Got out the other day and changed my front diff oil...yum. I love that gear oil stench! When I opened the check/fill plug, I got a "PFFFT" of air coming out...not wimpy-like, either. Made a mental note to check that relief valve when I got done, but it was cold and getting dark....so I left it for 2 days, til today.

I just used a crescent wrench to pull the valve (above and right of the check valve) today; yup, another "PFFFFT" already! Examination showed it to be non functioning.
Soaking it in gas for 15 minutes made it functioning again, lol. Popped her back in, and put the armor plate back on......

Just a point as we jump into winter (8" to 12" of snow expected tonight in Maine, season's first real amount) - eventually, that plugged breather could have resulted in some seal failure! Last thing you want in the snow, ice and mud.....
Put my rear tube on, too (valve was cleared a few weeks back), and suspended it up against the bottom of the bed with electrical wire....just in case...

 

Were only supposed to get 5 here!

My diffs get checked regularly. ditching the stock breathers for some extended ones help keep all the road/trail crud out of them

 

good idea ive forgot about it since i owned this truck what gear oil weight ill have to do my breathers while im in there

 

Back in my wheeling days I pulled the breathers out of my FJ-40's axles and replaced them with 1/4" NPT x 1/4" Barb fittings. I used 1/4" ID fuel line to route the breathers up under the hood being careful to leave slack for axle travel by following the route of the brake lines.

 

Love the avatar.

It's the guy off of Jerimah Johnson who chases griz...pilgram

 

I did exactly the same but with out the FJ40 touch. Works great.

 

Good ideas, guys. My rear is drilled out (or rotted, ha ha), no valve to speak of but the nipple is still there - ran a tube up under the bed. Front has the stock 'tophat' valve. I should use the NPT fitting + barb and do the same....

@Cres: Gear oil is that NAPA 80W-90, pretty much the only one they have (at least my NAPA). I think it has 'multi ratings' on the label, like 75-80-85W 90....strange, I know, but it works! We use it all around up in these parts (diffs, tranny, TC).

 

I did the diffs, trans, transfer case and motor oil and a new Toyota filter a couple of weeks ago.

I wanted to get it done before it got cold...

 

LOL...thanks. It's actually not from Jeremiah Johnson-it's a guy only known as "Bear Man" from True Grit. He doesn't appear in the book or the John Wayne version. He shows up wearing the bear skin with a dead guy across the back of his horse and offers him in trade to Rooster Cogburn but first says that he's already removed the guy's teeth Creepy scene...

 

That guy is awesome!
So is the guy like him in Jeremiah Johnson.
10" of snow up here, that really compactible sandy stuff that turns to ice immediately when you drive on it (not cold enough, and the ground melts it a little on contact). Took a cruise; awesome time, but going up my own driveway (hilly) was a b*tch! lol

 

we only got about 2 inchs of slush down here in portland

 

It's been snowing here for a while...
I just changed my front and rear diff fluid on Monday, wanted to get it done before it got in the negatives

 

Yes, there is a mountain man in the movie that looks just like that avatar.

 

You got off easy in Portland, ha ha. Mountains, up here. Still warm, tho, 31 right now.

The Jeremiah J. guy, I think he also played Mad Jack on Grizzly Adams.....