Front Diff breather continues to leak

Colorado truck...first few freezes of the winter and some short drives, i ended up with a diff breather that was leaking enough to end up on concrete. read some threads on here and seems normal for super cold days and a short trip.

tube is pretty gunked up, apparently this isn't the first time its leaked/ spewed out the breather(my first winter with this truck)

Some more cold days, i took it on some longer drives (hours noty minutes), parked it, and again, leaks on driveway. It's 100% the breather tube.

can anyone help me understand why this is happening and what a fix might be? Fluid was changed just 10k miles ago, but i will get it again soon.

Do i need to replace the lines? is there a way to pull the cap and replace? I do need to clean it to see a bit more what may be going on, but understand that under normal circumstances, it shouldn't be pushing fluid up in the first place.

thanks in advance.

 

Anyone?

 

Although not common, it does happen.
Some of it can be attributed to an over filled differential.
Most people (even I) usually fill until the gear oil trickles out of the fill port.
This is not exactly the correct way, I believe Toyota actually has a spec on the proper level.
I can’t seem to find the diagram or information. Maybe someone can help us out?

This isn’t the only reason it can happen, it just makes the chances of it happening greater.
Some guys have resorted to modifying the breather tube.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/leaking-front-diff-breather-causes.523253/#post-16633272

 

Thanks dude...will clean it up and try that filter. Happens in 4wd and 2wd, freeway or trails. Come home, park, nice fresh drops of gear oil coming off the CV boot...breather tube is caked.

Anywhere else itcould be leaking from that CV joint I can check?

 

I thought officially it was 5mm below the fill hole but everyone goes till it comes out the hole.

 

Any tips on how to tell if thats a CV joint instead of my breather? Breather is for sure caked with old gear oil, but the drops always seem to form on the bottom of the boot. Tough to see with a larger LCA...any tips on where to check? Do I need to remove the boot?

 

CV is grease.
If you’ve ever seen the grease you’ll know.
It’s not runny and and smears. Almost like greasy coal dust feeling.

 

I installed a toytec breather 2 years ago & no problems with mine in Denver. Have you got the means to put it back to normal & see if that eliminates the problem? You need to go through a process of elimination & pin it down ASAP. You don’t wanna leaking Tacoma

 

Put what back to normal? Haven't changed a thing since I bought it in June. Started leaking off and on when winter came, could be coincidence.

Agreed, a leaky toyota sucks...if I wanted leaky, I'd have kept my diesel

Going to put on some new breathers and clean the hose up, go from the there

 

Sorry misread. You thought about installing a breather relocation kit?

got any pics? Also check this out.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/my-differential-breather-mod-photos.111954/

Is the breather clogged now?

 

Rear dif was relocated. The front one is just on the wheel well and stock. No way its over filled, it would have leaked months ago and also would have stopped spewing by now. It's gotta be some sort of pressure related issue from a clogged breather...in my uneducated opinion.

 

Take off the end of the breather hoses and blow compressed air to try and clear any clog. Do the same for the differential, remove fill plus and blow compressed air into the vent outlet. Make sure the diff isn’t overfilled. Could have gotten water in it since before which would have raised the level?

 

Im wondering if it’s water too. OP any wheeling in water since you got the truck & or the previous owner

 

I extended my breather as high as possible in the engine bay and that fixed most of the problem.

Otherwise let it leak. It'll never leak enough out the breather to cause an issue IMO.

 

here's the how to on the diff fluid: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/changing-differential-fluid-a-step-by-step-how-to.24545/ -- "When filling, the oil will begin to run out at some point. Put the plug in the fill hole, and let the gear oil run down into the lenght of the axle shaft. After a few minutes, remove the plug and begin to fill again." -- I'd definitely change the fluid and that will give you an opportunity to check to see if water is getting in there.

 

The gear oil stains on my driveway beg to differ, unfortunately.

No wheeling in water...this is my hunting truck, other than hunting/scouting or fishing trips, this truck stays parked and drives every so often just to keep from sitting. I dont wheel as a hobby.

 

If gear oil is dripping off the CV joint closest to diff your diff seal needs replacing.

 

My front diff breather started leaking after installing ECGS 4.56 ring and pinion and recommended Lucas 85/140 gear oil. I assumed the gear oil is thicker so the oil that crept up the breather hose towards the breather had a harder time draining back into the differential. So, the oil trapped in the breather line was pushed out of the breather on the next heat cycle of the diff as the air expanded. I ended up purchasing a fuel filter with removable filter element (removed filter) and installed it a few inches inline below the breather. Oil now has "tank" to settle which allows the air to escape without taking oil with it. The system has worked perfectly!

 

I have the same gears, ARB lockers and also the recommended Lucas oil gear oil

Going to install that fuel filter/oil trap

 

Do you know what fuel filter you went with? Not sure what size will fit the breather hose.