front diff leak

[jim65wagon]

I was servicing the Tun yesterday and when I crawled underneath my front diff was bathed in fresh fluid. It looked like it was coming out of the drivers side seal and running down the diff. It was fresh enough it didn't even have any dirt caked into it. I was changing all the fluids anyway, so I was under there for a while, looked at everything I could see and could not see any problems. Once up top I pulled the two breathers (one's the diff and I think the other is the T-case) I could blow through one but not at all through the other. Took the one apart, it was crusty and I cleaned it until it worked again. Replaced it drove the truck today and didn't see any fresh fluid yet, I'm thinking(hoping) the stuck breather was the issue.

My question: Is there another style breather that would work better and not crust up to the point of not working? I don't like the idea of leaving the tube open, but a diff has to breath.

Or should I just keep an eye on this one?

Thoughts, suggestions, general comments, recommendations, idiotic ramblings, let's hear it...

 

[p1michaud]

Diff breathers

My question: Is there another style breather that would work better and not crust up to the point of not working? I don't like the idea of leaving the tube open, but a diff has to breath.

Or should I just keep an eye on this one?

Thoughts, suggestions, general comments, recommendations, idiotic ramblings, let's hear it...

I know that some folks are using a small fuel filter at the end of the diff breather. I don't have any pics handy, but you can look up diff breather extension mod on TTORA and Yotatech that's where I saw the pics.

Good luck and good catch.

Cheers,
P

 

[DaveInDenver]

I know that some folks are using a small fuel filter at the end of the diff breather. I don't have any pics handy, but you can look up diff breather extension mod on TTORA and Yotatech that's where I saw the pics.

Good luck and good catch.

Cheers,
P

I used a Fram G4164, which comes up as a fuel filter for the air cooled Beetle. A 1/4" fuel line fits fine (I think it's for 7mm fuel line). Maybe the fit's not good enough for fuel, but plenty fine for a breather. I used a 1/8" NPT to 1/4" barbed fitting in the diff. Our Toyota diffs are not threaded NPT, seem to be something like 1/8" British pipe thread or some such odd ball thing. But the fitting is brass and threaded about 4 or 5 turns in before getting tight, good enough. I snipped the tube off the tapered side of the cone and trimmed a little of the plastic away, it's a pretty nifty little breather filter.

 

[Grim Reaper]

Marlin sells a fancy kit.

http://www.marlincrawler.com/htm/axles.htm

Here is a nissan barb that will work.
http://www.toyotaoffroad.com/Articles/Projects/Diff_Breather/Diff_Breather.htm


Toyota part. Should be the same fitting for the front.

http://www.customtacos.com/tech/index.php?article=86
or
http://www.tundrasolutions.com/forums/tacoma/44682-differential-breather-extension/

 

[DaveInDenver]

Toyota part. Should be the same fitting for the front.

Both the Nissan and Toyota unions were too tall for my diff in front. They are quite a bit longer than a generic barbed hardware store fitting and the top of the fitting pushed the tubing into the oil pan and kinked it. Some day I'll figure out a way to get an elbow in there, that's what it needs. They will work great on the back or on live axle fronts and maybe fine on Tundras and Tacos and stuff, but torsion bar IFS with 22R-E is really snug up there. Actually once melted some of the hose to the oil pan as it is.

 

[p1michaud]

Front diff

Dave that's exactly what I was thinking of but did not have any pictures of it, thanks for posting.

As for the front diff, if it's the same as Tacomas you don't have the room to put an additional breather. The main reason is that the fitting seems to be pressed into the diff housing, then there's a short piece of flexible hose (say 4to 5" long) and then there is a piece of hard tubing for about 10 to 12" then back to a rubber hose that is mounted up on the driver side inner fender. Check out the attached sheet from the FSM for a visual of what I'm trying to say. The attached picture also shows the fitting that comes out of the front diff. Bad angle, but you see it. As long as you keep it clean and check it on occasion you should be fine.
Cheers,
P

 

[DaveInDenver]

I thought the way to deal with it on Tacos was to drilled and tap the fill plug for a bulkhead fitting?

From Steve Schaefer (Sonoran Steel):
http://www.sonoransteel.com/front_locker.html

 

[p1michaud]

Alternative solution.

I thought the way to deal with it on Tacos was to drilled and tap the fill plug for a bulkhead fitting?

Dave,
That's definately another option but they typically do that to address a leaking diff as a result of having an ARB installed in the front diff.
Cheers,
P

 

[DaveInDenver]

Dave,
That's definately another option but they typically do that to address a leaking diff as a result of having an ARB installed in the front diff.
Cheers,
P

Yeah, that makes sense.

 

[devinsixtyseven]

On Tundras, the two breathers Jim mentioned are already extended to the engine bay.

Dave that fuel filter looks like a great solution.

 

[Grim Reaper]

Both the Nissan and Toyota unions were too tall for my diff in front. They are quite a bit longer than a generic barbed hardware store fitting and the top of the fitting pushed the tubing into the oil pan and kinked it. Some day I'll figure out a way to get an elbow in there, that's what it needs. They will work great on the back or on live axle fronts and maybe fine on Tundras and Tacos and stuff, but torsion bar IFS with 22R-E is really snug up there. Actually once melted some of the hose to the oil pan as it is.

Did you look at the Marlin kit? comes out at a 90deg angle.