Rear Diff Breather

Did mine today. Left slack from frame to axle for all that "articulation"

 

I've been to ramps here on rivers and a lake that I have to submerse the tail pipe under water and pray the engine does not die in order to get a boat off the trailer . Pontoon boats sit high off the ground.

 

Ive just never had that problem. I've had a pontoon boat also. Do you just keep going back until it's floating completely? I usually tap my brakes once I see the back end water and let it slide some. I'm not trying to be a smartass or anything. Just seriously wondering if y'alls ramps are that much different. I love watching people at boat ramps loading their boats. They think the whole trailer needs to be submerged to get a boat on. You see them try multiple times getting frustrated. Pontoon boats especially. I'm just thinking that if your axle is under water than the boat has to be in the water a good bit.

 

Yea they should have to have a class for a boat license and loading and unloading should be part of it haha. I had a guy watching me load up our old pontoon boat once and he was trying to help me by directing me how far to go back. I was paying any attention to him. I got it where part of the fender just hit water. He looked at me like I had no clue of what I was doing until I put it straight on the trailer first shot. He wanted me to go all the way back. People don't understand that makes it almost impossible to get it on there good, because you aren't riding the rails you're just floating above em.

 

Ramps are not as steep on pool lakes as they are on flood control lakes.

I don't see what the issue would be with the engine dying while the tailpipe was underwater though. That's minimal back pressure your intake is still well above the water line. I routinely back my truck down until the tailgate is in underwater and let the kids use it as a swim platform. Been doing it for over 30 years, and I've never had a problem cranking the truck when we're done.

 

Performed this mod while I had my truck up on ramps for the 30k service. Ran the breather to behind the driver's side taillight. Should keep it out of the rain and about as high as it can get. I don't like the under-the-gas-door installations for rain potential (probably unfounded), and I have a cap on the truck for sleeping in it, so the cubby installs didn't make sense either. At some point I'll get back under there and attach the hose to the bottom of the bed a bit better.

 

I just ordered this breather, and it's a 1-way. It won't relieve vacuum

 

I ended up in the same situation. Pry the cap off, remove the diaphragm, drill a couple holes in the cap. On a 2-way, I figure the cap is just for debris protection. Depending on where you are going to locate it, you could probably just run an open line or leave the cap off.

 

Sweet! I'll get on that tomorrow! Thanks!

 

Double check to see if anyone else has weighed in here with their experience / opinion. I am relatively new to the off-road scene. Best of luck.

 

Done! Thanks bro lol works great now!

 

Wait...if the breather is relocated "above" expected water line isn't that better than where it is OEM, regardless if its 1 or 2 way?

 

I think the concept is if the diff is hot and gets submerged, which would “rapidly cool” the diff, it creates a vacuum. The water will then find its way into the diff via bad seals, not the breather. If it’s a two way breather, the vacuum effect would not take place. The two way breather is relocated high so that the breather itself does not ingest water. I’m probably wrong though haha

 

"Defeats the purpose...", was a bad choice of words on my part.
@waltuo is correct.

 

same here

 

@state48overland has a kit for the front and rear diffs for relatively cheap. Also Erick is a pleasure to talk to!

 

Has anyone tried any other locations for this mod? I see some people reroute to the gas cap location and other's behind the tail light. Are their any other good locations for this? I would prefer the gas cap location so I could keep an eye on it incase it starts puking fluid but my 2019 doesn't have the cubby on the driver side so it's a little harder to get to that location. The tail light location is nice for the height but I don't think I would ever check on it and I would prefer not to get diff fluid all over the tail light if it ever puked fluid.

 

It’s more like a simple mod that replaces a moving part, which can fail, with a ‘solid state’ type of idea. There’s no downside other than a few bucks and the time spent to do it

 

I routed mine into the cubby on the passenger side. I had a 08 Tacoma and had it routed into the cubby also. I liked this location better than the gas cap or behind the taillight locations.

 

This. And not just the seals, but through the breather as well. This is so easy and cheap and the front is already done. If you are going to drive through water, I would suggest it. You may not suck enough water one time, it may build up. The only way to know is to drain the diff. And if you find a chocolate milkshake, then you'll know. And water mixed with oil will rust parts. You guys saying you have never seen water enter an axle, well I have. This is a Ford 9". Axle seals and bearings were new and breather was the same exact type that is on the Tacoma. I pulled the axle and completely replaced all internals after this and replaced the axle bearings and seals. It can happen.