Does anyone know if these actually work or is it just bullshit?? It's a magnet that clips around the fuel hose next to the carb.

Description from seller:

It's bullshit

is that thing still doin the rounds?

Peter Brock swears by these things

and he won 9 bathursts.

Ha-ha, I have been running these on a 2.8 Passat, was getting 600 - 650 per tank, now getting 670 - 750. also the motor runs a lot smoother and pulls like a ox, do you honestly think the manufacturers just make these to 'rip' ppl off, do some research on the net, not just testimonials but scientific results, we all did science at school right,

don't knock it unless you have tried..

Andy

The magnet seems a bit far fetched. But to VolksFolks point, I use a "Fuel Star" Fuel Catalyst on my daily driver with a high compression engine and triple carbs. Without the fuel Catalyst the car pings and runs-on, even with PULP. With the Fuel star on it doesn't ping, doesn't run on, doesn't blow as much smoke and seems generally happier. The oil even stays cleaner.

The fuel catalyst (in this case a Fuel Star) is a bit more then just a magnet however. It is a tin catylst. There is more info on their website http://www.fuelstar.com/ 

Anyway, bag me if you like. but I say don't knock it until you try it. I works for me.

Just because we don't understand something doesn't mean it isn't true. People used to be bagged for thinking the world was round when popular opinion was that it was flat, and if you sailed far enough you fall off the edge.

All my cars now have fuel cats.

[ Edited on 12 October 2005 by MikeM ]

These are amuch more effective device:

http://www.shoplaser.com/index.html 

HA-HA, now that's great, I canna believe it speeds up the car, mmmm now if I use one of those with the fuel saver I will be the man!, seriously, re the fuel saver I was very sceptical but I thought the initial layout of $50 was worth the risk, I am happy with the result so that all that matters.

Andy

right so what is the reason stopping car manufactures applying these fix all technologies en masse?

profit lines...think about how we used to have cars and the air bag were optional extras...ppls began insisting on them...and today its a standard to evry car, and its the passangers thats an opitional...

ppl can only ask for what they know about...

If word gets around that this item cost $50, and makes ur car more fuel efficent, ppl will ask for it.

Magnet around hose? More like hand around something else.

Suckers are born every day.

it would appear that car manufacturers spend billions on research to get better economy and lower emissions, yet the silly buggers don't install the magnets or magic tins.

(i'm not having a go, i just find it odd, that's all.)

Hiclone?
Rob...

yep put it in the same bin as hyclones, all other fuel catalysts, electric superchargers. This is the kind of rubbish that belongs on ACA/TT. If it worked the mass manufacturers WOULD use it, Volkswagen themselves and lots of other manufacturers have gone to very far lengths to increase fuel efficiency, like Fuel stratified injection and lots of other stuff which is way way more complex than some magnets on the fuel line. There is no credible argument why they don't fit them as standard now.

Check this out and look at their explanation of how it works...

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&Item=4579082663&Category=

This pic compares and "inferior" magnet to the left because it is smaller... very scientific.




[ Edited on 13-10-2005 by Che Castro ]

Mike M , the old guy around the corner has a fuel saver .He made it during the 2nd world war for planes that had fuel problems , pin ect .
its a peice of copper pipe with TIN shot in there hose barb ech end .Now I have known Jim for 8 years and I ask lot of ? regarding this each time I see him working on the car .
the tin is slowly desolving over time > all it does is lube the valves just like leaded fuels .
He has just stripped the 2 ltr holden motor , but no crud around the valves like the good old days .

Now if any one here owns a petrol station I can save them $$$$$$$$$$ as I have a valve that stops evaporation >>>> but the big name fuel companies will not let the guy that has the lease put one on .

just look up at the vent lines on a hot day and see the $$$ going into the sky !

Bad for me as I have 40 K tyed up with them gathering dust !

if any one owns a fuel station and whats one I send it to you , if it works you can pay me after the fact that it saves you $ .

seagull , I sell valves .

Here is my 2cents

I do air conditioning - big stuff. Water cooled systems, cooling towers all that stuff.

We did a large water cooled job out at Dubbo where the water is shite. Now when this happens you get calcification of of the pipes cause the water is so hard. Normally you put all these chemicals in etc etc and clean the pipes by hand regularly.

