Front diff belched

NegroTundra

New member
About a week ago I changed out the fluids in the rear diff, transfer case, and front diff to Mobil 1 75W-90 synthetic. A couple days later I am under the vehicle lubing driveshafts and I notice oil spray all over. I put some on my finger and smell and its definitely gear oil. I go to pop the hood and notice it originated from the breather tube that is attached on the driver side wheel well. Pulled filler plug on front diff and it was about an inch low.

Anyone know why it burped up fluid? I did engage the 4wd two or three times after the fluid exchange to ensure everything engaged smoothly...

TIA
 
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This happens. If you search you should be able to find related threads.

It seems to be overfilling the front diff and as the gear oil warms it expands and finds it's way out the breather.

Mine did it the first time I used 4x4 after the oil change and others have had the same experience. I believe the proper level is slightly below the fill hole on the front diff. (don't quote me on this). Mine hasn't done it since the first and only time.
 
This happens. If you search you should be able to find related threads.

It seems to be overfilling the front diff and as the gear oil warms it expands and finds it's way out the breather.

Mine did it the first time I used 4x4 after the oil change and others have had the same experience. I believe the proper level is slightly below the fill hole on the front diff. (don't quote me on this). Mine hasn't done it since the first and only time.

So if this happens to me, I shouldn't be alarmed ?
 
This happens. If you search you should be able to find related threads.

It seems to be overfilling the front diff and as the gear oil warms it expands and finds it's way out the breather.

Mine did it the first time I used 4x4 after the oil change and others have had the same experience. I believe the proper level is slightly below the fill hole on the front diff. (don't quote me on this). Mine hasn't done it since the first and only time.

Sorry to disagree, but I'm going to say Not Normal. I've never experienced this.

Any time you fill a differential, transfer case, or manual transmission, you fill it to the bottom of the threads of the fill hole. When you are pumping in new oil and you see the oil start to pour out of the hole, you know you are full. The key is to be on level ground. If you're not on level ground, then you run a chance of being over or under filled depending on which way you are slanted.

OP, you either overfilled your differential possibly because you were at a slant with your rear end lower than your front end or your breather isn't working properly. If your breather got a little stuck, the pressure built up until it overcame the stuck breather valve. Due to the excessive pressure that was allowed to build up, oil then squirted out along with the excess air pressure. You might want to pull the breather and check that air moves through it easily. But, since you noticed this after renewing your fluid, I'm leaning towards the possibility you overfilled it due to not being on level ground.
 
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Exact same thing happened with my 99 when I swapped fluids. I had the car on level ground, drained all the old oil out, filled it back up level with the fill plug. And it was fine for a few days until it puked a small amount of oil out of the breather. Only did it once.
 
Normal or not, this has been discussed before. I wish I could find past threads...

Mine did it the one time and never again, that seems to be the common consensus.
 
Sorry to disagree, but I'm going to say Not Normal. I've never experienced this.

Any time you fill a differential, transfer case, or manual transmission, you fill it to the bottom of the threads of the fill hole. When you are pumping in new oil and you see the oil start to pour out of the hole, you know you are full. The key is to be on level ground. If you're not on level ground, then you run a chance of being over or under filled depending on which way you are slanted.

OP, you either overfilled your differential possibly because you were at a slant with your rear end lower than your front end or your breather isn't working properly. If your breather got a little stuck, the pressure built up until it overcame the stuck breather valve. Due to the excessive pressure that was allowed to build up, oil then squirted out along with the excess air pressure. You might want to pull the breather and check that air moves through it easily. But, since you noticed this after renewing your fluid, I'm leaning towards the possibility you overfilled it due to not being on level ground.

I was in the garage which is ever so slightly inclined toward the street for water drainage, but never has it been too much to impact any fluid filling or fluid checking. Thanks for the comment, will check the breather tube.

I refilled the the differential and have yet to drive the vehicle since the spew; today I will be traveling about 350 miles so we'll have to see if it happens again.
 
Normal or not, this has been discussed before. I wish I could find past threads...

