How can it be?

Today checked and topped up gearbox, transfer box and overdrive oil. Then to axles. Now can someone tell me how, if the correct level when topping up axles is until 'oil dribbles out', when i remove filler plug i can have a veritable torrent pouring out? How did that much oil get in there in the 1st place? Baffled is what I am

It's possible that the axle breather turrets are blocked. If they were blocked then you may expect a rush of oil when you take out the fill plug. Take the breather turrets off and soak them in Gunk or similar for a couple of hours then blow down them to check they are clear.
From empty a Rover axle will take 3 pints of oil, ENV will take just over 2.5 pints and a dirty great salisbury axle will take 4.5 pints.
I expect your diff will be rover.

Regards WP.

Thanks WP - I'll check breathers tomorrow. Also had same thing happen on swivels. Yep - it is a rover diff.

You could have water in there, is there any chance the gear oil was contaminated with oil once it was in, have you waded in it since you filled it? Is the breather pipe high enough, could it in any way be drawing water somewhere?

I always figure if you can get a little bit more in that the fill level then good, i.e. park downhill to fill back and vice versa. Just so that its sitting say 1/4 of an inch above the filler neck, which brings me to the question, did you by any chance fill it on a hill, or even a slant?

Discomania - only had the truck a couple of months, and have no idea of it's previous exploits in water ( if any). I just checked all levels as a precaution - I'll be draining all and refilling in due course. I'll check breathers.
Thanks for your suggestions

I'd say that you'd be better draining diff and swivels as soon as possible. If you have got water in there it's going to be sat at the bottom doing untold damage.

you should be able to tell if its water as the oil will turn a dirty gray. series do not have raised axcel breathers as standard that was a feature on 90's. sorry to sound like i am selling things but i have a raised axcel breather set for a series if you are interested.

dave said:

you should be able to tell if its water as the oil will turn a dirty gray. series do not have raised axcel breathers as standard that was a feature on 90's. sorry to sound like i am selling things but i have a raised axcel breather set for a series if you are interested.

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I've already got raised breathers, but they're worth having if anyones considering it.

Regards WP.