Anyway - a sales mate sells, on the side, magnetic water softeners.
Bases on the fact that the chinese put magnets in there green tea to get rid of gall stones.
He gave it to us to try.
We put it in.
Did it work......well cant really say. There wasnt at test sample to compare it to.
Did we have the calcified pipes we were expecting - no. They were much better than expected.
It could have been the water isnt as bad as we thought, but .......

Did we ever buy another one?
Well, no. they are bloody expensive.

Do i believe in Chinese medicine?
Well, yes. i have some examples that i think really work

Do i believe in western medicine....?
Well, i have seen some blatant lies there.

I think this is a case where there is SOME basis of truth and some one has stretched the crap out of it and turned it into a gimick.

Would i buy one...................


As for the bit about manufactures not using them.
What about extractors and tuned exhaust??
These have been around for years but the buggers still sell as base crap system.
Why cars dont come with standard propper flowing exhausts, heads and monifolds is beyond me

Barry





[ Edited on 14-10-2005 by Bizarre ]

I've heard that the magnet thing actually increased fuel consumption in a test... But if Andy say's they work for him, then....

Not having a go at you barry
but they dont usually fit complete merged exhaust systems because they have a lot of compromises, like taking up more space, costing a lot more $$$ (compare the cost and complexity of a standard cast manifold to a full on spaghetti style merged exhaust), compromises in packaging etc. With intake manifolds its similar. Also there is the consideration of emissions and noise and other standards that manufacturers have to meet. Still these days a lot of cars have variable length intake manifolds, variable cam timing and lift, direct injection all this complex expensive stuff which increases driveability, fuel efficiency and power.

Whereas just fitting a magnet to your fuel line doesn't cost much, no packaging issues and none of the above compromises and if it does work as they claim it would increase your fuel efficiency and power. So why haven't they?

[ Edited on 15-10-2005 by Che Castro ]

Oh come on......... I dont know much about it but you would never catch me buying a magnetic pillow or seat cover. Is the earth not basicly one big magnet? North pole, south pole.

If the petrol formed, what was it?, molecular clusters from sitting in the tank, do you not think the petrol companys would pop a magnet in line on the fuel pumps, clain they are saving the world and charge us for it. I bet the spend millions reserching silly little ideas in the hope to ways to get the money out of us. How long does there petrol sit before it get to us?

But what the hell, its like anything else in life, if it works for you, great.

If magnetic fields could affect the bonds between organic molecules imagine the mess you would be in if you went into an MRI scanner, you are made of organic molecules and MRI scanners have fields 1000s of times stronger than a little magnets used in these gagets. Only ferromagnetic and to a lesser extent paramagnetic materials are effected by magnets and hydrocarbons are neither of these.

People are right to say "just because we don't understand it doesn't mean it isn't true" but claims which go against all of the established understanding require very good evidence and I'm pretty sure the EPA didn't fix their results as part of a huge consipiricy.

On a different tack how much research and investment has gone into fuel chemistry, don't you think that they would have added something to stop the mysterious clumping by now? But perhaps they do it on purpose so that we all buy more fuel.... perhaps it is all a big consipiricy... I'm off to hide under the bed now in case the goons from Shell come to get me for exposing them.

Ryan here, stealing Danielles username again

anyways, just adding my little bit about the fuel catalysts having tin in them, why tin??

well, if you look on the periodic table of elements, tin is in the same column as lead, just one row higher... now if I remember my high school chemistry right, this means they both have the same number of electrons in the outer shell, but lead has one more complete shell underneath, meaning they behave similar, except the lead electrons are bonded more loosely.

people added lead to petrol and found it gave increased octane ratings, with the unintentional bonus that it protected valve seats etc. so to my thinking, it is doing virtually the same thing as adding lead to the fuel, but lead is illegal in petrol these days - tin isnt. although they are pricey, and perhaps if someone got a fuel filter casing, and filled it up with lead or tin pellets, it may achieve the same goal at a fraction of the cost. although not being a chemist I dunno if plain old tin or lead will dissolve in fuel to any extent.

and that magnet thing, well the carby sits reasonably close to the generator and coil/leads on a aircooled beetle, so any benefit from aligning molecules is probably going to be undone by other magnetic fields.

sounds like crap to me, but I'll take 2 just incase.