My AEV snorkel is coming in Friday. I do not plan on submarining my jeep, but i think extending breather lines is a must if you're going to frequent mud. I've read about running them higher and running them to the airbox, but one question always came to mind.
Why not just put some one way valves on the end of the current breather tubes and leave it at that? If fluids needs to upchuck a bit, it can, but nothing can flow backwards, especially mud and water.
Am I missing something?

 

If I am not mistaken they already have one way valves.... which are not so very one way...

 

yea i thought the same thing, similar to a snorkel not a jeep snorkel but an actual one with a pruge valve of something along those lines. i dont see why that wouldnt work possibly it would need more pressure in order to go through it but it seems awfully acute of a reason not to, has anyone one done this. or is rusman161 going to be a pioneer

 

Hmmm I'm interested! I ran mine to the high ground underneath the body but I do go through water crossing on trips. Hmmmmmmmmm I think were on to something here....

 

It doesn't have to be complex. Have you ever seen the one way flow valves people put on the air lines of aquariums to keep their air pumps dry when they're turned off? I'm thinking something as simple as that. My only concern with actually using one of those would be the heat melting the cheap plastic so it'd have to be designed out of a composite or higher grade plastic. I'm going by home depot this evening to get supplies for this weekends snorkel install. I'll check to see if they have anything like what I'm looking for.

What size is the hose on the stock breather lines? 5/16"?

 

I think it is 5/16. You might want to check in the parking lot before you leave though!

 

Dudes, air needs to flow both ways....a one-way valve would put the diff under a vacuum. Diff gets hot, air goes out....diff get cold, air can't get back in. If the valve is not a great seal.... it is able to let air in then water can get in.




Edit: the purpose of the vent is to relieve pressure (air pressure) if it is stopped up the seals will leak. If you are in mud a lot and have a leak check the vent.

 

Ok that's what I was missing. I figured it only needed to vent if it got hot. Still the one way could be easily removed under normal, slow or highway driving.

There are two other ways i can think of to do this besides running long hoses. You could run a simple on/off valve at the end and only Use it when crossing deep water or have a little device attach at the end of the stock breather what will normall be contracted (when cold) and have the ability to expand (when hot). Maybe kinda like accordian style. That way it can stay sealed to prevent unwanted contaminates.
The main purpose is to keep stuff out while crossing deep water or for extended periods of time in deep water.

Say you run hoses like most people and go wheelin in a new area you are unfamiliar with. Say the water is deeper than where you put the hoses. There needs to be a simpler way to prevent stuff from getting in.

How much does a diff or a tranny vent when it gets hot? I don't think it's very much because that would be disasterous for your vehicle.

 

yep 5/16 fuel line will work get about 20-25ft and that is enough for both diff's, transfer case and Auto tranny.

 

No way you'll know when to turn it on or off. As soon as you hit the water, your axles will cool and start needing to suck air from somewhere. If not your breather, than through your seals. Bad idea.

Look at breather vents for ATVs. Many accordion styles available. I doubt any are big enough to accommodate an axle. There a lot of stuff on the 'net about this - just about every place recommends against using the accordion-style vents on full-size axles.


You might be surprised how much the fluid expands. Here's a simple way to prove it: Overfill your diff a bit. 8 oz too much should do it. Go for a high-speed drive to get things warmed up good. A nice hill or towing will help heat things up for the demo. When you get back, see how much diff fluid came out through the breather. That stuff has a pretty good stink to it so it will be easy to find.
Note: If your breather is not working correctly, the above experiment can and will blow your seals.