Overkill rear axle breather for FJ60

[EldoradoFJ60]

After the new suspension install my axle breather kept popping off. So today I put on some longer hose. While trying to figure out where to put the end I spied the bolts I had put in when I removed my rear seatbelts. So I took out a bolt, routed the hose through and put the breather cap back on. Now the end of the breather is inside the cab. Only works if you don't plan on using rear seatbelts, or if you drill a hole for the hose.

http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s240/ilbruche/Landcruiser/IMG_0723.jpg

[Brody]

Nice! Sometimes it is the simple things that put a smile on your face, too.. Clever!

[Chris]

Nice Bruce! Thanks for reminding me I have to do this!

[Hypoid]

Not to pee in your wheaties, but when that axle heats up, the inside of your truck might get a little pungent.

Then again, some people like the smell of gear oil. :)

[Mporter]

Sweet. Where did you get the tube and s/s breaklines?

[EldoradoFJ60]

Not to pee in your wheaties, but when that axle heats up, the inside of your truck might get a little pungent.

Then again, some people like the smell of gear oil. :)

I love the smell of gear oil in the morning. :) I hadn't considered that fact. Well at least now I can extend the hose to vent wherever I choose. I think I'll run it up to firewall and into the engine compartment.


Sweet. Where did you get the tube and s/s breaklines?

I got the brake lines from Man A Fre. They sell a kit with all 4. Only problem is that the clips they send with the lines suck. I reused the stock c clip and clip, but reversed them. So the c clip is closer to the hardline and the clip is closer to the SS line. Seems to work fine.

The hose is just vacuum tubing. Pick it up at any auto part store.

[Mporter]

Gotcha. Did you have to re-bleed the rear brakes after switching to the s/s?

[RidgeRunner]

Gotcha. Did you have to re-bleed the rear brakes after switching to the s/s?

I'm sure he did, anytime you "open" the hydraulics in the brake system you will need to bleed everything past where you opened it up.

[Brody]

I love the smell of gear oil in the morning. I hadn't considered that fact. Well at least now I can extend the hose to vent wherever I choose. I think I'll run it up to firewall and into the engine compartment.


You may be able to simply throw a cheapo valve cover 'mini K&N' breather on top of the line, like what you can pick up at any auto store, and never smell the gear oil. It is already under your built in storage area, so the chances of smelling the gear oil may not be much of an issue anyway.

Matt..any kind of tubing will pretty much work. I am using old air line that was cut up. Keep in mind that the large vacuum line fitting off any Yota EFI intake makes a really good replacement fitting for running an extended breather. It is the longest vacuum fitting on the intake and has the exact same threads as the stock axle fitting.

[Mesomelas]

I checked mine out out of curiosity, and there is no line on mine, just a rubber cap on top. Think it will be okay like that or should I run a line?

[4finger]

when you put a line on it, it effectivley moves the vent to another location. people mostly do this "mod" to move the vent up and out of the way for things like crossing deep water. the vent is out of the water keeping said water out of your diff. doing this mod is up to you, remember though- its always better to be safe than sorry.

the vent caps on my axles are always getting full of dirt and dust causing them to not vent very well. as soon as i find my misplaced barb'd fitting i got for this i will be putting them on.

[Mesomelas]

yeah but if it is sealed with a cap, no big deal right?

[4finger]

yes and no.
the cap acts like a pressure relief cap............thingy. (sorry im no good with technical terms). when your gear oil gets overly hot; the cap, under pressure, pops open letting out some of the hot air inside your diff. if it opens up in the water you get some water in your gear oil. in my case, i dont do much water crossing, it opens up when im driving through dirt and dust. my caps always stick open. i cleaned my caps out 3 times last year, and only went on 6 trails runs.
some people have issues and some people do not. i like to think of this mod as a "small piece of mind". your oil could end up overheating (if stuck closed) or get dirt/water in it (if stuck open).

[Brody]

What Thomas #1 said. The stock vent breather works just fine....for mostly stock rigs...and is a more or less one way vent, which is why the top seems to be loose. If you do a lot (or plan to) water crossings or mud, then it becomes ineffective. Extending the breather keeps the diff breathing, yet eliminates water and crud getting into it. There are quite a few solutions, including one sold by Trail Gear and/or Marlin. That one is a ribbed extended cap that is water proof and flexes in and out as needed. The simplest fix is to do what Bruce did and simply extend the vent to somewhere it isn't going to suck in water or mud.

You can buy a metric barbed hose fitting or use the larger vacuum line fitting off any 22RE, 3.0L or 3.4L Yota engine, too as this has the same threads as the stock vent axle fitting. Then simply extend it with a hose that fits, breather or not. Currently my front diff has the vac fitting and is vented up under my hood with a cheese breather cap. The rear is simply extended way up under the wheel well and forward without one. Both work just fine. I used trashed out air line crap for the hose. 30 years ago I was using the coiled air lines because it was cooler than regular hose. It all works, you just need to vent the diff to the point where it stays dry.

[scout man]

my rear vent runs inside my cab too, and I have never noticed the gear oil smell (at least on top of the exhaust smell. and the smell of spilled tranny fluid and 35 yr old seats that get wet all summer). Front one runs into the engine bay

[Mesomelas]

easy enough to run a line, thanks for the information.

[4finger]

and I have never noticed the gear oil smell

ive found that adding a cup of febreeze into your diff everytime you change your gear oil can eliminate all worries of smell!!

[daveIT]

I think I'll do some axle breathers over the long weekend...change out my diff fluid too. I'll have to get some Febreeze too...gear oil is soooo naaasty.

[latva0311]

just from a safety aspect, why not drill a hole and put a rubber grommet in for the hose? It would take 5 min to do and you know that your rear seat belt will actually work properly. Or just bolt a simple hose clamp to hold the hose up and and keep the hose on the outside of the rig. just my 2 cents