Authentic Spoon Sports Magnetic Drain Plugs

[99 rs]

I suppose this is more of a public service announcement regarding Spoon Sports Magnetic Drain plugs with part number ALL-90009-000.

I installed these in Summer of 2011 when I switched to Amsoil Synchromesh. Admittedly (and shamefully) that's the last time I did a transmission fluid change which was 14k miles ago :frown: . Recently I've been getting a massive howling from the transmission area way worse than usual. Previously it was only humming to the point that I changed both rear wheel bearings but that didn't solve the problem. Life got involved, yada yada yada, and I finally got to the transmission fluid change today September 14, 2020.

The authentic Spoon magnetic transmission drain plug magnet broke off.....in the transmission.

I am not afraid to pull the transmission apart myself but with a 9 month old at home I'm leaning towards just packing it up and sending it to Larry B, SoS, or that guy on the East coast. The drain pan has brass/copper filings and I can see bits of the magnet in the filter.

Having said that I test drove the car just now in anger and truth be told it feels fantastic. Other than the humming it shifts butter smooth with just a touch of "notchy" between each gear. I'm assuming if I glue all of the bits in the drain pan back onto the synchros it wouldn't be notchy .

Long story short, if I were you I'd pull your Spoon magnetic drain plugs out of your car asap.

 

[Professor X]

I was going to buy spoon magnetic plug very soon and randomly stubbled uppn this thread. Thanks for the heads up

 

[furinax]

Interesting. I have a magnetic drain plug for my oil but I am not sure its brand. I have been meaning to shift to a fumoto valve anyway.

I wonder if it's the corrosive nature of the transmission fluid that caused the magnet to disintegrate.

 

[Big McLargeHuge]

Most of the Spoon-brand magnet pieces should be stuck to the internal magnet in the transmission, but they probably circulated a bit before being captured. What's in the strainer is probably just remnants. Not really a reason to use a magnetic plug in the trans because of that internal magnet already there.

My used trans had a tooth of the countershaft shear off and ping around the case before the magnet caught it, besides some scarring of the case I didn't find other damage besides a tiny chip on the 5th gear. Maybe the howling is from a worn out bearing or the CV shafts? If you get to the point of taking the trans apart to replace parts, I'm sure you'll find the magnet is doing its job and covered in pieces of Spoon magnet and other stuff, but it won't be causing any more damage in the meantime.