Mine did it the one time and never again, that seems to be the common consensus.

Well, maybe the front differentials on our rigs are really sensitive to being overfilled, even the slightest amount. The reason it happens one time and never again is because the excessive pressure from being overfilled is corrected when it spews gear oil out the breather and then it's happy again. But, did the excessive pressure build-up push too much gear oil out and now you're running a little low like [MENTION=145318]NegroTundra[/MENTION] found out?

Anyway, replaced the gear oil in my front diff twice now and once on @infamounsRNR rig and neither of us having experienced the gear oil spew out the breather and we've both been in 4wheel drive since the gear oil change.
 
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Well, maybe the front differentials on our rigs are really sensitive to being overfilled, even the slightest amount. The reason it happens one time and never again is because the excessive pressure from being overfilled is corrected when it spews gear oil out the breather and then it's happy again. But, did the excessive pressure build-up push too much gear oil out and now you're running a little low like [MENTION=145318]NegroTundra[/MENTION] found out?

Anyway, replaced the gear oil in my front diff twice now and once on @infamounsRNR rig and neither of us having experienced the gear oil spew out the breather and we've both been in 4wheel drive since the gear oil change.

Yeah, I've changed mine four times in 17 years and 170k and never had that happen, and I use 4wd regularly. I have never had low fluid on any of my intermediate checks which I do once or twice a year--okay once. This is a hard one to figure out.
 
Sorry to disagree, but I'm going to say Not Normal. I've never experienced this.

Any time you fill a differential, transfer case, or manual transmission, you fill it to the bottom of the threads of the fill hole. When you are pumping in new oil and you see the oil start to pour out of the hole, you know you are full. The key is to be on level ground. If you're not on level ground, then you run a chance of being over or under filled depending on which way you are slanted.

.

Not trying to call you out for giving false information, err wait, I guess I am. But have you ever opened our 4runner's service books? If you fill the front diff to the bottom of the threads of the fill hole, you have over filled it.

To the OP, a lot of people experience this after doing service. I would recommend checking your "check" valve that's on the end of the breather. A lot of time it won't let the fluid go back down the breather due to air bubbles and then it will just come out next time the front diff gets warmed up.
 
Not trying to call you out for giving false information, err wait, I guess I am. But have you ever opened our 4runner's service books? If you fill the front diff to the bottom of the threads of the fill hole, you have over filled it.
Huh? Spec is less than 5mm between fluid level and bottom of the fill hole.

http://tacoma.site40.net/4Runner_96-02_Repair&Wiring/techinfo.toyota.com/ileaf/02toyrm/02toypdf/02rmsour/2002/024runne/sa/fdros/repl.pdf

I always fill to the bottom of the threads just like [MENTION=120071]mtbtim[/MENTION]. When I check, if within 5mm, I leave it alone. And yeah, I know my FSM pretty well.
 
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Huh? Spec is less than 5mm between fluid level and bottom of the fill hole.

http://tacoma.site40.net/4Runner_96-02_Repair&Wiring/techinfo.toyota.com/ileaf/02toyrm/02toypdf/02rmsour/2002/024runne/sa/fdros/repl.pdf

I always fill to the bottom of the threads just like [MENTION=120071]mtbtim[/MENTION]. When I check, if within 5mm, I leave it alone. And yeah, I know my FSM pretty well.

Thank you for posting the link. Just have to agree to disagree with the interpretation of 5mm "or less".
 
Not trying to call you out for giving false information, err wait, I guess I am. But have you ever opened our 4runner's service books? If you fill the front diff to the bottom of the threads of the fill hole, you have over filled it.

To the OP, a lot of people experience this after doing service. I would recommend checking your "check" valve that's on the end of the breather. A lot of time it won't let the fluid go back down the breather due to air bubbles and then it will just come out next time the front diff gets warmed up.

