It is in a very similar position yes, although from memory it sits further to the right behind the heater matrix feed pipes although without checking I could not be sure.
Extended Breathers
- Thread starter mick 1986
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That’s good enough for me. I will see what I have to bolt on in that area, and avoid it.
I would not cut any pipe until you actually fit is, as gauranteed there will be summt in the way you had not thought of and then the piep is to short, which sods law being right means you then have to buy a whole new reel for them extra few inches.
After reading my post again, I didn’t word it too well. I mean once the rebuild starts, I can route them and connect them all up, instead of waiting until it’s built and messing around with it.
Looking at starting the new breathers today. I couldn’t find the one on the back of the FIP. Mine looks like the photo, where the rubber bit is missing. How do I go about attaching the extended breathers when the rubber is missing? Do I remove the alloy square/round bit and make something work?
Sorry Mick I havent a clue as mine still had the rubber bit fitted, Ive never tried to remove the alloy bit if its even removable, be interesting to know?
I would hazard a guess rubber grommet for an electircal eyelet will do the job if you can match the size?
This kind of thing, https://www.autoelectricsupplies.co.uk/product/159/category/32
Would this push over the square/round alloy piece? I think I may try and remove it today. See what happens. I will try and remember to take photos as I go.
Its been more than a couple of years since I fitted mine so I cannot remember the details just what I did.
Edit spare pump dug out and alloy fitting removed (17mm spanner) tried a 1/4 bsp fitting in the hols no go ever slighty to large, BUT and this is the best bit the main fuel feed banjo located directly below the alloy breather is an exact fit, so if you can find out what that thread is then we are onto a winner.
A proper unon will be a better long term bet that that silly rubber nipple widget, which by the way I could blow through both ways with no effort.
Google is saying M12x1.5mm thread?
Much appreciated! I will have a look and see what I have and what I can find that fits.
I found an M12x1.5 air fitting at work and its a perfect fit, so Im assuming a normal bolt will fit if you want to make your own fitting/union?
I think I will try and get something made on the lathe. Much appreciated.
The timing case needs venting, and also needs a drain .... LR bean counters chose to do this with a single hole...
On my D1, I have a banjo and clear pipe on both the bellhousing and timing case ... and keep an eye on them for oil. I don't do any wading, so the pipes are long enough to vent into the chassis - where any oil will at least do some good
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Normal practise is to leave the timing chest drain hole open during normal driving. This vents the timing chest aswell.
When off road or wading you put your wading plug in to the timing chest drain hole, this stops ****e getting in there. The timing chest can now vent air via the breather that’s mounted in a hole you drill in the fuel injector pump pulley cover. This way air rises up and vents via the breather when the plug is in, and any crap falls to the bottom and drains out when the wading plug is removed/not fitted.
When your done off roading just take the wading plug out and leave the breather in place in the pulley cover plate.l that way the timing chest can free drain if needed.
You don’t want to put your breather on the drain hole IMO as a) I think they will be vulnerable down there, and b) you need the drain hole to ‘free drain’ - you don’t want to risk a breather attached to the drain hole becoming clogged with crud and then your timing chest retaining anything (water, oil) that will compromise your timing belt.
Does that make sense?
Yes I can understand the intended use of the wading plug, but I can’t get my head around drilling the fuel pump cover and then plugging the drain hole permantely as some people seem to do? That doesn’t make sense, but then again neither does fitting the breather to the fuel pump cover, and then leaving the wading plug out/drain hole open?
I can see the logic in not wanting anything inside the timing chest, and agree with it. I’m not sure the best route to take to keep it that way?
Other than being vulnerable, what is the downside to using the drain hole/wading plug hole as a breather? Clear tube will be used, so contamination will be seen quickly if something is wrong.
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Plugging the timing chest drain hole permanently is, in my opinion, wrong.
The wading plug makes quite a good seal when it’s in.
