Checking axle breather valve?

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  • morgant
    1st Gear
    • Jun 2009
    • 170

    Checking axle breather valve?

    Eleven months later and I've still yet to replace the radiator in my '82 SIII 88", but then again I've barely driven it.

    I replaced the gear oil in the transmission, transfer box, and differentials a couple weekends ago and noticed something odd regarding the rear diff: it appeared to be over-filled, but with very brown gear oil. My assumption is that the previous owner never checked it after a water crossing or something. It was definitely in a state that could've been contributing to overheating.

    With the gear oil replaced and at the correct level, the next thing I'd like to do is make sure the axle breather is functioning correctly. Does it just unscrew from the housing? What size is it (I'll have to borrow a wrench as my adjustable spanner doesn't fit well enough and a socket obviously won't fit over the cap)?

    It's just a ball-bearing in there and I need to see if it's stuck, correct?
    rikuwoiku — to travel overland.
    1982 Series III 88" (RHD w/2.8L Daihatsu diesel)
    2002 Discovery II SE

    CentreSteer.com — A podcast by, for, and about Land Rover owners. (Panelist & Content Producer)

    SeriesParts.com — A master list of parts, part suppliers (our gracious hosts included), and repair shops for Series Land Rovers.
  • daveb
    5th Gear
    • Nov 2006
    • 513

    #2
    Originally posted by morgant
    Does it just unscrew from the housing? What size is it (I'll have to borrow a wrench as my adjustable spanner doesn't fit well enough and a socket obviously won't fit over the cap)?

    It's just a ball-bearing in there and I need to see if it's stuck, correct?
    Yes, Don't know but I think it is a whitworth size, Yes, and Yes.
    A Land Rover would never turn up to collect an Oscar. It'd be far too busy doing something important, somewhere, for someone."


    Comment

    • Lalo88DK
      1st Gear
      • Nov 2009
      • 116

      #3
      I unscrew the axle breather's from the housing with an slim 16 mm wrench, every time I service my Series III truck (for every 6000 miles) and put them in a little cup filled with petrol, leave for about 10 min. so they're nice and clean and you're able to hear the ball clicking when you shake the axle breather. Then I blast with compressed air and give each one a tiny drop of oil and replace them on the axle housing.

      Comment

      • alaskajosh
        2nd Gear
        • Sep 2007
        • 208

        #4
        Better yet, replace them with Defender style remote breathers and never worry about them again. Sold by RN.

        Kind regards, Josh

        Comment

        • martindktm
          2nd Gear
          • Jun 2008
          • 218

          #5
          What I have done on mine is to remove the ball type breather and tap the thread 1/8" npt in the housing. Then I screwed a nipple so I can install a 1/4" remote flex hose.

          Comment

          • Lalo88DK
            1st Gear
            • Nov 2009
            • 116

            #6
            Defender style remote breathers can be blocked aswell, and with same result, ask me how I know that










            I experienced this on my former Ninety

            Comment

            • morgant
              1st Gear
              • Jun 2009
              • 170

              #7
              Thanks all!

              No luck getting it off yesterday with the tools I have (Vise-Grips, various adjustable spanners, and non-metric wrenches), so I'll be trying to borrow a 16mm wrench and see how that goes.
              rikuwoiku — to travel overland.
              1982 Series III 88" (RHD w/2.8L Daihatsu diesel)
              2002 Discovery II SE

              CentreSteer.com — A podcast by, for, and about Land Rover owners. (Panelist & Content Producer)

              SeriesParts.com — A master list of parts, part suppliers (our gracious hosts included), and repair shops for Series Land Rovers.

              Comment

              • LaneRover
                Overdrive
                • Oct 2006
                • 1743

                #8
                Originally posted by morgant
                Thanks all!

                No luck getting it off yesterday with the tools I have (Vise-Grips, various adjustable spanners, and non-metric wrenches), so I'll be trying to borrow a 16mm wrench and see how that goes.
                IIRC - this is one of the instances where having a cheap set of tools can help. You want a pretty thin wrench to make sure the 'mushroom cap' on top of the breather doesn't get in the way.