Well Dude, yes, I own a FSM and I use it all the time. But for this question, I didn't even need to reference it to give the OP correct information because I've filled many differentials over the years. So, sorry to disagree right back at you, but you read the FSM wrong. It says when you check the level, if it's within 5mm of the bottom edge of the hole, you're ok. Then it says if the level is low, add oil until it begins to run out of the filler hole. Just like [MENTION=10169]TheDurk[/MENTION] already said and what I said, you fill it until oil starts running out. Do you think auto techs are going to put the fill tube into the diff filler hole, pump a little bit, stop, check to see where the level is, oh it still needs more, fill some more, stop, check to see where the level is, oh it still needs more, fill some more, stop, oh shit, it's 2 mm from the bottom instead of 5mm, better get the suction pump out. See where I'm getting at. Here, I'll say it again for your benefit and you can quote me on it, "On level ground, you fill differentials, transfer cases, and manual transmissions until the gear oil reaches the bottom of the threads of the filler hole and oil starts pouring out."

Now, the FSM, doesn't actually say it in the Suspension and Axle pages in regards to the front differential, but I can guarantee when you fill it, it's no different than the rear differential or transfer case. What the picture is showing you is they recommend the level be within 5mm of the bottom of the fill hole. But when you fill it, you fill until oil starts running out. Any Auto Tech or DIY mechanic knows this is how you do it.

I don't mind being corrected when I'm wrong, but at least prove me wrong when you call me out because you sort of look, err wait.... Should I say it? I guess I'll be nice.

Here's a few pics that back up the information I gave the OP was absolutely correct.

FRONT DIFFERENTIAL
IMG_20161207_134427052_HDR.jpg

TRANSFER CASE and FRONT DIFFERENTIAL
IMG_20161207_131358890.jpg

REAR DIFFERENTIAL
IMG_20161207_131325266.jpg
 

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Thank you for posting the link. Just have to agree to disagree with the interpretation of 5mm "or less".

No interpretation of the FSM is needed in this situation. There's only one way to properly fill differentials, transfer cases and manual transmissions and it's the way I stated.
 
Normal happens to all of them. Every single 3rd gen I have installed a lift on 1000's have all burped.

I know you know what you're talking about when it comes to these trucks but I gather you are exaggerating the frequency of occurrence just a wee bit. I've owned my 3rd Gen for over 3 years and 40,000 miles of driving and it's never happened to me. [MENTION=10169]TheDurk[/MENTION] has been driving his for 17 years and it's never happened to him either.

Maybe if I brought it to your shop in Arizona, mine would burp too, but back in San Jose, California, no burping going on, well, at least not with my rig, I belch all the time. Maybe the gear oil I'm feeding my front diff is agreeable to it and it's not burping it back up.
 
I know you know what you're talking about when it comes to these trucks but I gather you are exaggerating the frequency of occurrence just a wee bit. I've owned my 3rd Gen for over 3 years and 40,000 miles of driving and it's never happened to me. [MENTION=10169]TheDurk[/MENTION] has been driving his for 17 years and it's never happened to him either.

Maybe if I brought it to your shop in Arizona, mine would burp too, but back in San Jose, California, no burping going on, well, at least not with my rig, I belch all the time. Maybe the gear oil I'm feeding my front diff is agreeable to it and it's not burping it back up.

I'll also add that this thread is the first time I have seen anyone mention this here on the forum, and I've read almost every thread that does not involve auto transmissions (I skip those) for the last ten years.
 
I know you know what you're talking about when it comes to these trucks but I gather you are exaggerating the frequency of occurrence just a wee bit. I've owned my 3rd Gen for over 3 years and 40,000 miles of driving and it's never happened to me. [MENTION=10169]TheDurk[/MENTION] has been driving his for 17 years and it's never happened to him either.

Maybe if I brought it to your shop in Arizona, mine would burp too, but back in San Jose, California, no burping going on, well, at least not with my rig, I belch all the time. Maybe the gear oil I'm feeding my front diff is agreeable to it and it's not burping it back up.

The problem is that when I do an install, I re-enforce the stock skid. To do that I cut away the think factory steel and weld in 1/8" steel in the lowest areas. Every single skid I had to clean, as the gear oil would burn. Trust me if there was one I did not have to clean I would have celebrated. :party:
 

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