dana 60 breather/vent ?

[kmatsoyan]

I know its not a jeep part but its under my cj7, i got the jeep half built, i was looking at it today and its got no breather or vent or whatever you wanna call it. I believe its a ford d60 but i could be wrong. any body know where its supposed to be or where the best place is to drill a new one and how? Also its leaking oil from the pinion yoke area. Could this be from the fact that i don't have a breather, it only starts leaking after a good run with it. any help is appreciated

[Tomb Raider]

Front or rear?

Front is on the drivers side, just back of the perch on the diff. Little nipple sticking up, or a hole....lol.


Rear is on the drivers side, half way between the diff and the brakes.....back side.


If there is nothing there....should be 1/4" NPT hose barb.

EDIT: this is all based off my 79 F350 dana 60's.


-Scott

[Tech Tim]

If there isn't one there, get out the drill... and go 1/4" ID min, better yet go 3/8" ID.

[kmatsoyan]

sorry its rear, don't have one at all, looks like there used to be a hole at the edge of the carrier where the axle tube connects into but it appears it was welded shut for some odd reason. Wheres the best spot to drill the new one, and should i tap some threads in their or just go pressfit with some jb weld to seal it. My front is a 8 lug 44, used to have a arb in it, still has the nipple for what appears to be the arb line, should i just use that for vent in the front?

Originally Posted by Tomb Raider

Front or rear?

Front is on the drivers side, just back of the perch on the diff. Little nipple sticking up, or a hole....lol.


Rear is on the drivers side, half way between the diff and the brakes.....back side.


If there is nothing there....should be 1/4" NPT hose barb.

EDIT: this is all based off my 79 F350 dana 60's.


-Scott

[Tech Tim]

On the rear: Pull the cover, locate a spot over toward the RH side (away from the ring gear) towards the bearing cap where it is clear of obstructions, pack the diff with rags real well, punch and drill the hole through the top of the center section. Tap it out with a pipe tap. AGAIN>>> GO BIG on the breather, with a bigger tire, higher gear ratios you are creating higher temps than original. Your axle will thank you.

Last, form a small little sheet metal dam to cover the vent hole inside of the center section. To do this you need to imagine how the ring gear is spinning and flinging oil everywhere. You want to block this flying oil from getting into the vent hole. Think of a little dome with 1/4 of it open, facing away from the direction of the oil. Anchor this dam with a couple generous tack welds.

On the front, you could use the ARB hole as your vent line, it is threaded for 1/4 pipe so you are at the minimum for axle vent size. Make sure to shield this one too and watch out, the oil is moving in a different direction than the rear.

Last, hook up some rubber vaccuum line or fuel line to the vent fitting, run it up out of the way (maybe zip tie it along your brake lines) and then pop in one of those $1.99 clear fuel filters (the ones you always see in a box on the counter of your auto parts stores) into the end of the hose, loop it back on itself and anchor it into position.

BTW- You could also put a vent through the cover of the diff and do a little weld in baffle on the inside to keep the oil from getting into it.

[blueguy]

Originally Posted by Tech Tim

On the rear: Pull the cover, locate a spot over toward the RH side (away from the ring gear) towards the bearing cap where it is clear of obstructions, pack the diff with rags real well, punch and drill the hole through the top of the center section. Tap it out with a pipe tap. AGAIN>>> GO BIG on the breather, with a bigger tire, higher gear ratios you are creating higher temps than original. Your axle will thank you.

Last, form a small little sheet metal dam to cover the vent hole inside of the center section. To do this you need to imagine how the ring gear is spinning and flinging oil everywhere. You want to block this flying oil from getting into the vent hole. Think of a little dome with 1/4 of it open, facing away from the direction of the oil. Anchor this dam with a couple generous tack welds.

On the front, you could use the ARB hole as your vent line, it is threaded for 1/4 pipe so you are at the minimum for axle vent size. Make sure to shield this one too and watch out, the oil is moving in a different direction than the rear.

Last, hook up some rubber vaccuum line or fuel line to the vent fitting, run it up out of the way (maybe zip tie it along your brake lines) and then pop in one of those $1.99 clear fuel filters (the ones you always see in a box on the counter of your auto parts stores) into the end of the hose, loop it back on itself and anchor it into position.

BTW- You could also put a vent through the cover of the diff and do a little weld in baffle on the inside to keep the oil from getting into it.

If it's a rear application, I think it would be much easier just to drill and tap the axle tube, that way there's no chance of gear oil being splashed up and pumped out of the vent with the pressure/heat. You still get the heat/pressure build up out, and avoid the mess

[resqme]

And yes, that would cause your pinion seal to leak...next is an axle seal and ruined brakes, so you should fix it sooner than later.

[Rubicrawler]

Originally Posted by resqme

...next is an axle seal and ruined brakes, so you should fix it sooner than later.

Yep, been there, done that. Fix it before you need new brakes

[Tech Tim]

Originally Posted by blueguy

If it's a rear application, I think it would be much easier just to drill and tap the axle tube, that way there's no chance of gear oil being splashed up and pumped out of the vent with the pressure/heat. You still get the heat/pressure build up out, and avoid the mess

Works great for a street rig, but in a off road rig, you are articulating that axle up and down and the oil is filling the tubes.... never good to have your vent in the tubes...

[blueguy]

I see what you're saying - good point, I never really thought of it like that.
But what would the difference be in having the pig tapped? There's still oil there, although I guess the bulk of it would end up in one or the other tube offroad? Seems to me to be 6 of one, half a dozen of the other, unless I'm really out to lunch...

[gottagofast]

Originally Posted by blueguy

unless I'm really out to lunch...

still hungry?
the point is that in the top of the pig it will always be above the oil level unless you turn upside down...... in the axle tube it is just above halfway frob the bottom when level..... turn it 90 degrees down on that side and it could be below oil level as it is below the ring and pinion
In the top of the housing worst (not rollover) case is at the same level of ring and pinion

I also personally wouldn't put it in the cover as steep uphill conditions combined with an upward turned pinion means possible oil in the breather

[tvguy]

Here's the vent on my rear D60 . . .

[blueguy]

Originally Posted by gottagofast

still hungry?
the point is that in the top of the pig it will always be above the oil level unless you turn upside down...... in the axle tube it is just above halfway frob the bottom when level..... turn it 90 degrees down on that side and it could be below oil level as it is below the ring and pinion
In the top of the housing worst (not rollover) case is at the same level of ring and pinion

Gotcha....

[kmatsoyan]

Thanks for all the help, i think i'm going to go with it on the pig.

[Tech Tim]

Originally Posted by blueguy

I see what you're saying - good point, I never really thought of it like that.
But what would the difference be in having the pig tapped? There's still oil there, although I guess the bulk of it would end up in one or the other tube offroad? Seems to me to be 6 of one, half a dozen of the other, unless I'm really out to lunch...

Originally Posted by gottagofast

still hungry?
the point is that in the top of the pig it will always be above the oil level unless you turn upside down...... in the axle tube it is just above halfway frob the bottom when level..... turn it 90 degrees down on that side and it could be below oil level as it is below the ring and pinion
In the top of the housing worst (not rollover) case is at the same level of ring and pinion

I also personally wouldn't put it in the cover as steep uphill conditions combined with an upward turned pinion means possible oil in the breather

Even more important, you are missing the part about the baffle to keep the oil from being slung into the vent hole. The vent's job is to vent the housing, it can't do it if it is getting oil inside of it.

[blueguy]

I was already considering the baffle, I just never wrote it.
Guess I just didn't consider that the tube would fill up completely in severe off-camber situations if the vent was tapped in the tube near the pumpkin.