Do the breather thing, but only put the timing chest wading plug in the drain hole when you need to - don’t leave it in there permanently.
The breather is fitted to the fuel pump cover so that it can work when the drain plug is fitted, when the drain plug is out the breather won’t do anything - but in that situation the breather doesn’t need to. The breather only works when the drain plug is in, and you only fit the drain plug when you need to - when in deep water or off road, otherwise you leave it open.
I think your misunderstanding the point of the timing chest breather, where it’s fitted and when it is ‘used’
For example, the axles have permanent breathers as they are sealed all the time, the timing chest is not sealed and only needs to ‘use’ the breather when the ONLY hole in the timing chest (the drain hole) is temporarily closed with the plug. Which you only do in certain circumstances.
Best route to take is to leave the drain hole open, and fit a breather.
Do you understand the point of a breather and what fitting one achieves and overcomes?
Yes I do understand that they allow internal gasses to expand and contract with temperature change.
I still can’t see the logic in what your saying is the best route “leave drain hole open, and fit breather”. Why? I’m not trying to be funny, I can’t see any logic in the statement. Why drill the plate, and leave the bottom open, to then fit a plug when you “need” to? Why not fit a breather, if it’s not too exposed, and check it weekly?
I want all my breathers to be fitted all the time, if possible, so I don’t have to do anything when it comes to doing any wading. That’s why the fuel tank and FIP will also be getting extended breathers.
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Cool, was just checking.
The reason you fit the wading plug to the bottom of the timing chest only when you need to, is that with it fitted oil can come from internally and get into the timing chest and contaminate the timing belt, if you sealed up the the drain hole by fitting the breather there (or left the drain plug in 24/7) then that oil can’t escape.
Breathers are meant to allow for the expansion of air not the movement of oil and the crud that comes off the belt, so if you breather gets oil in it (It will) then it can form an airlock preventing the breather doing its job, and preventing the drain doing its job.
If the breather is blocked then internal gases expanding as the engine gets hot can cause seals to leak, then if you go into water those gases contract again and with no breather this will cause water to be ‘sucked’ into the timing chest due to the pressure differential (and the previously failed seals due to pressure expansion inside due to heat from the engine)
So you fit the breather high up so that nothing but air goes into it and it remains clear and free-flowing (that’s why they are high in the axles and gearboxes). This is so that the air inside the timing chest can freely expand and contract protecting the seals and not allowing stuff to be ‘sucked’ in through the seals if ‘cold shocked’, and the drain hole down low so that oil/crud runs out by gravity through a large hole as needed.
You leave the breather fitted all the time, then just screw in your wading plug in the drain hole as and when needed (deep water etc) and then take it out again after.
You only leave the wading plug in for short periods of time (few days upto a week would probably be okay).
Fit the breather up high, leave the drain hole open and just look at the drain hole weekly - you would soon see if anything was leaking from the inside and coming out the drain hole - my front seal was leaking and it was obvious as the timing chest ‘funnels’ it all downwards.
You ‘could’ fit a drain plug that has an openable valve on the bottom and just remember to open it and empty it weekly so you don’t cause timing belt failure if stuff builds up inside.
Fitting wading plugs is a 15second job!
Also your fuel tank doesn’t need a breather as it has enough volume to absorb pressure changes like that, and it also doesn’t get ‘hot’ like gearboxes and timing chests. The diesel in it keeps it at ambient temperature so you don’t get the same thermal expansion as other sealed parts of the vehicle.
If you do get water in the fuel tank (unlikely) then just crack the drain screw and the water will come out - water is heavier than diesel. Just make sure your tank cap seals properly when you do it up and the fuel tank will be fine. I have had the fuel filler underwater and it did not take water in.
I don’t like going that deep though tbh.
That makes sense when you word it like that. I may leave the bell housing and timing chest, and just use the wading plugs.
My fuel tank is a plastic tank, it has a breather, and no drain plug, as standard.
