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Engine & DrivetrainDiscussions about the engine and drivetrain of your vehicle.
This is a discussion thread titled "Frustration- Chronic Rear Axle Seal Failure 2WD Sequoia", within the Engine & Drivetrain forum, part of the Technical & Vehicle Assistance Forums category.
Frustration- Chronic Rear Axle Seal Failure 2WD Sequoia
I have a 2002 Sequoia 2WD with about 18.5K miles on it.
Over the past approximately 4 months I have had the passenger side rear axles seal replaced twice so including the original seal, 3 seals have now failed
Obviously- I will return to the dealer to have it repaired yet again under warranty.
I had one dealer replacel the first failed seal and another dealer replace the second failed seal. It's hard to believe both dealerships screwed up on the seal install( though possible).
My thought at this point is :
1) A bad axle seal lip ?
2) Pressure build up in the differential.
QUESTION PLEASE:
When I loosen the axle fluid fill plug , pressure escapes. This occurs even after the vehicle has been parked for some hours and the axle case is cold.
The situation is more pronounced when the axle is hot (i.e. air hisses out past the threads when loosening the fill plug).
I took the top oem breather cap off after the most current seal replacement to make sure it was not clogged. I was able to easily blow air thru it (by mouth- not high pressure).
However - does not seem normal to me to have pressure escape from the differential when loosening the fill plug.Seems like the breather cap should be venting to atmosphere any pressure??
Would appreciate it if someone would get back with me on this one. I am stumped as to why my axle seal keeps blowing and obviously the dealer needs some help .
the breather plug is a very simple design, i'm sure it can stick, snag, seal or otherwise malfunction under normal circumstances. it will cost you about 10 bucks or so and maybe an hour of your time, but you can extend the breather to the engine compartment and let it "breathe" from there. there is never a hiss of any sort when i open the diffs, a hiss means there's waaaaay too much pressure built up there.
you might try this...drive around, get the diff nice & hot, loosen the fill plug--does air escape? if so, let it cool (might be a good idea to let it cool with the fill plug out, just don't drive off like that ), seal the plug again, drive til it's hot, and take a pair of pliers and wiggle the breather cap around--any hissing? if not, remove the breather plug with (i think) a 12mm deep socket--snake trapped in diff? if not, it vented properly already. if so, i dunno what could cause a blockage lower down, but i'm betting the breather is just sticking or something.
--snake trapped in diff? if not, it vented properly already. if so, i dunno what could cause a blockage lower down, but i'm betting the breather is just sticking or something.
-sean
I don't think think there's a snake in my diff??
If it is the vent/breather cap- Do you suppose once it's fixed so that there's no pressure build up that my seal will be able to hold in the gear oil? Or is the seal for sure shot?
If it is the vent/breather cap- Do you suppose once it's fixed so that there's no pressure build up that my seal will be able to hold in the gear oil? Or is the seal for sure shot?
I guess it's a crap shoot 50/50 ?
that was a joke ...but yes, once it's fixed (however it's fixed), you shouldn't leak anymore. i was saying that if you unscrew the breather valve from the diff and it hisses, the breather didn't operate as intended.
that was a joke ...but yes, once it's fixed (however it's fixed), you shouldn't leak anymore. i was saying that if you unscrew the breather valve from the diff and it hisses, the breather didn't operate as intended.
-sean
I wouldnt discount the snake theory to quick. I have a "rattle" ive been looking for for a while, (never thought to look in the rearend) ---Buzz
Whilst unscrewing the Breather cap on my rear diff. out came a hiss as pressure vented? This after just sitting overnite.
I was able to blow thru the breather cap with mouth breath- but there is some resistance (as I guess there should be?). But should the the resistance be so great as to hold in the pressure like it has been ?
Bottom line- does not seem normal to build pressure up within the differential case. No wonder I keep blowing seals ! Wonder why the mechanics at the 2 dealers I've taken to haven't figured this out.
I guess I'll purchase a new breather cap and see if that takes care of things- before inconveniencing myself to yet another visit to the dealer.
Any ideas/thoughts on this situation would be appreciated.
