How important is a transmission breather valve? on a 80 series?

[fjforme]

hi guys.. my mechanic was doing the rear main seal on my 95 fj80.. while taking out the transmission he broke the front breather hose.. it was actually the plastic t that goes on top of the trans.. i was concerend about sucking up water or dirt if i ever off road.. he plugged it with jb-weld he said dont worrry about it.. now when driving , on the passenger side near the shifter gets pretty hot.. do you think its because of the breather being plugged up , or is it some kind of insulation issue?? im just a picky mofo when it comes to land cruisers. ))

 

[fjforme]

i meant to say breather tube .. its not a valve..

 

[93yotasr5]

I don't know why'd he's plug it and not fix it, but no I highly doubt that's the problem.

 

[elhombre]

Transmission fluid expands and contracts a bunch when it goes through the heating cycle. This is evident by the lines on the dip stick. Two upper marks are for HOT and the the lowest 2 lines are for Cold. If your "Mechanic" closed off the vent hole and sealed up the case, air can't move in and out, pressure will build up inside, and force fluid out the seals. This is also a real common problem when the front axle vent gets clogged up.

The shifter area always gets hot. The catalytic converters are right there, and the hot engine air is forced down the center tunnel when driving.