MG Midget Forum

I have been trying to figure out a way to do Magnaflux testing in my garage. If I can get the powder it shouldn't be too hard to do.

Also I saw this permanent magnet set up for sale from Magnaflux:

http://www.magnaflux.com/Products/MagneticParticleInspection/Yokes/YM5Yoke/tabid/3177/Default.aspx

Has anyone tried making a set up like this at home? If you could find permanent magnets with the same properties it should work.

Has anyone here tried this?

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"And then I remembered what they said about old British Engines, if there ain't no oil under 'em, there ain't no oil in 'em." Tow Mater

Hi Brian,

I've done a lot of Magnaflex testing like you discribe. It works well on accessable surfaces but when you try to do out of the way areas (cylinder bores, Etc.) it's not as reliable as you'd like. How it works, is on a smooth surface you sprinkle/blow (use a small turkey baster/ear wax sucker)some particle dust and straddle the magnet across it. If theres a crack it will form a new North/South attraction and the dust will attract to the crack. Its been a number of years since I've done crack testing but one of the easier methodes was to use a spray on method. A red liquid was sprayed on a surface and allowed to sit for a while then it was gently wiped off and a white powder spray was applied. The way it worked is that the red liquid was fine enough to hide in the cracks and when you wiped the red off the surface, the applied white powder would soak-up the red showing you where the crack was. I used this method mostly on non-magnetic materials. Like the magnet method all the surfaces have to be really clean. Good luck.

Sam.

Thank you for your input Sam!

I saw the liquid test kits but am unfamiliar with that method. More research is in order there.

We did *some* simple magnafluxing in a shop I used to work in. A cylinder head shouldn't be bad, but blocks etc. would be a challenge for me.

As usual I will post any successes or failures hen I get to it!

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"And then I remembered what they said about old British Engines, if there ain't no oil under 'em, there ain't no oil in 'em." Tow Mater

if you have an old air conditioning compressor you can take the clutch apart and use the magnet. some are very strong electro magnets. just hook it to a car battery. i made one at work that had no problem lifting a 50 pound brake drum.

Brian,

I have one of the dye penetrant test kits - works well. Kinda fussy to use, but it does work.

Unfortunanately I do not have one of those.

I do have a couple magnets out of microwave magnetrons, but being toroidal I don't know if they would work.

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"And then I remembered what they said about old British Engines, if there ain't no oil under 'em, there ain't no oil in 'em." Tow Mater

Hey Rick!

I will look into one of those. Sounds like a good challenge for my maiden voyage into the 1275!

Bri

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"And then I remembered what they said about old British Engines, if there ain't no oil under 'em, there ain't no oil in 'em." Tow Mater