Fitting Dif-breather to Sierra

[DiddyZook]

I want (need) to fit dif-breathers to my Sierra as I do a lot of creek crossings and stupid shit in mud.

The factory breathers have a cap about an inch high. How should I best remove this without damaging anything else. Does it just snap off and then what is left? Does just the cap come off or does the whole factory breather need to be replaced?

If someone who has done this before could please let me know.

[HRZOOK]

I have not done this but I am sure all you have to do is remove the cap, hose clamp a hose to the stub that is left and run hose into engine bay. Some people than put a fuel filter in end of hose

HRZOOK

[Bad JuJu]

And Garden hose is the perfect size .... cheap too

[Barathrum]

the caps can be hard to remove, just keep pulling at it and it'll pop off eventually.

[Bad JuJu]

My front breather cap i used a long flat blade screwdriver and a hammerhead laying on its side in as a fulcrum point to lever against.
The rear came off with plyers only..

[OldGold]

I put a long, big flathead on the edge of the cap and bashed it off with a hammer.

I used compressor hose because it's oil resistant. And cheap.

[DiddyZook]

Thanks.

I wasn't sure what would happen if I took to it with a big screwdiver and just tried to lever it off. Too scared that I might damage the insides. Wasn't sure if the stub would separate from the cap etc.

I have seen garden hose on a couple before (though didnt look close enough to inspect the stub) but i like the point about oil resistance if I go for compressor hose (Hmm pretty colours too

[bigsteve]

I personally prefer the ARB kit, its obviously a little more $$$ but for the neatness of it as well as not having 6 foot or garden hose all through the guts of your car.

Just my opinion.

Might pay to get a price from ARB

[diffbreaker]

Regardless of whether you go of a DIY set-up or ARB, make sure you occassionally re-visit your breathers when you're crawling under your zook. They have a habit of wearing/splitting just at the point where they slip onto the breather nipple on your diff and if that's the case, they're no better than the original factory breather. There is oil/fuel resistant clear braided hose available at Bunnings. Another advantage of having a breather hose is when the filler bung seizes on your diff, you can still refill it through the breather hose.

[Meteor]

7m of garden hose should do the trick (5m for the job, 2m for the eventual stuff ups...). Any big hardware store should have the bright orange heavy duty hose if you're worried about it.

[stumped]

aren't they supposed to be a one-way valve, in theory shouldn't ingest any water????

now i know that it doesn't work, cos i stuffed my diff with water, but am curious all the same....

[N*A*M]

one way valve could risk your seals. as the diff gets immersed in cold water it will contract thus suck in through the breather. if this is blocked, there will be negative pressure on the seals. just run the breather up high and make a loop. if you like, put a filter on, but i wouldn't put any sort of valve on it.

[droopypete]

DiddyZook, the cap is made of thin pressed metal over a heavy turned steel tube, use a big screwdriver or a claw hammer, you will not damage it.
Peter.

[diffbreaker]

I've seen a couple of set-ups where they use fuel filters at the end of the breather but they look a bit stupid. I like the idea though and I'm currently checking out speed shops to try and source a nice small see-thru job like they use on street machines. If you route your breathers properly you should your zook should die through sparks being killed before your breathers gulp down a load. I've git mine adjacent to my coil. If it gets that high I'd better hope I get a snorkel fitted in time

[diffbreaker]

Hoping these pics might help ya with diff breathers.
http://au.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/trisha ... /my_photos