Hi all, having a problem here and not sure if it's going to be big or small.

I installed a ghetto-fab diff breather on my truck Friday night (popped cap off factory breather, connected hose up to around fuel cap).

Saturday, I took my truck up coyote canyon/collins valley and to calcite mine, driving about 100 highway miles/15 off-road miles there and back. After the trails I checked underneath and it all looked clean and ok.

Sunday, today, I took the truck about 10 miles and then looked underneath just for the hell of it and found gear oil dripping off my diff and a little sprayed on the fuel tank and bottom of the bed. After I got back home (auto parts store already closed) I looked under again and the spray has covered more area.

The hose I used for the diff breather doesn't seem to be leaking, although I'm going to get an OEM part tomorrow and try that out maybe. The spray seems to be coming from the oil seal between the diff and propeller shaft.

Is it possible my breather isn't letting the diff breath and the oil is blasting out the seal? Why didn't this happen until today?

 

It sounds like the pinion seal has gone bad and is slinging oil all over the place while your driving. it shouldn`t have anything to do with the breather extension you added.

 

Pinion seal for sho. Mine went away on a 100 mile wheelin trip, it was a PITA.

 

Holy crap, I hope this doesn't happen often or I may have to stop rockcrawling altogether, lol.

I've been trying to remove the old pinion seal itself for about 30min and have no idea how I'm gonna get it out short of drilling it, which I really don't wanna do. I think it's the original seal or something, because it's seated tight as a weld, bent/broke two screwdrivers already on this stupid thing.

 

you know, they use a press to install them...

 

No kidding, got it out though

 

The fun part is I think I messed up the new seal when I put it in because it's still spraying, just a lot less