Have not looked at it, does this breather cap act like a check valve? It closes off til there is a pressure bulild up and then (if working properly) will releave the pressure? As a retired pipefitter there is no single pc of equipment that we had to replace more often than check valves. Kind of like a flat roof gonna leak, a check valve gonna fail. This has to be the first place to look for the problem. ---Buzz
Have not looked at it, does this breather cap act like a check valve? It closes off til there is a pressure bulild up and then (if working properly) will releave the pressure? As a retired pipefitter there is no single pc of equipment that we had to replace more often than check valves. Kind of like a flat roof gonna leak, a check valve gonna fail. This has to be the first place to look for the problem. ---Buzz
Yeah, it is a one way valve. It keeps water out - and in theory vents the pressure to atmosphere. As I mentioned, I can blow air thru it by mouth- but there's some resistance.
I'll try to pick up a new breather cap from the dealer and try that.
Replacing 3 axle seals in the past 3,000 miles (odometer at 18.5K miles) is crazy. I can't really imagine the machined surface of the axle seal lip would just go bad. Neither ca I imagine that both dealerships screwed upo the replacement of the axle seal.
don't bother getting a new breather cap. get some 1/4" fuel line, a threaded barbed union, and a small pipe clamp, replace the breather valve with the union, slide the hose and pipe clamp over the union, clamp down, and route the fuel line to the top of the engine compartment, to somewhere along the firewall where it's out of the way. put several loops in that end, zip tie them together, and make sure the end of the hose that's open points down, with a decent amount of length to the section turned down--keeps water out. you won't have a problem with pressure in the diff anymore, and you can stick a little filter on the end if you're worried about crud in there, but given how open the stock breather is, leaving the hose end as-is and turned down is fine. that'll run you about 15 bucks if you use the 1/4" fuel line and a union, 10 bucks if you skip the new union, tear off the silver cap with a pair of pliers, use 3/8" fuel line instead, and cram the fuel line over the breather valve body sans cap, don't forget the pipe clamp.
don't bother getting a new breather cap. get some 1/4" fuel line, a threaded barbed union, and a small pipe clamp, replace the breather valve with the union, slide the hose and pipe clamp over the union, clamp down, and route the fuel line to the top of the engine compartment, to somewhere along the firewall where it's out of the way. put several loops in that end, zip tie them together, and make sure the end of the hose that's open points down, with a decent amount of length to the section turned down--keeps water out. you won't have a problem with pressure in the diff anymore, and you can stick a little filter on the end if you're worried about crud in there, but given how open the stock breather is, leaving the hose end as-is and turned down is fine. that'll run you about 15 bucks if you use the 1/4" fuel line and a union, 10 bucks if you skip the new union, tear off the silver cap with a pair of pliers, use 3/8" fuel line instead, and cram the fuel line over the breather valve body sans cap, don't forget the pipe clamp.
-sean
I had the hiss early in my Tundra ownership.Noticed it on the rear diff.I asked here if it was abnormal.
So I did this mod .I got a fitting from Nissan.It bolted on but was $12-15.I used a small K&N type breather filter on the end of the hose.Ran it up to the gas filler area.So far its o.k.after 2 years.
RichR
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Now a Toyota Man
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i ya hang on a sec, i'll get the toyota part # for ya, if i still have it around. i doubt the union can be purchased at lowes, but if you get the 3/8" fuel line, you don't need the union, you can use the stock breather opening--trust me on this, you'll understand when you pry off the little silver can that sits over the breather. just be sure to get a little pipe clamp. take a look at my photos, there's an ok shot of the setup on my rear diff.
there's the original thread with the mod. sorry, it's not 3/8" fuel line, it's 1/4" line...3/16" if you get the union. i don't have the toyota part number anymore unfortunately, i thought i still had the sales receipt or the baggy it came in--it was used on aj's truck, since my stock breather threads are stripped inside the diff. the 1/4" fuel line (i think i got about 20 feet, it's cheap, and better to get too
Frustration- Chronic Rear Axle Seal Failure 2WD Sequoia
), seal the plug again, drive til it's hot, and take a pair of pliers and wiggle the breather cap around--any hissing? if not, remove the breather plug with (i think) a 12mm deep socket--snake trapped in diff? if not, it vented properly already. if so, i dunno what could cause a blockage lower down, but i'm betting the breather is just sticking or something.
...but yes, once it's fixed (however it's fixed), you shouldn't leak anymore. i was saying that if you unscrew the breather valve from the diff and it hisses, the breather didn't operate as intended.