Thread: What have I broke?

DEFENDER2.NET - View topic - Tank breather

Jc

Surely no sane person would vent their fuel tank inside the vehicle?

The fuel tank breather is on the driver's side and the rear diff breather is on the passenger side (at least it is on mine), so I would think it more likely to be the diff breather. Either way it's not serious - apart from venting the fuel tank inside the vehicle.

The breather on mine (MY16) runs up beside the fuel filler so is considerably higher than the one shown in the link and it will still leak if over-filled. I think they changed it for the MY15 but it may have been earlier.

It's still pretty ordinary and is the reason I will get Nugget Stuff kit. The diff breathers are fine really, but they may as well all run to the same spot and look cool in the process.

Cheers,
Jon

Hi In A Landy Down Under,
Having owned your vehicle I can tell you that the filter was placed on the end of the fuel tank breather as the 2007 model only had a hook on the end of it with no filter to stop rubbish getting into the tank. Later models were modified although even on my 2013 model, I have had to apply a fix to it as well. The original breather was in the passenger side wheel arch and in original condition, there was a good chance the fuel tank would suck water spray into the tank.

From memory I put some tubing on the end of the open "hook" end and extended it up behind the light panel protective shield and placed the air silencer to reduce the likelihood of spray/contamination getting in. It was never placed inside the vehicle so someone else has modified this and run it up through the grommet in the rear.

Any pneumatic shop should have them. They only cost a few dollars. The thread will be 1/4 BSPP. As the body is plastic, just jam a screwdriver into the broken end and unscrew it from the brass body.

Regards,
4Wheleler

Originally Posted by jon3950

Surely no sane person would vent their fuel tank inside the vehicle?

The fuel tank breather is on the driver's side and the rear diff breather is on the passenger side (at least it is on mine), so I would think it more likely to be the diff breather. Either way it's not serious - apart from venting the fuel tank inside the vehicle.

The breather on mine (MY16) runs up beside the fuel filler so is considerably higher than the one shown in the link and it will still leak if over-filled. I think they changed it for the MY15 but it may have been earlier.

It's still pretty ordinary and is the reason I will get Nugget Stuff kit. The diff breathers are fine really, but they may as well all run to the same spot and look cool in the process.

Cheers,
Jon

Jon,
As you have mentioned, no breather, fuel or otherwise, should be vented inside the vehicle so it should be moved outside like it was originally.

On that 2007 Defender and my 2013 Defender I could/can fill them fully and they did not vent fuel. If the check valve in the breather is operating correctly there should be no backflow.

In the 2007 from memory and my 2013 Defender, the rear diff breather runs on the passenger side up into the LHS (passenger) engine bay as does the front diff breather and the transfer box breather and exits at various heights from inlet manifold height to just above starter motor height at the back of the engine. The gearbox breather exits into the top of the bell housing! All fairly high without modification but any insurance is good insurance in terms of extensions.

Thanks for posting that 4wheeler. I misread your first post initially and thought you had run the breather into the cab. Re-reading that though I see that bit wasn't your work.

Agree with what your saying, none of them should be run inside. In my MY16 at least, all the diff and tc breathers are fine, nice and high and don't really need a filter on them, although it would be nice.

My fuel tank breather is much higher up than on earlier models - it runs up to the top of the filler neck. It is still just the bent bit of tube though and still overflows. Although that should be fine with the check valve in the line and shouldn't let any water in, I would still prefer something a little better.

Your solution looks good - cheap and simple. The other thing we used to use is the little plastic Ryco in-line fuel filters. I still like the Nugget kit just because it looks so neat. Besides, whats the point of having a Defender if you don't throw stupid amounts of money at it?

Cheers,
Jon

My fuel tank breather goes to the top of the filler and I've never had fuel overflow. I have a Long Ranger tank.
My rear diff breather was up under the floor and I extended it to a Nugget Stuff kit in the engine bay on the passenger side.

Originally Posted by jon3950

Thanks for posting that 4wheeler. I misread your first post initially and thought you had run the breather into the cab. Re-reading that though I see that bit wasn't your work.

Agree with what your saying, none of them should be run inside. In my MY16 at least, all the diff and tc breathers are fine, nice and high and don't really need a filter on them, although it would be nice.

My fuel tank breather is much higher up than on earlier models - it runs up to the top of the filler neck. It is still just the bent bit of tube though and still overflows. Although that should be fine with the check valve in the line and shouldn't let any water in, I would still prefer something a little better.

Your solution looks good - cheap and simple. The other thing we used to use is the little plastic Ryco in-line fuel filters. I still like the Nugget kit just because it looks so neat. Besides, whats the point of having a Defender if you don't throw stupid amounts of money at it?

Cheers,
Jon

Hi Jon,
It seems no two defenders are built alike are they given what you have said and DiscoMick has indicated. There is no way my 2013 breather tube would reach fuel filler height without an extension hose on it, which is what I have done.

The breather tube valve should be like a float valve which should let air circulate freely but fuel should close it off when the fuel gets to it so you don't have fuel spilling if the tank is filled high.

The reason I put that plastic filter on the extension on the 2007 Defender I had was just because I had the bits to do it. I noticed that when I drained the fuel filter of a little bit of fuel, it tended to have fine particles in it, and I concluded it was sucking in dust from the wheel arch. The plastic filter seemed to reduce the problem. On that vehicle I also made up some inner wheel arch protectors (which I have done for my 2103 model) which also helped reduce water and dust. Extending the breather to the engine bay also would have helped. The Ryco filter would work even better.

Talking about spending money, I been spending the last few weekends chopping up a Devon 4x4 battery tray and welding bits and chopping bits to see if I can re-design it to fit more commonly used and available batteries. The original Land Rover Mega fuse is a problem as it limits batteries unless you fit an aftermarket holder. It is doing my head in at the moment. I don't drill any extra holes in vehicles (unless there is no option) or remove bits which can't be put back on, so that also gives me grief.

Originally Posted by 4wheeler

Hi In A Landy Down Under,
Having owned your vehicle I can tell you that the filter was placed on the end of the fuel tank breather as the 2007 model only had a hook on the end of it with no filter to stop rubbish getting into the tank. Later models were modified although even on my 2013 model, I have had to apply a fix to it as well. The original breather was in the passenger side wheel arch and in original condition, there was a good chance the fuel tank would suck water spray into the tank.

From memory I put some tubing on the end of the open "hook" end and extended it up behind the light panel protective shield and placed the air silencer to reduce the likelihood of spray/contamination getting in. It was never placed inside the vehicle so someone else has modified this and run it up through the grommet in the rear.

Any pneumatic shop should have them. They only cost a few dollars. The thread will be 1/4 BSPP. As the body is plastic, just jam a screwdriver into the broken end and unscrew it from the brass body.

Regards,
4Wheleler

Thanks 4Wheleler!

Will this ebay listing do the job? I presume it this will just thread straight on.

Pneumatic Muffler Cone Filter Silencer Sintered Bronze Male Threaded BSP 1/4" | eBay