Zmanco Posted March 28, 2010 Share Posted March 28, 2010 A few months ago my R180 began to leak gear oil from the vent up top. When I first installed it I replaced the plastic vent with a new one and it fit nice and snug. It's installed with the arrow on top pointing forwards. The strange thing is that for the first few years it didn't leak, but shortly after I finished my turbo build last fall it began to leak. The other day I cleaned it up and refilled it with a few ounces and since then have been careful to drive it easy with no wheel spin and yet it's still leaking. The vent is still snug and pointing forwards. Diff is a 4.11 originally from a 720 pickup and has a powerbrute CLSD in it in case any of that matters. Should the arrow be pointing in some other direction? Any thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
palauoriginal Posted March 28, 2010 Share Posted March 28, 2010 this happened to me. but it was because i filled it up too much i opened the fill screw and let some oil drain out cleaned it up and bolted everything back up and it was fine. but your situation seems different Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woldson Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 As just a guess, heat is causing the fluids to get thinner, coupled with larger amount of higher hp is causing the diff to expell excess fluids. Just guessing. Essential a wet fart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjhines Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 New bearings on a rebuilt diff can cause it to get very hot until everything breaks in. I had the same fluid puking out of the top vent when I installed a brand new off the shelf R-180. It ran cooler after a few track events to break it in. I tapped the vent hole for 1/4" NPT and installed a 3/8" barb, hose, and cheap metal fuel filter strapped to the floor above the diff. This completely eliminated any fluid seepage whatsoever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zmanco Posted March 29, 2010 Author Share Posted March 29, 2010 As just a guess, heat is causing the fluids to get thinner, coupled with larger amount of higher hp is causing the diff to expell excess fluids. That's what I initially thought last fall when it was still warm. But 2 weekends ago I cleaned it up and topped it off and then have driven it quite sanely and after only a few hundred miles it leaked enough to drip on the garage floor again. New bearings on a rebuilt diff can cause it to get very hot until everything breaks in. I had the same fluid puking out of the top vent when I installed a brand new off the shelf R-180. It ran cooler after a few track events to break it in. I tapped the vent hole for 1/4" NPT and installed a 3/8" barb, hose, and cheap metal fuel filter strapped to the floor above the diff. This completely eliminated any fluid seepage whatsoever. I did put new bearings in when I originally rebuilt it, but that was more almost a dozen track days and 5k miles of street driving ago. Next time I come back from a drive I think I'll use the IR gun to measure the case temp. Maybe something has started to bind and is generating a lot of heat? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjhines Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 I never saw temps above 350f degrees. There are a few who have seen them get over 400f degrees. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
X64v Posted April 4, 2010 Share Posted April 4, 2010 (edited) Mine started puking out the breather after my turbo swap, too. My solution was similar to BJ's, tap the vent hole to 1/4" NPT, coil of hose off the barb. Haven't tested it with the 4.38 though, I'll get back to you in a few weeks on that. Edited April 4, 2010 by X64v Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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