Diff Breathers & Gearbox & Transfer Case Breathers

I've got extended breathers on the transfer case and gearbox.

Had to replace the original hoses any way so extended them the same as the diffs.

Rather than in the engine bay I've put mine on the backboard of the tray between the cab and the tray for the rear diff, transfer case and gearbox. Front diff is high up in the engine bay.

Cheers
Ross

Hi John,
The GU has the front diff, gearbox breathers factory fitted into the engine bay, i'm assuming the wagon and utes are the same. Only the rear diff really needs extending, but not too critical, it is extended somewhat. I'll stand corrected if your is different to mine. Hope this helps. Steve

Interesting subject this.

On my Troopy the diff breathers were set by Toyota rather low and could easily have been below water if one got stuck in a stream. I would have thought that Mr Toyota would have known what was OK, but for peace of mind I also raised them and fitted in-line fuel filters.

Originally the hoses terminated at the top with a spring-loaded non-return valve which would allow air to escape but presumably was intended to prevent water from re-entering. I tested them however and found that they were effective in preventing even air from re-entering.

So if the diffs vented expanded air when hot, where does it try to re-enter when they cool? Hopefully not via the submerged axle seals bringing water in with it!

Never heard of anyone actually experiencing this problem but don't wish to be the first! ....... Anyone had real knowledge of this occurring?

Each vehicle and model is different but for vehciles with beam axles front and rear the OE breather is normally a very small vent located on one of the axle tubes. This means that even when driving through quite shallow water, less than hub height, you can wash water over the breather and they ingest water immediately. The LC70 series have an extender but it only goes as high as the chassis rail and the LC100 series are similiar but again vary model by model

Most IFS vehicles, such as Prado, already have the front done but the rear is as per my comments above.

This vulnerability is not well understood or appreciated given most people think a snorkel will get them out of trouble. Sadly the snorkel is only really useful when we are in bonnet height water which for us is very rare. Yet it is common place for most 4WD to drive through water up to wheel height on a regular basis.

The Piranha kit is the best we have found but there are plenty of others around. Don't forget to allow enough slack in the breather lines for suspension travel, a common mistake

Regards

RobA

Breathers they put in from factory for 4WDs are a joke.fitting those silly one way valves on them just tops it off.for something so important as keeping water out of diffs and the like,i sent all mine up to the engine bay and stuck cheap fuel filters on the end of them, works a treat. then you look at our adventra and the breather on the front diff goes all the way up under the engine cover so it would have to be submerged past the top of it to ingest water,and its not even a real 4WD!!!

on gu;s the breathers are all run up to the engine bay and co joined and vent into the left inner guard but not into the wheel arch,( it is also a single line that the 4 breathers feed to) not a good place i felt have since connected all the lines from the junction at left inner guard into a multi tee piece then into a single fuel filter up high in the engine bay with the opened end of filter facing down, one filter is enough as they can flow quite easy just blow threw one.