Rear Axle Breather Connector

Hi Guys

Can anyone help me out, I don't have a lathe hence this post.

I need a connector making for the rear axle breather on my car for a rubber hose to fit on.

Please see the attached drawing, saves me having to describe it.

Just bog-standard mild steel will do fine.

If someone could private message me saying how much they want for doing it, that would be great.

I'm in Stafford UK

Thanks to anyone who can help me out.

Clive

Quite happy to knock you one up over here in Buxton, but have you considered using a fuel banjo.
The ones on my Landrover(s) look similar to the banjo design, and have the advantage of coming out horizontal.

I'm only including this link, so you see what I mean; I know it's the wrong size, and this one is quite expensive compared to an agricultural merchant.
.
https://www.merlinmotorsport.co.uk/p/weber-straight-banjo-bolt-bj-web-1

Bill

You don’t need a lathe. An 8mm bolt cut to a suitable length and drilled (from both ends if necessary.

Hard to find M8 bolts with a 7mm shank though

It's a connector for a rubber hose so doesn't need to be precise or even a particularly good finish; drill the bolt then hold it in a drill chuck and take the surface down with some coarse emery.

Put bolt in drill and drill bit in vice this will give a centre mark then drill. rubber hose so no real need for 7mm.

Thanks for the replies, guys

Let me put you right in the picture, not that it makes much difference, the car is an Isuzu Trooper year 2000.

The existing breather lived directly on the rear axle but the valve part broke up and when I pulled it off, I was left with a metal tube sticking up which I couldn’t unscrew out of a nut which is welded to the axle, so there wasn’t much point in buying a replacement from the main Isuzu Agents.

Anyway, I decided to connect a rubber hose onto the metal tube and run it vertically up so the new breather valve would be a bit higher than having it directly on the axle.

I don’t do off roading so didn’t want to go to the trouble of running tubing into the engine bay from the back of the car, you know the full works snorkel and all.

The car has just failed its mot, one of the things was corroded fuel pipes at the back of the car just before they go over the rear axle.

They connect onto the top of the fuel tank with rubber fuel hoses, the garage suggested I cut the metal fuel pipes back beyond the corrosion and fit longer rubber pipes, probably about 6 inches longer than they are now.

On inspecting the metal fuel lines I noticed where the breather pipe connected onto the axle it was loose, that’s when I found the small metal tube had corroded and it just more or less fell off.

I’ve managed to tap an 8mm hole into the nut on the axle, thinking as already mentioned, get an 8mm screw or bolt and drill a hole down the middle of it and then try and sand the end down to 7mm diameter, the rubber tube I’d be using is fuel line J-30 ¼" bore, I know its rubber and I could put it in hot water to soften it but I’m not sure if it would stretch to 8mm without sanding the bolt down to suit.

Back to drilling, I don’t have a drill press or pedestal drilling machine and my hands aren’t as steady as they once were but I’ve had a go at trying to drill the bolt with a 4mm drill bit and manage to break 3 bits.

I then decided on this forum thinking with the correct tools someone on here will just laugh at this and more than likely have it done faster than I can put the kettle on for a cuppa 😊

Bill thanks for the link, I want to run it straight up from the axle rather than come out horizontal and then bend it upwards.

Right guys update today 11th Oct:

I’ve just had another go at making the steel tube connector, I clamped the head of a bolt in a small vice and put an electric drill in a small drill stand and thought things were looking good until I cut the head of the bolt off only to find the drilled had almost broken through the side see the pictures.

I’m not expecting it to be dead concentric but my effort leaves it hopelessly out.

This picture shows what the rubber breather hose connects to just under the car floor rather than on the axle.

So if someone can help me out I can get on with trying fix the fuel lines,plus two places which I need to get welded at the front of the car, I can do the metalwork but will need to get a mobile welder to weld the plates on, which leaves one other thing; play in the steering wheel, not rotatory but physically getting hold of the steering wheel and moving it up and down it the verical plane.

I know they have 3 different height settings they can be put in, but I guess it must be something to do with the clamping mechaism, other than that I'm having a great day

I think Peak4 has offered to knock up the connector you want but if you don't wish to take his offer up then drop me a PM and I will do it for you.

Jim

Hi Jim

Thanks for your reply, I am going to PM Bill who has kindly offered to do one for me.

I like to let others know what is happening especially as they’ve gone to the trouble of replying to my message and its just to show how my efforts turned out.

The steering wheel play could also be the top bush in the steering column.

Hi Dave

Not on the Trooper but some years ago I had a similar problem and found it to be a nylon bush at the top of the column.

it was In the days before there was any adjustment on steerintg wheels, however it could well be as you have suggested or the clamping mechaism.

I haven't got that far yet as Iv'e been too busy lying under the back of the car.

I hope its not something which is going to cost an arm and a leg as I'd rather spend my money on more exciting things like energy bills.

Just got home, and replied to Clive.
I'll sort one in the morning and get it in the post tomorrow.
Bill

In the post, should be with you tomorrow.
Bill

Well done Bill!

Did you make it from an M8 bolt though? Jason pointed out the difficulty of finding an 8mm bolt with a 7mm shank, and Nicholas suggested roughly taking the diameter down to 7mm. But I think Nicholas' mod wouldn't work because 1.25 pitch cuts deeper into the metal than 7mm, making it necessary to get rid of too much metal for the remains to be a good fit to the rubber pipe.

Too late now, I was going to suggest adding a couple of shallow flats so an adjustable spanner could be used to nip it up.

Dave

If you start with a bolt, and not a set screw, the unthreaded shank will be a similar diameter to the threads. Which leaves enough material to reduce to 7mm by whatever method is easiest for you and your equipment. It does require being able to drill the through hole reasonably concentric.

I would make the whole part from a length of 8mm rod, because it's exactly the sort of part I bought my first lathe for.

I’m not expecting it to be dead concentric but my effort leaves it hopelessly out.

You clearly did not take my suggestion of drilling from both ends?

Hi Guys

As Dave said the thread depth would too deep to use a set-screw, I’m sure someone will put me right if I have this wrong, I believe the minor diameter of a male M8 course is 6.466mm.

I’d prefer the plain part to be 7mm diameter that’s what the rubber hose fitted on until now with no issues.

As far as flats are concerned, I’ll just nip it up with some pliers with the jaws covered.

I’m with Nicholas a bolt would be the best way to go, always of course a hole can be drilled down the middle of it, that’s where I came unstuck, my pictures say it all.

not done it yet

I have to own up, no I didn’t drill from both ends.

I had thoughts of the drill bit breaking in the hole ie the bit pulling to one side when it met up with the hole from the opposite side.

Not a bolt no; I had some 7/16" stainless hex in stock.
Turned one end down to 8mm and threaded with a Herbert die head
7mm plain shank as requested on the other end.
Drilled from both ends as it went past the flutes of the first 3mm drill, and then through in one pass with the 4mm.

Bill

Edited By peak4 on 12/10/2021 23:26:56