Topic: diff breathers?

[skipnrocks]

Alright my question is that of plumbin, as I was takin a leak this morning and flushed the toilet I began thinking of the principles of toilet flushing. and then the traps in sinks and was wondering why I couldnt do that with my diff breathers. Couldnt I go up to the engine bay and loop it back down towards the frame? wouldnt that prevent water intake?


I know that their will be a certain amount of vaccume when you cool a diff off however I dont know if it owuld be enough to suck water up 2 feet of tubing?

What are your thoughts?

[DTB]

A diff breathers real purpose is to let the axle "breathe" air from thermal expansion (usually caused by water crossings) not keep water or debris out....that is a secondary function...

Without a breather, or if your breather is clogged, the pressure that builds up inside the axle housing will most likely push gear oil past your pinion or axle seals.

[skipnrocks [OP]]

A diff breathers real purpose is to let the axle "breathe" air from thermal expansion (usually caused by water crossings) not keep water or debris out....that is a secondary function...

Without a breather, or if your breather is clogged, the pressure that builds up inside the axle housing will most likely push gear oil past your pinion or axle seals.

I  wouldnt remove or plug the diff breather however my thought is the down section of the breather would prevent water from coming up the tube, when you enter the water the diff will cool rapidily and the inside air and outside air should neutralize then when the rest of the rig enters the water the air in the diff will prevent the flow of water in. 

So that you wouldnt have to worry about plugin the diff breather for crossings, the desighn would allow for free pressure equalization and still protect auto...

[DTB]

I  wouldnt remove or plug the diff breather however my thought is the down section of the breather would prevent water from coming up the tube, when you enter the water the diff will cool rapidily and the inside air and outside air should neutralize then when the rest of the rig enters the water the air in the diff will prevent the flow of water in. 

So that you wouldnt have to worry about plugin the diff breather for crossings, the desighn would allow for free pressure equalization and still protect auto...

My diff breather is hooked up all the time...its just a hose with a small fuel filter on it. I just keep my filter above the air intake under the hood....if I have water that high I have other problems!

[Hammerhead]

Yes, works great and can't spill even in a rollover.  Many ATVs, snowmobiles, and other vehicles come equipped with loop type vents.

[94MtnYote]

 yep, my breather has a length of fuel line that wraps around the frame and has a cheapo fuel filter on the end.

[79coyotefrg]

i recently discovered  the diff breathers  are the same thread size and pitch  as the brake lines

SOOOO


you can use  a couple  old  rear brake lines  for a diff breather, then  put the stock "filter thingy"  on the end and zip tie it to the frame

[boobap]

i ran all 4 (both axles, tranny, and t-case) lines with just 3/8 clear tubing into an old chevy valve cover vent (you know that chrome thingy that looks like a mushroom on the drivers side valve cover) and then mounted that to the firewall...

[DanS]

Hey Skipin, I ran the rear axle vent through a stainless steel braided fuel line to inside and above the tail light and the front through another SS.braided line to beside the wiper motor. I'm still trying to figure out how to vent the 5speed std. trans and the gear driven transfer case.
Any way you got your rig back 
Later young fellow, DanS   
Hey Skipin, thought I'd get back to you. I ran both my diff's to the engine bay beside the wiper motor to mini K&N filters, Also I tapped the shifter plate with 1/8"NPT fitting and ran a vent line to the engine bay also. DanS

[emsvitil]

I ran vacuum line up to the engine compartment from both differentials and have a breather on the end in the engine compartment.   

I figure if water gets that high, I'll have other problems.........

[skipnrocks [OP]]

Yea prob the best way to go!

[spc mike]

i have a hose going into my engine bay with a mini filter at the end and it works fine..