axle breather, diff vent?

[marleyone]

I just changed the front & rear diff oil and am wondering what (if anything) you guys use to keep water and mud out of the breather vents. My axles just have the OE little rubber plug thingys and it seems like it would not take very deep water to pollute my nice clean oil.
Any Ideas?

[jeepbob]

On the 81 there should be a white plastic vent that can be unscrewed and a hose fitting installed. Run a hose from there up into the body and put the vent in the end of the hose. On the 71 if there is no vent cap then it is much harder as there is a vent hole under the left spring pad in the rear. This must be plugged and a hole drilled and tapped for 1/8 pipe then the fitting, hose, and vent cap can be installed. In the front follow the same procedures as the rear and run the hose up by the rad.

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65 wag. 360/edelbrock rb4/t400/20 t-case/4:10 d27/d44 tracloc/onboard air/onboard 110v power(no inverter)/1999 Lincoln t.c.leather buckets/taurus ctr console/winch/33x12.50/tunes/water proof door pads
soon to have new motor/d44frt/d60r(4:10)welded diff/custom bumpers
see ya in da mud

[marleyone]

Thanks Bob, I should have clarified Im wanting to do this for my '71 (the '81 already has the hose attached). On the '71 Ive found the vents the D27 has it on the top of the diff and the 44 has it on the axle tube next to the pumpkin. Do i just pop the vent cap off? What kind of fitting do i use to attach a vent hose?
thx

[Lococoin]

actually i just did my vent on my dana 60,im sure my 44 is the same. i took a 1/4 inch npt pipe nipple and ground the end tapered, then i siliconed it and beat it in with a hammer, then i took and put hose on the end and run it right up to the top of my box just under the lip, then i put the little plastic breather on the top, now i can go through water up to the top of my box...if i felt like it

hope that helps

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77 jeep J20
360 four barrel
t18a Dana 20
dana 60 rear
dana 44 front
3.73 gears with limited slip in rear
4" Superlift
35 X 12.5 Bf Goodrich M/T
SOA coming soon...i hope

[fas2c]

I have to tell ya I was a bit unnerved when I found my rear axel vent w/ nothing but a hole and no vent hose http://www.ifsja.org/ubb/frown.gif
The forward vent lines were intact, but had slumped down and tangled up in the myriad of vacuum lines which share the engine compartment. Yet another project i have no time for http://www.ifsja.org/ubb/tongue.gif
fas2c

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The Big Orange
1974 Wagoneer
360-THM 400w/QT
31-10.5's
Super Saggy Springs
135,000 miles
Soon to have:
Performer Intake w/4bbl carb & low range QT gears

[jeepbob]

I would drill and tap the hole for 1/8 pipe thread and use a brass pipe to hose fitting available at most part houses. You are lucky haveing it where you can get at it as some were under the left spring perch.
BTW the D27 will not live long with V8 power and low range unless you remember to lock the t/case diff. And even then it is shakey. Spider gears and drive flanges are the weak points, which is why a D44 is going in the front of mine.

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65 wag. 360/edelbrock rb4/t400/20 t-case/4:10 d27/d44 tracloc/onboard air/onboard 110v power(no inverter)/1999 Lincoln t.c.leather buckets/taurus ctr console/winch/33x12.50/tunes/water proof door pads
soon to have new motor/d44frt/d60r(4:10)welded diff/custom bumpers
see ya in da mud

[marleyone]

Thanks guys thats gives me a good idea of what to do.

Jeepbob ---> What do you mean by 'locking the t/case diff'? What year front d44 axle are you planning on swaping? Im planning on doing thatswap too and have been trying to gather info on what parts to use from what.

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Decade of fsj History:
'81 Wagoneer - AMC360 727auto np219 dana44 amc20
'71 Wagoneer - 350"Dauntless" th400, d20 d27 d44

[marleyone]

Calling JeepBob!

[jeepbob]

Marleyone,
sorry for the timelaspe, I sometimes don't go back and read when I prolly should. By locking up the t/case diff, I mean put it in Emergency drive BEFORE hitting the mud hole. By doing this you have locked the t/case diff up solid and have equal power to both front and rear axles. The reason you want this is because if the rear wheels are hooked and the fronts are spinning the power will mostly go to the front wheels. If this happens the frts will spin faster and if they suddenly hook up, BANG, POP, CRUNCH, and all forward motion stops. I found this out when I was coming out of a hole and it left me in mud halfway up my doors. I had forgotten to lock up the diff in the q/trac. It took out the spider gears in the frt axle,
the rt frt drive flange, and 2 of the bolts the hold the drive shaft to the yolk.
Now that I typed this explaination I see you are running a D20 and all of the above means nothing to you. My Jeep is such a Jeep Mutt that I sometimes forget what came in what. (course you did not sign the first 2 questions http://www.ifsja.org/ubb/biggrin.gif) As for a D44 unless you change the hubs and brakes to Ford parts there is not one that will be the same bolt pattern for your wheels. I am using w/t axles from a J3000 (D60 rr and D44 frt)and doing a SOA at the same time.

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65 wag. 360/edelbrock rb4/t400/20 t-case/4:10 d27/d44 tracloc/onboard air/onboard 110v power(no inverter)/1999 Lincoln t.c.leather buckets/taurus ctr console/winch/33x12.50/tunes/water proof door pads
soon to have new motor/d44frt/d60r(4:10)welded diff/custom bumpers
see ya in da mud

[River Beast]

Here is a great waterproofing idea....

Take your vent hose and take about 18" of 1/4" copper tubing. coil the the copper tubing around 1" stock to make 1" coil and leave about 4" on top. Loop the top remaing 4" in a 180 degree down thru the middle of the coil and place the one-way check valve on the end mount it vertically anywhere above... in the frame or higher... water will NEVER travel upwards into the copper tubing.

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Todd
"River Beast" (http://home.earthlink.net/~tjnkk)
http://home.earthlink.net/~riverbeast/rbthnl.jpg
14" of total Lift on 39.5" Swampers
44's locked with 4.89's
...and other stuff...
My Original FSJ site (http://www.geocities.com/spazz4life)
riverbeast@earthlink.net
"When approaching an intersection, remember...
the vehicle with the BIGGEST TIRES has the right of way..."

'93 3/4 ton 4x4 Suburban...a.k.a. "FSJ Hauler"