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DIY - Oil Door Fix: Neodymium magnet from Hard Drive to secure closure.

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by rrg, Jun 7, 2012.

  1. rrg

    rrg Active Member

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    I just did my second oil change.
    I was very worried about the plastic door flipping off.

    So I destroyed an old hard drive to remove the neodymium magnet.
    They are the strongest, free magnets you can find from old PCs.

    I did a hack job as a prototype but essentially the magnet is on top, inside of the door, which can touch the metal edge of the car frame to shut oil door. Here is a pic of what I used.
    If you ever played with one be very careful it will pinch you fingers hard when coming close to metal.

    With a stainless piece of metal on the outside facing down with two holes, I used brass screws and nylon lock washers in the two holes (on the magnet) from inside on top of the magnet.

    It's a sandwich from the top view, magnet, plastic door, metal plate, lock wash nuts.

    That thing will not budge.

    This can be a free upgrade because the materials are normally thrown out.

    My only concern is the weather on the magnet long term.
    I'll post back in 5K miles and see if the magnet has weakened.

    I can add pictures in a week if requested.

    my2cents.

    EDIT: I'm also looking into adding more magnets to the underneath of the car to secure any loose plastic panels because drilling into the body is not on option for me.

     
  2. dustoff003

    dustoff003 Blizzard Brigade #003

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    I would like to see a picture please so I can try to understand what you did.


    Posted from my iPhone via the Tapatalk app.
     
  3. xs650

    xs650 Senior Member

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    Neodymium corrodes easily. The hard drive magnets should have had some sort of protective coating on them, probably thin electro plating but I doubt that is adequate for your application's location. It would be a good idea to coat them with a thin layer of epoxy, silicone or poly urethane and mount them without penetrating the coating.

    They are also high temperature sensitive, but you won't have any problem with that while they are mounted on plastic. The plastic would melt first.
     
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  4. xliderider

    xliderider Senior Member

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    I have some neodymium magnets I got from eBay years ago that are nickel plated. You should use something similar so corrosion isn't an issue.

    Very good idea for a secure method of closure. Would be good to combine the ideas in this thread for the magnetic closure and the hinged access panel in this thread:

    I fixed the @#&% oil door! | PriusChat
     
  5. rrg

    rrg Active Member

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    Coating the magnet is a good idea.
    What sticks to the plating of the magnet. I broke/chipped one and the coating peeled. It's is a nickel plating material as described in wiki.

    Maybe platic-dip, that rubber stuff for tool handles.

    I'm sure the magnet will move with vibrations so it will rub off eventually.
    I'll get pics this weekend.
     
    The Critic likes this.
  6. rrg

    rrg Active Member

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    Update:
    I did my oil change 6K miles later.
    The magnet is holding up great.
    As a consequence I broke the big plastic pin holding the oil door and did not have one handy so the magnet and little pin is the only thing holding it shut. So far the door has not budged.
     
  7. rrg

    rrg Active Member

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    10k view on the magnet. It's holding up great.
    Just did an oil change.

    I only have two clips holding it now. I never got around to ordering extras.

    The aluminium bottom plates looks good. The nuts are nylon lock washers so they will not vibrate off, I hope.

    The magnet side has attracted some metal debris.

    This is the sandwich mount I spoke about.
    Metal on one side and the other side the magnet attracts to the car frame.
    Super strong IMO.

    [​IMG]
    Here's the pic.
    thx.
     
  8. Jonny Zero

    Jonny Zero Giggidy

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    Are you concerned with the magnet affecting the motors' B field, and perhaps the inverter?
     
  9. Econ

    Econ Member

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    Looks like you can spray that will restolium paint and that will keep the rust down.
     
  10. rrg

    rrg Active Member

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    Yea, I think some durable paint would work good.
     
  11. Mike500

    Mike500 Senior Member

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    It works, but it's too complicated for me.

    I might replace the plastic insert clips with threaded nut inserts and Phillips head machine screws. That would be much easier.
     
  12. rrg

    rrg Active Member

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    Rude person's,
    I agree a threaded insert would work better.
    I would go for it if I could order the correct size and it was a durable solution.
    I'm afraid I would get it wrong and never be able to remove it or correct it.

    I'm not good with hardware mods, I more of a software person. That explains the PC hard drive magnets.
     
  13. Mike500

    Mike500 Senior Member

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    rrg,

    I use this tool, and it works fine for me, despite a few bad reviews. You just have to know how to use it and watch what your're doing.

    Surebonder Threaded Insert Tool | Rivet Tools| Northern Tool + Equipment

    In most cases, like the plastic covers, I'd use the 10-32 aluminum ones like these on eBay, although I also have a metric tool and metric ones.

    Blind Rivet Nuts 10 32 Alum 25pc Free Rivnuts Riv Nut Nutsert Nutserts | eBay

    With them, I'd use 10-32 truss head machine screws.

    Hope this helps.
     
  14. Mike500

    Mike500 Senior Member

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    After additional thought, I came up with an easier, secure, less expensive and less labor intensive solution.

    All you'd need is some 3/4 inch long 10-32 machine screws with nuts and matching 10-32 wing nuts.

    Drill 3/16 inch holes through the mating flange of both the plastic engine cover and the oil change door. You should do this one at a time. Ideally the original plastic rivets should be used to hold the two in alignment.

    Using one screw and nut, thread the screw through the flange in the engine cover from above and tighten the two together. Swinging th door up will allow the hole that in the flange of the door pass through the threaded end of the screw. Install the wing nut and go to the second screw, nut and wing nut. So the same with a third set, and you're done.

    Now, all you have to do is to remove the wing nuts and swing the door down to change oil. After you're done, swing the door up and replace the wing nuts. That's it.

    You might want to drill the door holes to 1/4 inch to male them easier to align in case of slight warping of the oil change door. I know that someone will claim reduction in mileage from wind resistance of the wing nuts. I doubt any significance, since there ar many mor wider and larger protrusions on th underbody.
     
  15. xs650

    xs650 Senior Member

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    Rivet nutters, one of the most under used, little know tools that every DIYer and gearhead should have.

    One thing to add is that for aluminum threads that get used multiple times, coarse thread will outlast fine threads by several times. Coarse thread fasteners are a approximately 10% weaker because of the deeper thread, but that's rarely a problem unless you are designing to the ragged edge or just unlucky.
     
  16. Mike500

    Mike500 Senior Member

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    You can always use steel rivet nuts.
     
  17. rrg

    rrg Active Member

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    Update:
    110K miles the magnet has worked wonderfully so far on the oil access panel. Still on the original panel.
    I even lost one or two plastic pin fastener and it's still holding.

    I fully recommend Neodymium Magnet on the access door.
    The body frame has seen a little rust where it attaches from the winter and salt conditions.

    my2cents.