Diff and gearbox breather extender problems

[Franko78 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Franko78]

Hi all,
I bought a diff and gearbox/transfer case breather extender kit from the diffman in Brendale and having done this on other 4wds thought it would be a stdaight forward job.. Until I removed the console and found breathers next to and in front of the shifters and went to unscrew them. I won't embarrass myself by saying how long I tried to unscrew them but in the end worked out they were a press fit type connector. The people at fittingsexpress aka diffman said they've never heard of that type of fitting and considering how many kits they sell I'm assuming they should have!

Am I missing something really obvious here, wrong breathers? Are you supposed to tap these things? Your help will be much appreciated as I'm leaving the console off until I get this sorted. Oh and the front diff appears to be the same. Does everyone just extend from the chassis level hose or replace the rigid line and hose all the way through?

[glen_ep Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close glen_ep]

Hey Franko,

I once played around with the transmission breather as well before realising it's just not going to come out!! I never bothered with it since then, but I'm sure I read of someone fitting a breather somehow. I'm certain he did not remove the existing fitting, but rather, just the top cap, and then connected to the existing fitting somehow. Sorry I can't be more specific.

For the front diff, the solid pipe can be removed easily, but doing so would only make the job harder I think. I left the solid pipe in there and only replaced the top section, adding hose up to bonnet height.

I replaced the rear diff fitting, and ran the hose to the engine bay - connecting up with the front hose and a single filter.

[Darran K Member Find all posts View Profile Close Darran K]

Gee this sounds like it will be fun..
I have a BRC breather kit coming for mine in the mail.
Looking forward to more skin off the knuckles. :-)

Ill let you know how i go when it arrives.

[mjrandom Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close mjrandom]

I think there is a post in the 120 section on breathers which talks about the manual box. From hazy memory the top plate unbolts and then the breather was punched out with a drift. The hole was tapped 1/4" BSP and an elbow screwed in and then hose added and a real breather fitted.

[Franko78 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Franko78]

Thanks for the responses, I ran the back breather line through the chassis along with some cables and will be looking into getting the front to work with the existing rigid line and somehow add my hose onto it. I reckon if there is water to the top of the transmission tunnel you've probably got more to worry about than water in your gearbox but hey, while the job's being done might as well do the lot!
No skinned knuckles, piece of cake after fitting rear shocks! The difficult bit now will be a fix for the front locker oil venting issue!

[glen_ep Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close glen_ep]

Do you mean an ARB locker's pressure release valve on the compressor? I once saw a neat work around for that issue - plumb a hose into to the face of that release valve (might involve removing a steel filter) and run it to a filter of some type, similar to what we do with diff breathers. Prevents the oil sprays making a mess. Of course the proper solution is to replace the locker's o rings which have failed, as oil should not be entering the air system.

[Franko78 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Franko78]

That's the one, mounted on the r/h side just forward of firewall. I saw it all over the inner guard and was dumfounded until google search told me what was wrong. I had it installed mate's rates at ARB with a second hand unit and was only in there a few months before it started. Assumed they would have replaced the o rings at the time? Seems to have a gasket leak as well where it splits so might just have to get it done and resealed. Catch can will do for now though, hate for diff oil to mezs with the new UCA bushes on its way down from the engine bay!

Will go ahead and tap those breathers too, might as well so I can throw the consol back in.

[Playdoh96 Member Find all posts View Profile Close Playdoh96]

Hey Franko. I've done my gearbox/transfer breathers by removing the top cap. Then using a hose clamp to attach a small piece of hose (around 10mm long) to what's left. Then added a 90° elbow fitting and on to a line that runs up into the engine bay. Been there for 2 1/2 years and still holding on well. Found this to be easier then tapping hole in the transfer case.

[Franko78 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Franko78]

Thanks Playdoh but will be tapping and using threaded elbows just because otherwise it will bug me until I fix it!

OCD is annoying but it has it's uses as well! :shock:

[Playdoh96 Member Find all posts View Profile Close Playdoh96]

Thanks Playdoh but will be tapping and using threaded elbows just because otherwise it will bug me until I fix it!

OCD is annoying but it has it's uses as well! :shock:

Well fair enough then :-) Had a good look at it when I had the box out when doing the clutch. But couldn't work out how to tap the thread without filling the box with filings. Ended up doing this way after chatting to a fella in our 4wd club. He did his 100 series almost 12 years ago and still hasn't fallen off. Good luck either way you go!!