Checking breathers

I've been inspecting the breather valves and it says in the Haynes manual that if it's a ball type breather,you have to check the ball. There doesn't seem to be any way of getting into it to see. I've poked out all the crap and DW'd it but I cant blow through it or anything. Is that because its a high pressure valve or should you be able to blow air through it? How do you know that it's not blocked?

I presume you mean axle breathers?
the old series ones were just a valve with a ball in to theoretically make it a one way valve so not let water back into the casing.
The 90 breathers as far as i can remember have always just been a banjo bolt and a breather pipe. perhaps i'm thinking of range rovers.
They have no ball because they are a high level breather.

Sorry yes,axle breathers. Mine have a nut with a hole on the other end and a small pipe coming out the side so it look like a smoking pipe. There doesnt seem to be any way of knowing if its OK or not,or can you assume its OK if its had a good rootle about with a wire brush and some WD?
The breather pipe was kinked so I'm assuming that should be replaced.

Do you mean a bolt with a hole? (Banjo bolt).
Think you should be able to blow through them.
Does the pipe go off to the side or straight up?

Tig9619 said:

Do you mean a bolt with a hole? (Banjo bolt).
Think you should be able to blow through them.
Does the pipe go off to the side or straight up?

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It kind of looks like a banjo bolt but with a small pipe coming off the side where the tubing fits on to it.

thats the one, blow down the 6mm pipe and when you stop you should get a wiff/blow back of EP90 smell nice. If you dont, inspect the breather across its length for kinks etc. when you do 1 blow you should feel the pressure build up.

G

Griffdowg said:

thats the one, blow down the 6mm pipe and when you stop you should get a wiff/blow back of EP90 smell nice. If you dont, inspect the breather across its length for kinks etc. when you do 1 blow you should feel the pressure build up.

G

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I already took the tube off because it was kinked. I took it off the valve and blew through it and a load of what look like powdered rust blew out.
I was more worried about the actual valve itself because I cant blow any air through it although I dont know if this is normal if the valve only lets high pressure air through anyway.

it isn't a valve, its as grif says. Soak it overnight in WD 40, and try to seperate the collar from the bolt - then you can investigate which bit is blocked.

I didnt realise you could take it apart. I'll post a pic tomorrow so it can be I.D'd properly. Who comes up with the names for these things anyway? Doesnt look like a banjo.

Griffdowg said:

thats the one, blow down the 6mm pipe and when you stop you should get a wiff/blow back of EP90 smell nice. If you dont, inspect the breather across its length for kinks etc. when you do 1 blow you should feel the pressure build up.

G

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does this mean he will be giving his axle a blowjob ?

Given the Landy a blow job and it's promised to call me later in the week. I've put the cleaned up breather back on the axle but of course,the bottom of the breather is flat while the axle is convex so now I have a tiny gap both sides of the breather where air is escaping and presumably where water could get in.
Are you meant to use some kind of sealant on it?

yeah stupid design i know! I filed mine flat as it used to leak now its fine.