ARB Air Locker Solenoid Leaking Gear Oil

Nope. Locker fully locks up without the compressor needing to constantly cycle

 

I can assume you've tested that for an extended length of time?

 

ARB lends to leak from the diff breather…kinda back feeds and leaks up on the compressor fittings. Some guys are running a on/off value to keep them from leaking unless pressurized.

 

But neither of mine do. If everything is sealed, pressurized air can't get into the diff and diff fluid can't get to the solenoid valve. It has to be at the bonded seal, seal housing, bulk head, or cross drilled hole in the carrier.

 

Exactly. Yet ARB will tell you “this is normal” and they have 0 explanation. I have replaced the bonded seals already and this go-around I had a new seal housing installed when I had a new gear set put in.

 

Prepare for a dumb question ---

Do all of you leave the lines pressurized when you're done wheeling?

Let me give an example -- Full day of wheeling, compressor always on, you would hit the Front/rear locker as needed on/off. At the end of the wheeling trip after you are finished inflating your tires, do you release the air in the lines?

I ask because I do not have these issues, I did remove the springs in the factory breathers, I have a clear dirt bike fuel filter on the front diff breather and I always release all the air in the lines when I'm done.

I have a remote chuck set up, so releasing the all the air is easy. Turn the compressor off and with the inflator still connected release all the pressure.

 

^^ This ^^ all day long.

 

I installed a dump valve so I can bleed pressure from the cab. However, leaving the compressor system pressurized would have zero effect on the locker because it still won't leave any line to the locker pressurized (or capable of being pressurized) since the solenoid valve has the locker line open to atmosphere. The only thing pressurized is the manifold and any hoses and tanks directly attached.

 

Exactly. Once you disengage the locker the solenoid dumps pressure. If the compressor has pressure still it doesn’t matter. If it did then you have a faulty solenoid valve.

 

Appreciate it fells.

I do find it interesting how sometimes I can engage both lockers with out the compressor kicking on. Thats what lead me to believe there may be some air still in the lines.

 

Can I install an oil/water separator, similar to what you'd find on a commercial air compressor?
If so, does anyone have one that they've used?

 

Oil and water separators need air flow to work correctly. There isn't enough air flow to or from the lockers for them to work correctly.

 

Well... darn. Okay. Was hoping for a solution.

 

Confirming everything ARB instructed me to check for:

- Brand new seal housing
- Brand new bonded seals
- Copper hose does not contact diff
- Copper hose is brand new w/ no holes
- Tab does not contact the seal housing





I’ll give it a shot without my ball valve installed. Still highly likely I’ll wake up with gear oil all over the driveway within the next month or two.

 

It seems to make sense this could be related to the (junk) OEM one-way-valve "breather" and the unequal pressure it causes in the housing.
I did the extended breather and ditched the one-way-valve as well and no issues like this have come up on mine. I did it at the same time I installed the ARB though, so I can't say for sure this is why (it almost has me curious enough to try putting the valve back on, but don't want to risk ruining a solenoid just to find out).

It's certainly simple enough to try though... If nothing changes, then no harm done (and you'll now have the benefit of less worry about water intruding into your axle during stream crossings).
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/my-differential-breather-mod-photos.111954/

I remember someone stating the front diff breather (pt#

$5 90930-03136 Toyota Breather Plug - 90930-03136

90930-03136 shown in the above link) actually is a two-way valve, but that does not seem to be the case with the one on my 2018, so instead I left the end of the hose open with the end pointed downward (which is how most other OEMs normally do it anyway).

 

Already did that. Installed a relocation, had the leak, then went back to stock and had the leak.

 

Assuming you did not try to use a Toyota breather on the end of your hose, I guess I got nothing then. Very strange.

 

Leak down test it on the bench with a pressure gauge overnight.

 

That just means there's enough volume in your "tank" to fill everything to the lockers behind the solenoid valves without system pressure going below the pressure switch limit. Depending on air line length I get about 3 before my high output (I get about 85psig max) switch triggers.

I've also notice a lot of variation in the ARB pressure switches from the published specs. They are also sensitive to temperature and have high hysteresis. Most don't notice because they don't monitor system pressures but it's not overly consistent.

 

shit, thats a great idea.