1072A14. Price is only $2.50.

My 1981 FF 14 bolt uses a 1/2 NPT with a 3/8 square drive socket (hole). McMaster has a magnetic plug, 1/2 NPT, with a 3/8 hex drive socket. The 3/8 hex is the same size as is in the Caddy caliper bolts (or on the front caliper of the 1986 10 bolt that I need to sell). I carry that little 3/8 hex bit anyway, so I ordered this plug also. The McMaster part no. is 1072A23. Price is only $2.27.

McMaster is great for all kinds of hardware. Check em out at www.mcmaster.com The phone no. for the LA warehouse is (562) 692-5911. And no, I don't work there. But I've been buying stuff from them for 20 years.
 
Good find! Although, new ppl to teh site, be forewarned. Most stuff is $$$$
 
Why would you want a magnetic fill plug. If anything you'd want a magnetic drain plug. Most of the time your fill plug will not even be submerged in the oil. any metal particles will sink to the bottom when the truck is not moving. If you don't have a drain plug get a good, strong, small magnet and stick it at the bottom of the diff near the cover or at the base of the cover on the inside. The rotation of the ring gear should move the metal particles to the bottom rear of the diff housing thus being caught by the magnet.
 
Mag at the fill plug is probably better than non at all.

But yah, agreed. Wrong location.

If you diff cover doesn't see much abuse, a magnet epoxied to the bottom/outside would probably work pretty good too.
 
What GM axle has a drain plug?

Dana 60's and FF 14 bolts don't have drain plugs so you can't put one there. Any steel particles in the axle housing are going to be quite small. The ring gear and dif move the gear oil around. Many of these tiny particles will be in suspension in the thick fluid as you drive down the hiway at 75 mph. If your worried about chunks of steel in there - you're going to need more than a magnet to help you out. It's also an easy way to remove some of the tiny particles when you are breaking in a new ring and pinion set. It's also a way to monitor what is going on inside every time you pull the plug to check the gear oil level and condition. Eventually many of them will attach to the magnet. I'm not going to put a magnet inside the housing without it being attached with a screw to the housing or cover. A very strong magnet epoxied to the outside of the cover down low seems like a good idea. But you can't monitor what is going on inside every time you pull the plug out.

You take the time to share some information that some others might be interested in and some one starts with the negativity.
 
m-4x4-chevy said:
Dana 60's and FF 14 bolts don't have drain plugs so you can't put one there. Any steel particles in the axle housing are going to be quite small. The ring gear and dif move the gear oil around. Many of these tiny particles will be in suspension in the thick fluid as you drive down the hiway at 75 mph. If your worried about chunks of steel in there - you're going to need more than a magnet to help you out. It's also an easy way to remove some of the tiny particles when you are breaking in a new ring and pinion set. It's also a way to monitor what is going on inside every time you pull the plug to check the gear oil level and condition. Eventually many of them will attach to the magnet. I'm not going to put a magnet inside the housing without it being attached with a screw to the housing or cover. A very strong magnet epoxied to the outside of the cover down low seems like a good idea. But you can't monitor what is going on inside every time you pull the plug out.

You take the time to share some information that some others might be interested in and some one starts with the negativity.
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I actually have one, and yes it works quite well. I have to clean it off every time I check my oil
 
Excellent find and thanks for sharing. :waytogo:


Can anyone list the plug size of a NP205? I would like to order magnet plugs for that at the same time. :dunno:
 
m-4x4-chevy said:
Dana 60's and FF 14 bolts don't have drain plugs so you can't put one there. Any steel particles in the axle housing are going to be quite small. The ring gear and dif move the gear oil around. Many of these tiny particles will be in suspension in the thick fluid as you drive down the hiway at 75 mph. If your worried about chunks of steel in there - you're going to need more than a magnet to help you out. It's also an easy way to remove some of the tiny particles when you are breaking in a new ring and pinion set. It's also a way to monitor what is going on inside every time you pull the plug to check the gear oil level and condition. Eventually many of them will attach to the magnet. I'm not going to put a magnet inside the housing without it being attached with a screw to the housing or cover. A very strong magnet epoxied to the outside of the cover down low seems like a good idea. But you can't monitor what is going on inside every time you pull the plug out.

You take the time to share some information that some others might be interested in and some one starts with the negativity.
Click to expand...

Has nothing to do with negativity. Mag at the fill plug is fine. It's just my opinion that a magnet in the bottom of the diff is a better place to put one. If my first response got you a little but-hurt, sorry. Man-up a bit.

chevysmithz71 said:
That's what makes this site so great. People can express their OWN opinion.
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This site is all about giving ideas and recommendation as well as alternative opinions; some better and some not so good. Take my opinion and the OP's and see what works best for your needs.
 
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