Finally decided to get a lube locker gasket, and go to town on my rear diff cover and diff housing with a wire brush attachment on a drill. The amount of red and grey RTV on both was APPALLING. Once the surfaces were shiny, clean, and dry, I cleaned everything out with brake cleaner, repainted the rear diff cover, slapped her back on, torqued the bolts to 20 ft lbs, filled her up with 2 quarts of 75W90 and put the sh***y rubber plug back in with a thin film of blue RTV to prevent any leakage.

Question regards my vent tube on the little y-block thingy on top of the axle tube. I have 197XXX miles on this jeep and my guess is that this tube has NEVER been checked/cleaned. Should I remove it and inspect and clean it out and clean around the fittings with brake cleaner? axle is was NOT leaking out the ends by the drum brakes before this maintenance (so inner seals seem to be good still), and only out of the diff cover. So maintenance was required, but wondering it I should go the extra step of cleaning out the vent tube or go the route of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it", instead?

No noticeable oil around the vent tube or fittings. looks dry.

 

What I think you should do is relocate it.
I don't like how it goes in the uni-body.
I always wonder what is on the other side of the white tube on the side of the uni-body.
I always assume a check valve inside the uni-body but never knew for sure.
I relocated mine, with the transfer case and tranny ones, up front to where the front diff one is.
Using more of the white top hats breathers that the front diff uses.
I want to say some guys relocate it up in the tail light region in the quarter panel somewhere.

 

Fair enough, I can appreciate that advice...running it all the way to back to the firewall may be more of a job than I prefer. Think I read somewhere about a guy who re-located his behind the taillight/rear quarter panel as well, which may be an option. Just so I'm clear here though, the reason for re-locating this vent tube would typically be to prevent it from getting water in it, correct? I don't plan on submerging the frame rail too often in the stock location, so unsure about re-locating altogether unless there is another good reason for it. If and when I do decide to re-locate the vent tube, what is the spec on it? 5/16th's rubber tubing? Assuming I can find the white top hat breathers at store around town. Thanks @Ralph77 !

 

Top hat breather can be ordered through any Jeep dealership or bought online.
Part number J5352955.

https://www.rockauto.com/en/parts/mo...ase+vent,14361

I did use 5/16 hose and bought 11'. Can't remember if I used all 11' though. Probably very close to all if not.
Couple clamps at Napa to secure things.

https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/BK_7051226

Also thinking I might have had to use the brake cleaner trick to get the top hat into the hose.
When something is a little to big to fit in a hose if you hit the hose with brake cleaner you can sometimes
squeeze it in. Have to be quick before it evaporates.

Betting it was a 10 minute job running it up front along the brake line with a zip tie here and there.

My reason for relocating it was cause I wanted to use the Eastwood Internal Frame Coating on the inside of my uni-body.
Plus I like to Fluid Film my Jeep yearly. Including inside the uni-body.
Figured gunking up the check valve or whatever is in there would not be a good thing. LOL.

 

awesome, love the advice. Makes total sense with the fluid filming and frame coating. Appreciate the links as well. Will keep ya posted on potential relocation, but either way I'll likely pull, inspect, and clean the stock breather hose for now.

 

m'alright... reporting back. I blasted grimey areas around blow vent barb and hose endings with brake cleaner, wiped down with a rag, and shot some compressed air over the ends of everything and through the tube. Re-installed. Everything did look good EXCEPT for the hose. There was definitely some dry rot towards the end of one end. Flipped the hose 180 for the time being so the rotted end is higher up. Also the little plastic elbow piece that vents in the frame rail is super flimsy. Everything is clean and clear for now and it will work fine. Very easy to just pull off, inspect and clean that system either way, and I assume it's something a lot of people neglect to look at when changing their front or rear diff fluids. An important thing to check nonetheless.

@Ralph77 I will 100% be mod'ing this hose to vent somewhere else in the near future. Seems like a simple/no brainer job.

 

Planning on routing everything to the front also. So you ran the vent tubes outside of the frame rail up past along the firewall? Just trying to get a visual. Thanks

 

Okay read back and saw you ran it across the brake line.

Oh and I just wanted to make sure you degrease the living hell out of the frame rail bc nothing will stick to fluid film. I also remember seeing someone use some steel cord with a small piece of chain on it in a drill to knock all the grime and rust loose before you use the internal frame coating. I'll see if I can dig it up