                Brent
                1958 107 SW - Sold to a better home
                1965 109 SW - nearly running well
                1966 88 SW - running but needing attention
                1969 109 P-UP

                http://www.facebook.com/album.php?ai...2&l=64cfe23aa2

                Comment

                • morgant
                  1st Gear
                  • Jun 2009
                  • 170

                  #9
                  Frustratingly, it seems to be somewhere between 15mm & 16mm (and between 9/16" & 6/8"). Maybe I could squeeze a pair of needle-nose vise-grips in there.
                  rikuwoiku — to travel overland.
                  1982 Series III 88" (RHD w/2.8L Daihatsu diesel)
                  2002 Discovery II SE

                  CentreSteer.com — A podcast by, for, and about Land Rover owners. (Panelist & Content Producer)

                  SeriesParts.com — A master list of parts, part suppliers (our gracious hosts included), and repair shops for Series Land Rovers.

                  Comment

                  • SafeAirOne
                    Overdrive
                    • Apr 2008
                    • 3435

                    #10
                    Originally posted by morgant
                    Frustratingly, it seems to be somewhere between 15mm & 16mm (and between 9/16" & 6/8"). Maybe I could squeeze a pair of needle-nose vise-grips in there.

                    There are lots of sizes between 9/16" and 3/4" (6/8")!
                    --Mark

                    1973 SIII 109 RHD 2.5NA Diesel

                    0-54mph in just under 11.5 minutes
                    (9.7 minutes now that she's a 3-door).

                    Comment

                    • morgant
                      1st Gear
                      • Jun 2009
                      • 170

                      #11
                      Originally posted by SafeAirOne
                      There are lots of sizes between 9/16" and 3/4" (6/8")!
                      Ha! Obviously that should've been 5/8".
                      rikuwoiku — to travel overland.
                      1982 Series III 88" (RHD w/2.8L Daihatsu diesel)
                      2002 Discovery II SE

                      CentreSteer.com — A podcast by, for, and about Land Rover owners. (Panelist & Content Producer)

                      SeriesParts.com — A master list of parts, part suppliers (our gracious hosts included), and repair shops for Series Land Rovers.

                      Comment

                      • morgant
                        1st Gear
                        • Jun 2009
                        • 170

                        #12
                        Fortunately, my boss has a set of Whitworth wrenches he bought for restoring/rebuilding a Norton, so I may have a real solution soon! Here's hoping.
                        rikuwoiku — to travel overland.
                        1982 Series III 88" (RHD w/2.8L Daihatsu diesel)
                        2002 Discovery II SE

                        CentreSteer.com — A podcast by, for, and about Land Rover owners. (Panelist & Content Producer)

                        SeriesParts.com — A master list of parts, part suppliers (our gracious hosts included), and repair shops for Series Land Rovers.

                        Comment

                        • morgant
                          1st Gear
                          • Jun 2009
                          • 170

                          #13
                          Sadly, none of his Whitworth wrenches were the right size (maybe some of the sockets were, but obviously won't work for this issue). I bought another wrench that looked like it'd fit and do the job, but I only managed to round it off. So, now I'm worse off than where I started.

                          My next step will probably be to order a new axle breather valve and take the truck to a shop that can cut the mushroom cap off and then extract the rounded off bolt. Feh.
                          rikuwoiku — to travel overland.
                          1982 Series III 88" (RHD w/2.8L Daihatsu diesel)
                          2002 Discovery II SE

                          CentreSteer.com — A podcast by, for, and about Land Rover owners. (Panelist & Content Producer)

                          SeriesParts.com — A master list of parts, part suppliers (our gracious hosts included), and repair shops for Series Land Rovers.

                          Comment

                          • SafeAirOne
                            Overdrive
                            • Apr 2008
                            • 3435

                            #14
                            Just get some channel locks and accept that the breather will be sacrificed to the Rover Gods.
                            --Mark

                            1973 SIII 109 RHD 2.5NA Diesel

                            0-54mph in just under 11.5 minutes
                            (9.7 minutes now that she's a 3-door).

                            Comment

                            • morgant
                              1st Gear
                              • Jun 2009
                              • 170

                              #15
                              I essentially did. I picked up a pair of VISE-GRIP GrooveLock (the one for hex nuts) and that's what rounded it. No matter how tight a grip I get, it just turns. Maybe if I mash the sides of the mushroom cap in so I can get a better grip, that'd help.

                              I guess my main concern is completely destroying the thing so it can't be removed.
                              rikuwoiku — to travel overland.
                              1982 Series III 88" (RHD w/2.8L Daihatsu diesel)
                              2002 Discovery II SE

                              CentreSteer.com — A podcast by, for, and about Land Rover owners. (Panelist & Content Producer)

                              SeriesParts.com — A master list of parts, part suppliers (our gracious hosts included), and repair shops for Series Land Rovers.

                              Comment

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