99SR5

iTrader: (1)

i just went wheelin today and went a little deep in the water. what happens if the water goes above the rear axel. will it mess anything up the first time i do it.

marko3xl3

If you do not have an extended rear breather installed, there is a chance that your differential sucked some water into itself. When you submerge your differential, depending on how long and the temperature difference, the breather might open and 'accidently' suck in some water.

Your best bet would be to check your rear diff fluid and install an extended breather. There is a write-up in the tech section about it.

Other than the diff, the only other thing to worry about is not to get water into your intake which is located in the front right fender.

Tofer

this is how i did my diff breather mod.. it works perfect. http://www.wattora.com/mods/diffbreather/ i put the end up near the gas filler hole, i figure if water is that high, my rear diff is the least of my worries.

4Hummer

Build a snorkel, Extend front and rear diff breathers, seal everything else.

But no matter what you do your Toyota will not be a submarine.


Take a close look at the water line INSIDE the truck

Intrepid

IF you get mud into your stock breather it can clog which can cause your axle seals to blow, I believe our good buddy Gangbang had an issue with this. Extend your breather, change your diff fluid, do it soon!

99SR5

iTrader: (1)

so what if i did suck in some water, how much water would it take to make some damage

4Crawler

iTrader: (3)

Check the gear oil in the rear axle (via the fill plug). It'll look like a milkshake if a lot of water got in. If just a little bit, that can be evaporated off with normal driving.

99SR5

iTrader: (1)

yeah i wasnt in there for long just a couple seconds

farmerj

It doesn't take that long to get enough water in there to ruin your fluid. Depending on how good your breather is, you already may have water in there.

It is a cr*p shoot really. I have seen vehicles go in and out of water all day and not have water. I have seen vehicles drive through water once and they are filled enough to ruin a differential.

After our Flood in 97 and rebuilding axles, hubs and differentals on a daily basis, I simply avoid water when possible.


The only way to be save is, Everytime ou travel in water, pull you fill plug and visual your fluid. If it's milky, you got water.

On a side note, check your brakes too. You may have popped a wheel cylinder seal. It's happened and it sucks too. Water will leach into the entire system.

99SR5

iTrader: (1)

yeah i checked out my fluid and its ok. it got me scared though.

spindleshanks

I Just installed the diff breather relocation (Thanks for the WaTTORA link, Tofer). I routed the hose up the fuel filler neck as they advised, and went one step further, having the breather protrude out into the fuel fill area, behind the fuel door. I removed the four screws, pulled the black plastic cowling out of the fuel fill area, and drilled a hole in it large enough to allow the threaded portion of the breather to protrude into the cowling, but not the hex-head portion. Fitting the breather into the hose was easy. Plenty of slack was left in the hose to allow flexing of the suspension, and I think the location of the breather behind the fuel door will be relatively protected. Zip ties (which, by the way, are mankind's greatest invention) secure the hose to the filler neck and to the loom that supports the E-locker wiring. Curiousity has me wondering whether I'll smell gear oil when I open the fuel door to gas up on a hot summer day. Who cares. Now I feel better prepared to take on the river in front of Medano Pass that flows in late spring/early summer. Yeehaw

jsnby

what are you guys doing for the front diff, transfer case, and transmission?

Crux

This has been on my list to do forever, I even have all the parts.
Someday I gotta get it done...

midiwall

You may, but that's a feature... you know the breather's working if you do!

spindleshanks

The whole job was done for $7.60. I got the fuel hose from my CARQUEST hookup for .43/ft. Note that the writeup called for 8 feet of hose...I only used 5 feet. I jacked the truck up and put it on stands, so that the rear axle was fully articulated, to see how long the hose needed to be to allow for flex. I got plenty of slack with the 5 foot section of hose.
I checked at Checker Auto and they wanted .10/inch for their fuel line...ridiculous! The union fitting from Toyota cost $4.50, also ridiculous and those ass clowns had to order it in.

spindleshanks

The front diff breather is located in the engine compartment. I don't think there are any breathers on the TS or Tranny. Anybody?

jsnby

you mean after you extended it, right?

midiwall

Actually, on a 3rd gen and beyond, the front diff breather is already extended from the factory. It's been a long standing question as to why Toyota would do the front and not the rear from the factory.

hill

here is a really silly question...how do i change/flush my rear diff fluid....?

JHupp

just ordered my breather parts today, don't think they would help much in a situation like 4hummers though. one easy mod, that I completely missed, like finding stuff like that though