Boxerworks.com

I'm going to change all the fluids on my '73 R75/5 and I figure installing a magnetic drain plug would be a good thing.
The "Dimple" plugs look good (the magnets are much bigger/stronger) but they are twice the price of others, are they worth it?
Do you have a favorite kind?
Should I replace the gearbox one also?

Vince

A drain plug with a stronger magnet is a good thing. The transmission and final drive should already have the stock magnetic plugs.

The "magnet" doesn't "fix anything" but gives one advance warning of trouble down the road. Is it better to discover trouble in your garage or on the road, 800 miles from home, in the rain at midnight on a lonely road?

You decide.

I had some rare earth magnets from work, about the size of 2 dimes stacked. I just put one on the outside of the crankcase plug and see what sticks.

Seems to work in that I have seen fuzz stuck to the plug. I have not seen any large flakes of anything, so either my trick doesn't work or my bike is relatively healthy.

I choose the latter.

So here is my plan:
Buy Dimple magnetic drain plugs for the engine and gearbox, they throw in a magnet that fits in the rear end plug for every plug you buy. This gives me strong magnets in all 3 places.

Does this sound reasonable?
The engine plug (#07 11 9 919 123) is M18 X 1.5 X 15 right?
The transmission plug (#11 13 0 007 163) is M16 right?, I still need the dimensions for this one.

Vince

Depending on your bike, most of the metal particles in your engine oil will not be magnetic, unlike the gearbox or final drive.