Dimple Magnetic Drain Plugs

eralimited57

2008 Sprinter 2500 170 Extended High Top 3.0L CRD
Looking for those who have installed Dimple brand magnetic drain plugs particularly for the rear differential in an NCV3 2500 Sprinter.

If you have installed these drain plugs what was your experience. How well did they seal? Any seepage out of the plugs etc.?

TIA
 

Düsseldorfer

New member
You have a 2008 like mine: ours didn't come with magnetic plugs in the diff.

However all of the later (2009 up, maybe?) NCV3s have them, and you can get them at the dealer for ~$5.

In other words, since most everyone reading this forum already has one, and they're available from the dealer cheap, there's probably not a lot of experience here with aftermarket ones.
 
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eralimited57

2008 Sprinter 2500 170 Extended High Top 3.0L CRD
The one you are talking about at the dealer is not one that comes with the magnet correct, but rather just the plain plug for a 2008?
 

eralimited57

2008 Sprinter 2500 170 Extended High Top 3.0L CRD
Just got off phone with the mothership parts guy. Mother Benz does not make a magnetic drain plug for the 2008 beast.

It said look for an aftermarket one.
 

Düsseldorfer

New member
Just got off phone with the mothership parts guy. Mother Benz does not make a magnetic drain plug for the 2008 beast.

It said look for an aftermarket one.
I bought a magnetic drain plug at the MB dealer when I changed out my diff oil a couple of months ago. Its what all the Sprinters have had for ten years or so.

I think your mothership parts guy probably doesn't know that the only drain plugs he carries are magnetic.
 

4wheeldog

2018 144" Tall Revel
My 2018 4x4 didn’t come with a magnetic rear differential drain plug.
MB won’t admit to having them as it isn’t a 2018 part.
I installed a Dimple. It is a much nicer part than it needs to be for the job.
The magnet is so strong it is actually a fight to get it off the edge of the drain hole to install it.
And it is definitely leak free.
 

eralimited57

2008 Sprinter 2500 170 Extended High Top 3.0L CRD
I purchased a DIMPLE rear differential drain plug. After I installed it I noticed that oil was leaking from the plug. I torqued it to the MB specs. which I felt was plenty tight enough but it still leaked so I removed the plug and compared it to the MB OEM plug and sure enough the major diameter on the threads had flats on them whereas the OEM plug had sharp edges on the major diameter of the threads.

I contacted Richard at Dimple and sent him all kinds of close up photos. He acknowledge the difference and told me he would talk to the machinist. So far no word back.

I cannot use this so called high quality plug because it will not seal.

Richard at Dimple suggested I put Teflon paste on the threads. I did an experiment and put Permatex Teflon paste in with the oil. What happened was the Teflon paste started to mix with the oil. Not good.

Some have said to put yellow (gas type) Teflon tape on the threads. Again I don't want to do this and I don't think I should have to start putting a band aid fix on threads when the OEM plug works just fine without any thing on the threads.

Beware if you are thinking about buying and using one of their rear differential plugs. I may not work out the way you expect it to.

Still no resolution. If they can't make me one that doesn't leak then I will return the one I have sitting on my bench collecting dust.
 

220629

Well-known member
A MB dealership SOP is to use the VIN for any parts supplied for a Sprinter. If the OEM plug wasn't magnetic the part listed wouldn't be magnetic. That may cause the comment that a magnetic drain plug isn't available.

In my experience Teflon tape sealant eventually always allows oil to creep out. I would suggest that Permatex #2 non-hardening sealant is a better choice.

:2cents: vic
 

eralimited57

2008 Sprinter 2500 170 Extended High Top 3.0L CRD
Richard at Dimple Products notified me the other day that he went thru his entire inventory or at least enough to be satisfied that the plug he originally sent me had botched threads (made that way).

He even admitted that the original plug he sent me after seeing the photos I sent him was made wrong. HA!

He is sending me one that has threads that look like the stock plug threads (again I sent him photos).

I will report back as to whether it leaks or not once I get it and get it installed.

So Dimple magnetic plugs are advertised as being of the highest quality?

We are all human (maybe) and people make mistakes but a product should match its advertising campaign should it not?

Where is there quality control? Perhaps they don't have one.
 

4wheeldog

2018 144" Tall Revel
Richard at Dimple Products notified me the other day that he went thru his entire inventory or at least enough to be satisfied that the plug he originally sent me had botched threads (made that way).

He even admitted that the original plug he sent me after seeing the photos I sent him was made wrong. HA!

He is sending me one that has threads that look like the stock plug threads (again I sent him photos).

I will report back as to whether it leaks or not once I get it and get it installed.

So Dimple magnetic plugs are advertised as being of the highest quality?

We are all human (maybe) and people make mistakes but a product should match its advertising campaign should it not?

Where is there quality control? Perhaps they don't have one.
Even more important than QC is fixing the problem immediately when you become aware of it. Dimple seems to have done that.
 

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