My Differential Breather Mod Photos

After getting muddy water sucked into my 2010 Tacoma differential, on the trail to/ from Mision Santa Maria in Baja California... and being instructed by HB Murphy to do the mod described here on TW... I ordered the parts from my dealer (Union & Breather for $12) and bought 6 feet of 3/8 x 5/8 yellow pressure tube from Lowes plus a couple of hose clamps.





The breather is on top/ left side of the pumpkin (rear differential) 18 inches above ground level. It is a there to allow hot gear vapors to vent. The problem is that if we cross any streams or mud pits deeper than the breather (18"), contamination can occur... and did in mine, per the tech at my dealer.








I dropped the spare tire to permit easier access (and to turn the spare over, so we can get to the air fill valve stem in the future).

I removed the stock breather with a 14 mm or 9/16 open end wrench.

I installed the union (#

$7 90404-51319 Toyota Genuine Parts - Union (90404-51319)

90404-51319) with teflon tape wrapped on the threads.



I added my 6 foot piece of 3/8 x 5/8 pressure tube (later trimming about 1 foot of excess)... having the excess made working the tube through the frame and openings easier.



I drilled a 5/8" hole in the side of the storage box on the left side of the bed.

I pulled the tube through the hole, cinch tied the run to the differential in a couple of places with extra along the route to allow for axle movement.





I cut the excess amount of tube, added the hose clamp, the breather (#

$6 90930-03136 Toyota Breather Plug - 90930-03136

90930-03136) and tightened the clamp.





DONE... High water beware!

PS, for those who are wondering... the front differntial has an extended breather, in the engine compartment... who knows why Toyota didn't do the same on the rear?

 

Here is the stock (threaded) breather from the differential, and the new one with the insert barb for placing at the end of a tube.




Note that there is a chance the factory front breather we use for this mod could become blocked, perhaps from repeated contact if installed in the fuel bay, as done in another thread on this mod.

 

Nice writeup!

 

i still gotta do this!

 

It is easy... otherwise I may have been still doing it!

 

great directions and pics! this thread should be on the cheap and free mods page!!!

 

good job on the write up.

 

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/technical-chat/4838-cheap-free-mods.html

It's already there... # 24, 25

I do like his pic's though. Easier to see with the yellow tubing. Email Pierced Tiger and he can add your's, too.

 

Thank you for the detailed photos. Looks great!

 

I re used the stock breather fitting with a female IPS to barb fitting to connect to the hose.
Is the other breather fitting better?
Mine is hiding in the fuel filler cubbie.

 

Thanks for the replies everyone... mine is a little different in that I routed the breather extention tube into the truck bed's side storage compartment instead of the gasoline fill bay. I would be honored if this thread was added to the other mods list!

The new breather fits perfectly inside the 3/8" I.D. tube. Unlike the original breather, the new one does NOT have a check valve (a one way valve that lets gear fumes out, but nothing in)... That was reported already, so I was not surprised. I guess my diff. was contaminated by muddy water getting in through the axle seals...?

Having a two-way breather would act as a vacuum breaker and allow clean air to return to the differential during a negative pressure occurance (like dipping a hot differential pumpkin into a cold stream)!

 

oh yea I knew it was there I just really liked reading this writeup and I think this one has very descriptive pics and written directions. No offense to the authors of 24 and 25.

 

Nice write up, I did my breather recently as well. I see you found a factory fitting (union) that is the same size as the breathers hose end, I went through a few and could not find the right one. all though you used 3/8 hose and I measured it at 5/16.

Also you have an Off road as do I, there is also a breather for the E-locker motor, if you look under the truck you see a small tube, you can follow this to the cross member above the diff. If you look at the front breathers mounted in the engine compartment there are two. one for the diff and one for the actuator on the diff, the small breather is what I used for the rear e-locker.
edit: in photo #6 you can see the e-locker breather going into the cross member, upper right of the frame.
Here is a photo of where I mounted mine, they are in the small cubby in the front of the bed, drivers side.


Uploaded with ImageShack.us

 

Thanks Senna... Can you explain why an electric motor (E-locker) needs a breather? I wish I knew that and could run it too, or is it located high enough?...

 

I don't know why, but decided to err on the side of caution and have it at least as high as the diff breather, plus then you know what level both are at.

On a side note I changed the diff fluid on my 03 tahoe 2wd this weekend and it had a remote breather located up by the fuel door, found that a funny coincidence .

 

so now I am wondering if my 1st gen has a breather on my e-diff locker

 

I like the yellow hose

 

I am still waiting to hear from you smart Taco mechanics why a breather for an electric motor (e-locker)?

 

Nice. I need to do this.

 

It's so easy, a caveman can do it!