Diff Breather Leak (1 Viewer)

[Brentbba]

Here's problem #2 that's creeped up after this weekend. I've got diff oil leaking out the top of the front breather! See pics. One water crossing I've been thru plenty of times before and no more or less water than in the past.
Pic 1 is the silver dollar size puddle from 24 hours. Pics 2 and 3 show the breather tube.

Best to drain and refill just in case water got in there?

 

[nuclearlemon]

i would definitely check it. especially since you did water crossings...two things to cause it to blow out the breather are overful, which i'm guessing it wasn't since you didn't have a problem before the water crossings, and pressure, which can be caused by steam, which can indicate a high amount of water. when the rigs been sitting for overnight, crack the drain plug (you don't have to pull it completely out, just get it to where only a couple threads are holding it). if there's water contamination, the water will leak out first.

 

[badmuthatrucka]

Maybe it's the fuzzy pics, but it looks like that fluid leaking out is milky in color, which means that water contamination is very likely. Have fun with the above suggestion, trying to figure out just how much pressure to keep on the plug to allow a little fluid to come out, and not the whole diff.

I am not saying it is impossible, I just give props to nuclearlemon for being able to do it!

I usually end up with stuff running down my arm a little.

 

[Brentbba]

Milky is a good description. Smell is absolutely diff oil and you're right, it's not as 'clear green' as it should be. Just another thing to add to the list. May as well replace the plugs with the allen head magnetic ones while I'm at it!

 

[Jonny D]

Was that you headed out towards Borrego springs on sat. morn? we were headed back from sheep canyon in 93 maroon cruiser.

 

[malottki]

Can be only be two things. Axle pulled all the grease from your birfs and over flowed or you got water in there and is full causing to come out when axle gets hot. I have heard that after all water excursions you should check your axles for contamination. Looks like water in there though.

 

[Brentbba]

Was that you headed out towards Borrego springs on sat. morn? we were headed back from sheep canyon in 93 maroon cruiser.

We were headed out the 78 thru Julian and dropped down Chariot Canyon to the desert. My great white 80, and two rabbit FJ Cruisers following me, one silver and one voodo blue.

 

[nicksr]

I have a leak very similar to what is shown in the pictures in this thread. Not leaking enough to actually drip to the floor, but I notice that after driving, it is enough to be spraying the undercarriage.

I just put new oil in the differential 800 miles ago. I tried to be careful not to overfill it, pumping it in just until is started to dribble back out the hole. But I will admit, it was my first time doing it.

My LC has never been in a water crossing in the 8 years that I have owned it.

What should I be checking for the problem. I guess I just thought oil would seep out of that tube when the axle was hot.

 

[Brentbba]

No expert - water was my probable cause. Front holds 2.8 qts IIRC, so if you squeezed every ounce out of 3 qt bottles, you may have overfilled a little, but hard to tell.

I've subsequently extended my front and rear breathers up to the top of the engine bay per the write up's in the FAQ.

Probably still should drain the front again to get rid of whatever's left of the contamination from the first go around. Cheap insurance with 3 qts of diff oil.

 

[nicksr]

maybe I just overfilled then.

Since what I read was to fill it until it was just below the fill hole, I just kept pumping it in until it started to dribble back out the hole. I am quite sure I put in all of 3 quarts.

 

[jvazquez53]

How can you overfill since the fill hole is the "gauge"? That oil looks contaminated definitely! When I moved my breathers, the front one was no problem, but bringing the rear all the way to the front engine compartment created some pressure that blew one of the rear axle seals.

 

[Driley]

My front breather was expelling the same looking fluid as yours. From reading up, I believe the vacuum created in the front diff sucked the moly grease out of the knuckle cavity and overfilled the diff. I drained the front diff, pumped moly grease into both knuckle cavities and then ran 1/4" fuel line up to the battery compartment. I installed a clear plastic fuel filter to the end and have not had any leaking issues since.

I am hoping that the "bell/tulip" of the birfield did not lose too much grease and just pumping extra grease into the cavities will be enough to take care of it.

Riley

 

[Stiles]

Revival!

I am losing lots of oil out of my front breather (1990 HDJ80) The birfs were rebuilt a year ago.

I am reading up about the axles in the Ellery manual. Any input is valued!

 

[ppc]

If oil is coming out the breather the cause is most likely the contamination of gear oil with grease from the birfield causing foaming of the gear oil. A clogged breather is the start of the problem. Guessing that when the birfs were done a year ago they didn't cleanout the breather.

 

[Stiles]

I should swapy diff oil and clean breather tube. These birfields are totally foriegn to me. Starting to research them: any checks or PM l can do without getting to deep/too over my head?

thanks ppc!!

 

[Malleus]

It's a constant velocity joint, similar to, but much larger than, front wheel drive axles. Download the FSM for your year model. They're in the Resources section. Wit's End has a great piece of wall art: