SJ413 - axle breather question

When herself drives her 413 over any distance and the front axle warms
up it dribbles out lubricant from the seals round the ball on the
front hubs. Cleaned up it will last a week on local runs without a
drip then, fifteen miles on a fast road and there's half a cupful of
oil all over each front side!

Having had a similar problem on a Land Rover I'm wondering if this is
a blocked breather allowing pressure to build up with heat expansion.

Cant figure out the breather though. The Suzuki Workshop manual says
nothing and there seems to be no obvious way of taking it off to test
and clean.

Anyone care to comment on my suspicions and/or offer ideas for removal
of the breather?

Ta, Lurch

Lurch wrote:

> When herself drives her 413 over any distance and the front axle warms
> up it dribbles out lubricant from the seals round the ball on the
> front hubs. Cleaned up it will last a week on local runs without a
> drip then, fifteen miles on a fast road and there's half a cupful of
> oil all over each front side!
>
> Having had a similar problem on a Land Rover I'm wondering if this is
> a blocked breather allowing pressure to build up with heat expansion.
>
> Cant figure out the breather though. The Suzuki Workshop manual says
> nothing and there seems to be no obvious way of taking it off to test
> and clean.
>
> Anyone care to comment on my suspicions and/or offer ideas for removal
> of the breather?
>
> Ta, Lurch

Is it possible that the seals are borderline and that the swivel oil is just
thinning as it gets hot and leaking that way?

Tried having the seals checked/changed?

Also, if push comes to shove, assuming the oil in question is EP80 or EP90
look at getting an equivalent amount of the Land Rover thixotropic grease
(One Shot Swivel Grease) and using that to replace the lost oil.

No experience on the breathers on the SJs tho - sorry.

P.

hello the breather on the sj is just the little steel pipe on the top of the
axel, it might has a cap on it just pull it off. It sounds more like teh
seal is gone and like u said once it ges hot it starts to leak. Another way
is does ur have manual lockiung hubs if u keep them in free when and that
way the axel will not turn. See if it still leaks

"Paul S. Brown" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Lurch wrote:
>
> > When herself drives her 413 over any distance and the front axle warms
> > up it dribbles out lubricant from the seals round the ball on the
> > front hubs. Cleaned up it will last a week on local runs without a
> > drip then, fifteen miles on a fast road and there's half a cupful of
> > oil all over each front side!
> >
> > Having had a similar problem on a Land Rover I'm wondering if this is
> > a blocked breather allowing pressure to build up with heat expansion.
> >
> > Cant figure out the breather though. The Suzuki Workshop manual says
> > nothing and there seems to be no obvious way of taking it off to test
> > and clean.
> >
> > Anyone care to comment on my suspicions and/or offer ideas for removal
> > of the breather?
> >
> > Ta, Lurch
>
> Is it possible that the seals are borderline and that the swivel oil is
just
> thinning as it gets hot and leaking that way?
>
> Tried having the seals checked/changed?
>
> Also, if push comes to shove, assuming the oil in question is EP80 or EP90
> look at getting an equivalent amount of the Land Rover thixotropic grease
> (One Shot Swivel Grease) and using that to replace the lost oil.
>
> No experience on the breathers on the SJs tho - sorry.
>
> P.

Oil should not be in the swivel housing on a SJ! They are not like Land
Rovers. The seal on the Suzuki swivels are only dust seals - to keep crap
out, not to keep oil in...
The CV (Barfield) Joints are lubricated from new with a liberal helping of
grease. If oil is escaping it is getting out of the axle via the oil seal
just in-board of the swivel housing. New oil seals are required, only a
couple of quid each from an independent bearing supplier or about £10 apiece
from Suzuki GB.... Get it sorted soon because the oil will 'water down' the
CV joint grease and knacker the CVs before too long...

Happy motoring!
Simon H

"Paul S. Brown" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Lurch wrote:
>
> > When herself drives her 413 over any distance and the front axle warms
> > up it dribbles out lubricant from the seals round the ball on the
> > front hubs. Cleaned up it will last a week on local runs without a
> > drip then, fifteen miles on a fast road and there's half a cupful of
> > oil all over each front side!
> >
> > Having had a similar problem on a Land Rover I'm wondering if this is
> > a blocked breather allowing pressure to build up with heat expansion.
> >
> > Cant figure out the breather though. The Suzuki Workshop manual says
> > nothing and there seems to be no obvious way of taking it off to test
> > and clean.
> >
> > Anyone care to comment on my suspicions and/or offer ideas for removal
> > of the breather?
> >
> > Ta, Lurch
>
> Is it possible that the seals are borderline and that the swivel oil is
just
> thinning as it gets hot and leaking that way?
>
> Tried having the seals checked/changed?
>
> Also, if push comes to shove, assuming the oil in question is EP80 or EP90
> look at getting an equivalent amount of the Land Rover thixotropic grease
> (One Shot Swivel Grease) and using that to replace the lost oil.
>
> No experience on the breathers on the SJs tho - sorry.
>
> P.

On Sun, 9 May 2004 19:19:08 +0000 (UTC), "Simon H" <[email protected]>
wrote:

->Oil should not be in the swivel housing on a SJ! They are not like Land
->Rovers. The seal on the Suzuki swivels are only dust seals - to keep crap
->out, not to keep oil in...
->The CV (Barfield) Joints are lubricated from new with a liberal helping of
->grease. If oil is escaping it is getting out of the axle via the oil seal
->just in-board of the swivel housing. New oil seals are required, only a
->couple of quid each from an independent bearing supplier or about £10 apiece
->from Suzuki GB.... Get it sorted soon because the oil will 'water down' the
->CV joint grease and knacker the CVs before too long...

You will also need new felts and rubbers for the swivels as they will have to
come apart.

When you strip and rebuild re-grease the CV (Birfield not Barfield ;-)

The breather is the small cap on the top of the diff, it's probably blocked,
prize the cap off and run some garden hose from the breather to the bulkhead, do
the same for the rear axle and xfer case as they have the same poxy breathers.

Regardless of the state of the breather you will need to change the seals now as
the damadge is done.

--
Geoff
www.anoraks.uk.net

"Simon H" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> Oil should not be in the swivel housing on a SJ! They are not like Land
> Rovers. The seal on the Suzuki swivels are only dust seals - to keep crap
> out, not to keep oil in...
> The CV (Barfield) Joints are lubricated from new with a liberal helping of
> grease. If oil is escaping it is getting out of the axle via the oil seal
> just in-board of the swivel housing. New oil seals are required, only a
> couple of quid each from an independent bearing supplier or about £10 apiece
> from Suzuki GB.... Get it sorted soon because the oil will 'water down' the
> CV joint grease and knacker the CVs before too long...
>
> Happy motoring!
> Simon H

<SNIP>

Oh poo! Sounds like an axle off job to me - my back no longer
appreciates low level work . . . Probably time to go over everything
anyway as the calipers are pretty ropey too!

Still, seems it will be easy to fit high level breathers once the axle
is sorted. Don't like the idea of axles ingesting water. We have two
fords nearby and it often gets water just above hub height!

Anyone in the Midlands got a narrow front axle in good condition for
sale? If so please post here as the mailbox is dead.

Thanks to all for the help, Lurch

Lurch wrote:

> When herself drives her 413 over any distance and the front axle warms
> up it dribbles out lubricant from the seals round the ball on the
> front hubs. Cleaned up it will last a week on local runs without a
> drip then, fifteen miles on a fast road and there's half a cupful of
> oil all over each front side!
>
> Having had a similar problem on a Land Rover I'm wondering if this is
> a blocked breather allowing pressure to build up with heat expansion.
>
> Cant figure out the breather though. The Suzuki Workshop manual says
> nothing and there seems to be no obvious way of taking it off to test
> and clean.
>
> Anyone care to comment on my suspicions and/or offer ideas for removal
> of the breather?
>
> Ta, Lurch

Is it possible that the seals are borderline and that the swivel oil is just
thinning as it gets hot and leaking that way?

Tried having the seals checked/changed?

Also, if push comes to shove, assuming the oil in question is EP80 or EP90
look at getting an equivalent amount of the Land Rover thixotropic grease
(One Shot Swivel Grease) and using that to replace the lost oil.

No experience on the breathers on the SJs tho - sorry.

P.

hello the breather on the sj is just the little steel pipe on the top of the
axel, it might has a cap on it just pull it off. It sounds more like teh
seal is gone and like u said once it ges hot it starts to leak. Another way
is does ur have manual lockiung hubs if u keep them in free when and that
way the axel will not turn. See if it still leaks

"Paul S. Brown" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Lurch wrote:
>
> > When herself drives her 413 over any distance and the front axle warms
> > up it dribbles out lubricant from the seals round the ball on the
> > front hubs. Cleaned up it will last a week on local runs without a
> > drip then, fifteen miles on a fast road and there's half a cupful of
> > oil all over each front side!
> >
> > Having had a similar problem on a Land Rover I'm wondering if this is
> > a blocked breather allowing pressure to build up with heat expansion.
> >
> > Cant figure out the breather though. The Suzuki Workshop manual says
> > nothing and there seems to be no obvious way of taking it off to test
> > and clean.
> >
> > Anyone care to comment on my suspicions and/or offer ideas for removal
> > of the breather?
> >
> > Ta, Lurch
>
> Is it possible that the seals are borderline and that the swivel oil is
just
> thinning as it gets hot and leaking that way?
>
> Tried having the seals checked/changed?
>
> Also, if push comes to shove, assuming the oil in question is EP80 or EP90
> look at getting an equivalent amount of the Land Rover thixotropic grease
> (One Shot Swivel Grease) and using that to replace the lost oil.
>
> No experience on the breathers on the SJs tho - sorry.
>
> P.

Oil should not be in the swivel housing on a SJ! They are not like Land
Rovers. The seal on the Suzuki swivels are only dust seals - to keep crap
out, not to keep oil in...
The CV (Barfield) Joints are lubricated from new with a liberal helping of
grease. If oil is escaping it is getting out of the axle via the oil seal
just in-board of the swivel housing. New oil seals are required, only a
couple of quid each from an independent bearing supplier or about £10 apiece
from Suzuki GB.... Get it sorted soon because the oil will 'water down' the
CV joint grease and knacker the CVs before too long...

Happy motoring!
Simon H

"Paul S. Brown" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Lurch wrote:
>
> > When herself drives her 413 over any distance and the front axle warms
> > up it dribbles out lubricant from the seals round the ball on the
> > front hubs. Cleaned up it will last a week on local runs without a
> > drip then, fifteen miles on a fast road and there's half a cupful of
> > oil all over each front side!
> >
> > Having had a similar problem on a Land Rover I'm wondering if this is
> > a blocked breather allowing pressure to build up with heat expansion.
> >
> > Cant figure out the breather though. The Suzuki Workshop manual says
> > nothing and there seems to be no obvious way of taking it off to test
> > and clean.
> >
> > Anyone care to comment on my suspicions and/or offer ideas for removal
> > of the breather?
> >
> > Ta, Lurch
>
> Is it possible that the seals are borderline and that the swivel oil is
just
> thinning as it gets hot and leaking that way?
>
> Tried having the seals checked/changed?
>
> Also, if push comes to shove, assuming the oil in question is EP80 or EP90
> look at getting an equivalent amount of the Land Rover thixotropic grease
> (One Shot Swivel Grease) and using that to replace the lost oil.
>
> No experience on the breathers on the SJs tho - sorry.
>
> P.

On Sun, 9 May 2004 19:19:08 +0000 (UTC), "Simon H" <[email protected]>
wrote:

->Oil should not be in the swivel housing on a SJ! They are not like Land
->Rovers. The seal on the Suzuki swivels are only dust seals - to keep crap
->out, not to keep oil in...
->The CV (Barfield) Joints are lubricated from new with a liberal helping of
->grease. If oil is escaping it is getting out of the axle via the oil seal
->just in-board of the swivel housing. New oil seals are required, only a
->couple of quid each from an independent bearing supplier or about £10 apiece
->from Suzuki GB.... Get it sorted soon because the oil will 'water down' the
->CV joint grease and knacker the CVs before too long...

You will also need new felts and rubbers for the swivels as they will have to
come apart.

When you strip and rebuild re-grease the CV (Birfield not Barfield ;-)

The breather is the small cap on the top of the diff, it's probably blocked,
prize the cap off and run some garden hose from the breather to the bulkhead, do
the same for the rear axle and xfer case as they have the same poxy breathers.

Regardless of the state of the breather you will need to change the seals now as
the damadge is done.

--
Geoff
www.anoraks.uk.net

"Simon H" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> Oil should not be in the swivel housing on a SJ! They are not like Land
> Rovers. The seal on the Suzuki swivels are only dust seals - to keep crap
> out, not to keep oil in...
> The CV (Barfield) Joints are lubricated from new with a liberal helping of
> grease. If oil is escaping it is getting out of the axle via the oil seal
> just in-board of the swivel housing. New oil seals are required, only a
> couple of quid each from an independent bearing supplier or about £10 apiece
> from Suzuki GB.... Get it sorted soon because the oil will 'water down' the
> CV joint grease and knacker the CVs before too long...
>
> Happy motoring!
> Simon H

<SNIP>

Oh poo! Sounds like an axle off job to me - my back no longer
appreciates low level work . . . Probably time to go over everything
anyway as the calipers are pretty ropey too!

Still, seems it will be easy to fit high level breathers once the axle
is sorted. Don't like the idea of axles ingesting water. We have two
fords nearby and it often gets water just above hub height!

Anyone in the Midlands got a narrow front axle in good condition for
sale? If so please post here as the mailbox is dead.

Thanks to all for the help, Lurch

Again thanks for all the help - Geoffs message appeared after I'd last
said thanks!

It's going to be an axle transplant as there are too many things need
doing to do it piecemeal under the car!

The whole thing is shot . . . the oil that came out was heavily
contaminated and gritty!!!

I'll strip and rebuild on the bench for comfort.

Now to tour the scrappies . . .

Lurch

On 12 May 2004 07:04:42 -0700, [email protected] (Lurch) wrote:


->Now to tour the scrappies . . .

To buy one that needs a rebuild ;-)



--
Geoff
www.anoraks.uk.net

Again thanks for all the help - Geoffs message appeared after I'd last
said thanks!

It's going to be an axle transplant as there are too many things need
doing to do it piecemeal under the car!

The whole thing is shot . . . the oil that came out was heavily
contaminated and gritty!!!

I'll strip and rebuild on the bench for comfort.

Now to tour the scrappies . . .

Lurch

On 12 May 2004 07:04:42 -0700, [email protected] (Lurch) wrote:


->Now to tour the scrappies . . .

To buy one that needs a rebuild ;-)



--
Geoff
www.anoraks.uk.net