Posted on 15th May 2015 at 10:27am
When sitting around the camp fire after a day tackling some of Victoria’s most iconic 4WD tracks in the high country, I asked other 4wders, what modifications they would do on a brand new vehicle to protect it from the rigors of the high country.The answers I received were:
1. Bullbar
2. Lockers
3. Suspension
4. Winch
5. Snorkel
These elements are great, but how do you consider protecting your diffs, gearbox and transfer case from taking in dust, water and debris whilst out on the tracks?
A snorkel benefits your vehicle by helping raise the air intake point for your engine, you also need to do the same for your diffs, gearbox and transfer case. The standard breathers sit low in the chassis rail or on some vehicles not even an inch off the housing. When driving your driveline gets hot causing expansion,when you reach a river crossing the sudden change of temperature causes contraction and consequently a vacuum, which pulls in water, dirt and anything else close to the breather. This puts contaminants in those vital components causing wear & premature failure leading to thousands of dollars in repairs.
I’ve seen plenty of times people bringing in cars saying that “Mate my diff lock has stopped working and there is a horrible noise coming from the back of my car”. As soon as you get the car on the hoist and drop the diff oil the problem is evident, the oil looks like milk which is a sign that the differential has ingested water. Unfortunately though whilst taking in the water it has also taken in all the rubbish around it. This caused not only wear to the gear set but rust throughout the bearings causing the noise.
To protect these vital parts Harrop's team of engineers have put their heads together and come up with the new 4 port differential, gearbox and transfer case breather kit, Australian made and engineered to go the distance. The 4 port distribution block enables an easy installation in your engine bay with all breathers going to the one location. This allows you to re-route the intake to your air box to ensure a sealed factory finish away from any possible contaminants. Harrop Engineeringsupply all the necessary push lock fittings, and barbs to suit most vehicles, 6 metres of black airline, all for a tidy price of $165 –I can’t fault it.
So when you buy your new 4WD, ELockers or even just the next up-grade to your beloved 4WD make sure you consider protecting those Differentials, gearbox and transfer case with a breather kit. I know I have.
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Since 1955, Harrop has engineered and manufactured world-class systems and solutions for OEMs, Race Teams and the Aftermarket. #harrop
