Fluid coming out front diff breather

Please help!!!

I'm new here and could use some help.

I have a 1995 tacoma recently changed all fluids in truck and drove from south Florida to west Texas and back. The problem I'm having is fluid pushing out the front diff breather.

The breather is not clogged I cleaned and inspected and blew though it.

I used 75-90 mobile synthetic gear oil

I'm assuming I over filled the front diff the first time.

So I looked up what it calls for and it's 1.2 qt. that's dry capacity I think?
Drained it again and about 1qt of fluid drained
And put right around 1.2qt Fingers crossed that fluid doesn't push out the breather.

Went on a 50 mile highway drive and there's still fluid coming out of the breather.

I've tried to do research and what I've found is this is common?

Anyone ever have any issues with this. Also I'm afraid of running the front diff to low on fluid. Help please.

 

Love your truck. Someone will pipe in.

 

Thanks @Mulepadre. I hope so I'm stumped

 

@eccracer104 @Speed Freek any thoughts here, why fluid is coming out of front diff breather?

 

How much fluid did you put in?

 

Like the truck!

@Beckm Did you fill until it wept out of the top hole or just added the required 1.2Qts?

 

@Blackdawg

 

Welcome to TW!

 

Welcome to TW OP Your truck looks great!

I'm unfamiliar with the problem, but from what I read it could be a leaking seal allowing grease into the oil, or it could be the breather vent and location.

These threads should help -
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/oil-leaking-front-diff-breather.20222/
https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/lots-of-oil-coming-out-the-breather-on-front-axle.419736/

Here is information on the front diff breather relocation - https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/diy-differential-breather-extension.15223/

 

Maybe I'm reading this wrong, but why would you add MORE fluid than you drained if you thought it was overfilled to begin with?

 

You should just always fill it to the point fluid just starts to come out if the fill port.

As for the breather. How much fluid is actually coming back? It is in fact pretty common for a little. But if a lot is coming back then your diff is generating a lot more heat.

Which brings me to ask have you check to see if the add tube is fully unlocking when you aren't in 4wd?

 

Thanks for the replays everyone! I'm already loving the feed back from tacomaworld. All right so the four-wheel-drive is working properly when engaged the driveshaft spins and when disengaged it does not.

Also I know my front diff is spinning all of the time because I do have the ADD System and not the manual hubs.

The first time I filled the diff I filled it till it was spilling out of the hole. Which made me think that I overfilled Because of the fliud coming from the breather doing its job.

The next time I filled the diff I put exactly 1 quart as I was reading from research that filling to the fill hole was too much fluid. In the front differential called for a 1.2 quarts exactly when dry

Last night took a trip on the highway 70 mph about 50 miles then drove to work this morning and noticed fluid still coming out of the breather.

I know that shouldn't be happening. I'm trying to fix what's wrong here I know I can fix it with extending the breather tube i'm putting like a catch can with a breather on top that would drain back to the differential. But I'd like to find out why this is lhappening from factory I shouldn't have to put a catch can or extend breather line. I'm getting frustrated over here LOL

 

Actually the add system disconnects the diff very well. Only the driver side should spin.

You need to put the truck on jack stands and then spin the passenger side. The add tube is on that side and locks or unlocks the passenger wheel to the diff. With it being unlocked only the driver side should spin the diff.

That's what you should check.

But again. The fluid coming out of the breather is caused by pressure in the diff who choose is caused by heat. Unless it's a lot of oil I wouldn't sweat it really. You could get an infrared temperature gauge though to see if the diff is getting too hot. Which I doubt it is. But can't hurt.

 

The front diff can be very sensitive to over filling. High speed operation with the diff engaged can contribute to the mess and this gets exaggerated when going from cold to hot (warmed up/thermal expansion).

With ADD in 2wd the driver side CV, both side gears, the spider gears and the pass side stub shaft are still spinning. All "driven" by the driver side CV shaft.
I did the "catch can" trick some 17 years ago and have not had any issues since.
The Toyota spec is "with in" 1/4" of the bottom of the fill hole. This is just one of those things.

This filter unscrews and the removable element inside has been removed.

 

I tried that and jacked up the front of the vehicle and spun in the passenger wheel. It was free! Plus made sure and soft sand that my truck was in 2wd.

There's a lot of fluid. But the front differential is not getting hot. I can drive crawl under there and work on it and touch it.

 

@Dirty Pool how much fluid did you put in? What kind of fluid did you use?

That's the idea I also came up with was the catch can. Just was trying to fix it without it first.

 

it's a love hate relationship right now but she's damn pretty for 22years old

 

Should be a love-love situation... kind of like a high maintenance girl.

 

I "try" fill to just shy of the bottom of the fill hole unless I fail and fill all the way to the hole. This is usually the case. The can covers my laziness.

All 1st gens should have the breather on the fender from the factory.