Upper breather hose detached, options?

[jnaut]

I was doing a little spring maintenance and I noticed that there was this mysterious rubber hose attached to a plastic insert which appeared to be melted and gooey. Upon further inspection, I traced this rubber hose to the front diff- so it's the diff breather. As I inspected the hose, the plastic attachment broke off, leaving the upper end of my diff breather hose unattached. I've ziptied it pretty well to another vertical hose, and it's now actually higher than it was before.

What do people on the board suggest, should I go to the dealer and get the exact part and reattach it, or get a new hose and raise the breather way up high?

This plastic attachment sits right below the battery tray where a drain hole sits, so if you ever have any battery acid come out of your battery and drip out the drain, it lands right on the diff hose. Apologies but the snap I took focussed on all the foreground stuff, but I circled the diff breather attachment in red:

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Thoughts, should I extend?

 

[LibertyTC]

I would cut off the bad melted rubber and extend it, and put another breather type cap on the top.

 

[Dave]

I was just looking at my diff breather this morning after I did an oil change. I was having the same thoughts about extending it up some more. That's as far as I got though. (just thinking about it) Since yours broke jnaut, you should extend it. Maybe I will go out and break mine so I have an excuse to extend mine.....haha

Dave

 

[Porkchop]

I would cut off the bad melted rubber and extend it, and put another breather type cap on the top.

x2
I did the same to the front and rear after the lift, new hose no patching
On my old Wrangler I had plastic boxs mounted upside down that held air when totaly under water with the breaters mounted in there.

 

[ptsb5a]

Funny this topic should come up. I just extended my front diff vent tube today. I used 9ft of 5/16 fuel line, a tiny hose clamp and a wee in-line fuel filter. I ran the hose from the front diff cover up under the battery tray, along the fender and behind the brake master cylinder to a place way up high on the firewall. I then attached the wee fuel filter and another 4" of hose (pointed downwards) and tied the whole mess in place. In case you're wondering, the $1.45 fuel filter for a lawnmower is just to keep contiminates from ever entering the hose. I'll go out and take a pic of it tomorrow and post it here.

Ian

 

[yellocoyote]

I still have to extend all of mine... Part of the never-ended to-do list.

 

[Dave]

Funny this topic should come up. I just extended my front diff vent tube today. I used 9ft of 5/16 fuel line, a tiny hose clamp and a wee in-line fuel filter. I ran the hose from the front diff cover up under the battery tray, along the fender and behind the brake master cylinder to a place way up high on the firewall. I then attached the wee fuel filter and another 4" of hose (pointed downwards) and tied the whole mess in place. In case you're wondering, the $1.45 fuel filter for a lawnmower is just to keep contiminates from ever entering the hose. I'll go out and take a pic of it tomorrow and post it here.

Ian

Ian, I want to see that.......sounds like something I should do.

Dave

 

[ptsb5a]

Ian, I want to see that.......sounds like something I should do.

Dave

T'was uber easy. Remove skid, cut crimped on clamp, stuff hose through, follow what I posted earlier.... replace skid. DONE.

 

[Dave]

T'was uber easy. Remove skid, cut crimped on clamp, stuff hose through, follow what I posted earlier.... replace skid. DONE.

Sounds easy......

Dave

 

[ptsb5a]

Pics as promised. Sorry I didn't actually get under and remove the skid again for the pics. You'll have to use your imagination as to how the hose attaches to the front diff.


Here you can clearly see the wee filter, FRAM G1000 fuel filter, about a $1.50, and the hose termination.

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In this photo, the hose runs along the inner fender under the ECM, battery tray/relay box and really close to the power steering cooler lines. You can't see those so again, use your imagination!

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Here the hose runs down from the inner fender to the front diff.

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It didn't take too long to do, cost about $10 total and I figure that it's well worth it.

 

[jnaut]

I think you guys have convinced me. I'm gonna extend it. Thanks for the tips guys, especially your setup, ptsb5a. Looks excellent.

But seriously, take heed guys, there's a drain hole in the battery tray RIGHT above that breather hose cap. If battery acid comes out of there it turns that breather cap into a gooey mess and it will fail. Ugly stuff.

 

[rockymountain]

I think you guys have convinced me. I'm gonna extend it. Thanks for the tips guys, especially your setup, ptsb5a. Looks excellent.

But seriously, take heed guys, there's a drain hole in the battery tray RIGHT above that breather hose cap. If battery acid comes out of there it turns that breather cap into a gooey mess and it will fail. Ugly stuff.

Yep, when I did my Boiler plates I had to remove the cap from the mounting bolt anyway. I lifted it up beside the electrical box and zip tied it there.

 

[Porkchop]

I am thinking this would be a great cheap mod on the how to, Wish I took pictures when I did mine.

Only my 2 cents

 

[flyboy]

Definately attach the small inline fuel filter.It will keep out all the nasties,and should water get to it, the filter will prevent the water from freely going into the breather tube.