It seems that whenever I go out offroading, we always seem to find some deep water to go through. I was told that I should drain out my differentials, incase any water has gotten into them through the vents. I plan on doing this soon, but I also want to extend the vents on the front and rear differentials. What I'd like to do is run tubing up from the vents with one way valves at the ends of them, but I have no idea how to do this, what size tubing to use, where to find the one way valves or even where to the vents are. Also, if it is worthwile I would also like to do the same for the transmission if there is a vent for that too. Is there anybody that knows of a current how-to, or that can give some information on materials so that I/anybody else that wants to do this can have some reference?

 

ok i have no idea what these vents look like, im not excatly sure of a perfect fit but i can help a little....

id just take some of that flexible aluminum dryer hose and then take some silicone and 'glue" all around the vent then put the hose in the glue and let it set... as long as its not yanked on or doesnt get hit really hard it should hold...

 

About 3/4 of the way day, Griggs did it, lol.

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/296394

 

Good speculation, Jeff, but they are only 1/4" or 3/8" NPT nipples on the differentials. I extended mine with 1/4" ID rubber tubing with a cut resistant outer jacket that I found laying around here.

And yes, John, as Matt noted: there's some info on the first page of my Cardomain site. Far short of a full how-to, but it should help. We can always get together sometime after you get the materials together if you're still puzzling it out then, and I'll help you.

 

Listen to John G., he knows what he's talking about.

What you're talking about are called check valves. Don't use a check valve, or you're asking for trouble. As the differential and axle housing heats up under load, the air inside will expand, and hence be expelled through the axle vent tube. So far, you check valve is cool; it will allow air out, but no water in. That also means no air comes in.

So where's the problem?

When your differntial and axle housing cools, it will draw air back in through the same vent tube. If you close the axle vent tube with a check valve to prevent water from entering, you prevent air from entering too. If you cool the axle/differential rapidly (as in driving into deep water), the air within the housing will cool and condense, but since it cannot come in through the axle vent tube (because of the check valve), it essentially draws a vacuum across the entire axle housing. With the cooled axle not able to draw air in, it will pull a vacuum across any other potential opening that it can. You may wind up "sucking" water in through the axle tube seals, pinion seal, or possibly the diff cover gasket.

Your best bet is to extend the vent tubes like John says, and for added insurance, secure the top end of the vent tube in an upside-down U configuration. Good luck.

 

Good info Mike and John, thanks. I'll start up with the research.

 

Always glad to help out where I can!

 

heheheh... Griggs said "nipples"...hehe

So where would be a good place to secure the vents and would it be a good idea to put a valve cover brather filter on there??

 

^^^^ lol!! ^^^^ nipples nipples nipples...(there, I said it AGAIN )

Mike is too right about the check valves for sure. He described well why the need to "breath".

 

Actually John, I came up with the issue about check valves on my own, but I read about the axle "sucking in" water when cooled on offroaders.com, which I linked to through your Cardomain page!

Funny how information comes full-circle like that...

 

Ha ha! It's a "small world", Mike!

 

"...after all?"

 

Bringing it back form the dead, but does anyone have any pics of where the vents are on the axle and where you mounted the end of the tube on the truck??

 

On my cardomain, on page 1, down the page aways...

 

John- The factory rear axle vent on my 2003 4x4 is routed up along side the fuel filler neck and clipped in place near the top. Did yours go there or somewhere else? From reading your instructions, I get the impression that the original axle vent on your Edge was shorter than that.

 

Thats where the factory vent was on my 2000 Bob. And when I did my upper control arms a couple weeks ago I noticed the front vent comes up as high as the upper ball joint and has a one way valve already. Go figure

 

So I can run it that long? wow. Dang, I don't know how I missed that part!

So where exactly did you secure the ends of the vents in the engine compartment?

 

If you run it higher water might still get in on my samurai I just drilled a hole in the floor and ran it up into the cab man I love having a beater!!!!

 

i think my t-case and tranny both had vents also. you might want to look around and see if they do. If they do you want to extend them also.

 

2wd, man! ARrrrggg!! haha... Anyway, can I run them into the taillight area and make some splash guards for them?

I found the tranny vent, but the cap wouldn't come off all the way, it just kinda lifts up... guess I'll have to give it a heeve-ho, superman pull or some other variation...

I'm about to go to Lowes and pick up what I need, how much 1/4" do I need??

 

Precisely where mine went, Bob.

However, if you watch my video (when you get it) you can see the huge volumes of water that get churned up into the body panels (and out the fuel filler door, lol) and I felt like water was going to go into the tube on the top, so I wanted it to end in a "drier" spot.

 

I just got done a little while ago, I ran it up into the taillight area but I also bought some heavy pvc sheet to put in there to keep mud and crap out.. and hopefully water, too.

I'll seal it all up with some RTV or whatever to make sure...

 

Gotcha. I was curious to know if the 2WD and 4WD were possibly different.

 

My taillights have been under water...

When I sometimes come out of deep holes with steep slopes, my rear goes down into the water pretty durn far...

 

uh-oh... well, I needed more tube than I thought, so I'll probably run it into the engine compartment, like you did, I flexed out as much as I could and it' didn't bind, but it just doesn't look long enough. I'll buy some more when I get to work... 72cent a foot isn't too much...