Diff breathers for fj40... cost and fitting Info for all

[mellows40]

G'day all,
For once I don't have a question but answers...
After recently Inquiring about diff breathers at my old mechanic. . not the guy I use now. And being told he could fit breathers front and rear for $60.00 rear
$40.00 front = total $100.00+gst.. I thought this was a rip off so I looked into it with the help of my new mechanic. . Bog Cog 4x4 in Croydon this is the result

Purchase two 1/8 bsp tube spike with 5/8 spike... Price from R+E auto parts Croydon... $7.00 each

Purchase 10 meters of 8mm dia general purpose tube.. (10 meters is over kill but allowing for mistakes) purcased from FJ's discount tools in Bayswater

Price $1.00 per meter= $10.00

Remove diff breathers from diffs. Screw in 1/8 tube spikes, attach 8mm tube then run tube up into engine bay fixing along the way with cable ties. leaving enough tube length to allow suspension travel. Then bend a small piece of galvanised sheet or cut a piece of angle iron 40 x 40 x1.6 mm. Drill two 1/8 holes and pop rivet to fire wall, then place breathers you removed from diffs into mount bracket holes from the top down, push tube on to tube spikes then pipe clamp the tube ends to the tube spike and breathers..... your done.... tooo easy!!!

Total cost including gst $24.00

Total time taken to fit... 1 hour..

Money saved by doing it myself = $ 76.00...

Don't get ripped off on such a simple mod...

I hope this can help someone else from getting ripped off
Oh yeah my new mechanic.... didn't charge me for his help or advice thanks Andrew...

[bj on roids]

Ya gotta pay rent on a shop. $100 doesnt sound too bad to me. I mean, great to hear you did it cheap, but I don't think it was that bad of a rip off.

[mellows40]

yeah I hear ya.. but when the mod is this simple it certainly helps to do it yourself and save a few bucks that could be better spent. shmoozing the missus so I can buy a winch for the 40..

I'll post some pics up

[mellows40]

ok here they come!!!
Just a little note, went muddin and havn't cleaned her underside proplerly... plus a little rust
I have the rear tube running up inside the chassis rail

[droopypete]

Good work, you need an elbow on your front diff or it will kink (even more) over time.



Personaly I think these are the way to go

[AUSDOG]

Good work, you need an elbow on your front diff or it will kink (even more) over time.



Personaly I think these are the way to go

any info on this thing mate? do you use em? cheers.

[bj on roids]

You are not legally allowed to attach things to brake lines, certainly not in queensland, and must have 10mm clearance to brake lines also

Looks like a great effort otherwise.

[mellows40]

BJ... Mmmm your probably right... never thought bout that... oh well it's easy to fix... cheers for that...

Out with the side cutters..... problem fixed....

Droopy pete... I will look into that elbow. when I hooked it up yesterday I checked the air flow and it was fine. but overtime that could change. so I will look at it nextime I clean underneath... That could be a while cause I'm a little lazy.....

[Barno111]

Mate i just re run mine using marine fuel filters! keeps the dust out! and cheap as! Also on the matter of the price you were quoted. That was a good price considering it took you a hour it would have probly taken them a hour. Im a mechanic and if the job came to us and we had to have your truck on the hoist for a hour it would have been 80 bucks + parts. So i would have thought it was a good price!

[droopypete]

any info on this thing mate? do you use em? cheers.

They are on the trail gear web site.

No I don't use them, I have an (overly) elaborate system of semi rigid tubing and push on connectors, linking my diffs, transfer case and gearbox to an elevated filtered breather, that while more expensive and complicated than the bellows style is already fitted and working well, so I see no benefit is spending more money on altering a perfectly good system,
if I was to do it again however, I would fit the bellows style breather with a steel tube around it for protection.
Peter.

[mellows40]

Ok lines fixed. They arn't cliped on to the brake lines any more.. it took me an hour, when I first did it yesterday cause I had to work out where to run the air lines and where to fix the bracket at the top...

If I was to do it again it would probably take about 20 mins cause I would know how to, and where to clip the lines.....
I think that bellow type looks like the easiest way of all... just screw in, tighten up and done... no lines no brackets... thats got to be the way to go!!! If I have any dramas with what I have now, I will certainly find some of those bellows and put them on next time....


Next job..... Build a winch bar...