Older axles. on your deuce.

[Mackafd]

I changed the gear oil on my truck today while I was trying to fix the drips. well low and behold the middle axle was pressurized. air came out of the fill plug when I removed it. so I went looking for vents and could not find any. I wire brushed all three axles and could not find any. I cleaned and washed and nope not even a boss, plug, or mark where they should be. did the older 1952 series trucks not have vents? the axles have tags Timkin Detroit. front axle is a M163797..

 

[rustystud]

I changed the gear oil on my truck today while I was trying to fix the drips. well low and behold the middle axle was pressurized. air came out of the fill plug when I removed it. so I went looking for vents and could not find any. I wire brushed all three axles and could not find any. I cleaned and washed and nope not even a boss, plug, or mark where they should be. did the older 1952 series trucks not have vents? the axles have tags Timkin Detroit. front axle is a M163797..

No, they all have vents. What has probably happened is the vent got broken off and crud filled up the hole. The vents are usually around the "pumpkin" area on the main housing. It can also have a vent in the pumpkin itself.

 

[fsearls92]

Not all of them have axle vents. I had an older M35a2 made by REO (1954) and it did not have axle vents either. This was the only truck I had ever seen without the vents. I had wondered the same about allowing pressure out but I ended up selling the truck.

 

[HanksDeuce]

My axle vents were on the side plate of the diff cover. I changed the vents out to barbed fittings and ran clear braided hose to a higher location for deep water fording.

See my modification page below for new axle breather setup.
http://hanksdeuce.com/axle_breathers.htm

 

[tommys2patrick]

I changed the gear oil on my truck today while I was trying to fix the drips. well low and behold the middle axle was pressurized. air came out of the fill plug when I removed it. so I went looking for vents and could not find any. I wire brushed all three axles and could not find any. I cleaned and washed and nope not even a boss, plug, or mark where they should be. did the older 1952 series trucks not have vents? the axles have tags Timkin Detroit. front axle is a M163797..

So--are you thinking you will add vents or keep it original? Can you add pics please so we can see what the axles look like? Did you pull the wheels and drums to see what shape the seals were in?

 

[gringeltaube]

My axle vents were on the side plate of the diff cover.....

Same here...




(And yes, older axles only had that vent, in the center of the pass.-side inspection plate.)

 

[Mackafd]

found the vents not on the tube like the TM says. but on the sides of the cover plates

 

[gringeltaube]

.... not on the tube like the TM says.
..........

Keep in mind there is more than one TM out there...


Images below are from the ORD 9 SNL G-742 parts book.


G.

 

[rustystud]

Not all of them have axle vents. I had an older M35a2 made by REO (1954) and it did not have axle vents either. This was the only truck I had ever seen without the vents. I had wondered the same about allowing pressure out but I ended up selling the truck.

All differentials and transmissions and transfer-cases have vents. If they didn't then seals would be popping out all over the place ! I once worked on a TH180 that kept blowing out the front seal. Literally pushing out the front seal ! There was a factory recall on the problem which involved drilling some holes for vent and pressure relief.