How to fix your leaking ARB air locker

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Sifu-Lux
LR 4WD Full Lockers
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Posts: 636
Joined: Tue Sep 11, 2007 9:46 pm
Town: Mount Vernon Illinois
Vehicle: GMC Sierra SLT Z71 (Used to drive a '91 SFA Hilux YN67R 4x4 ,Full OME, ARB lockers front and rear, Ford 3L V6, 35mm axle move, 33" General Grabber X3's and dual transfer cases....... Keep her safe Mud Dog!
Real Name: Andrew

How to fix your leaking ARB air locker

Post by Sifu-Lux »

I was out playing around a few weeks ago and went to engage my diff locks for a rather challenging climb. (I have ARB RD01 air lockers fitted front and rear)
Rear engaged no problem, but as I flicked the switch for the front locker, whooosh, all the air pressure dropped in the system and the compressor kicked in, but could not
maintain pressure. I then checked and found the air blowing out my extended diff breather.... :oops:

So on getting home I had to face the fact that I had to remove the front diff, and for those who have done it, it's a big job on an SFA.
Anyway, youtube provided a quicker way to pull the steering knuckles off without complete dissasembly and remove the sideshafts / birfields.
If you need info on stripping the front axle, look here at my axle rebuild post:
viewtopic.php?f=92&t=9011

and also here:
How to Remove a Birfield Joint (The fast way) aka The Camo Method Toyota 4x4 Solid Axle by WheeliePete
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3Y5bQGiezY

So here it started...
Hilux9935.jpg
Axle3289.jpg
Sifu-Lux....I will miss you
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Sifu-Lux
LR 4WD Full Lockers
LR 4WD Full Lockers
Posts: 636
Joined: Tue Sep 11, 2007 9:46 pm
Town: Mount Vernon Illinois
Vehicle: GMC Sierra SLT Z71 (Used to drive a '91 SFA Hilux YN67R 4x4 ,Full OME, ARB lockers front and rear, Ford 3L V6, 35mm axle move, 33" General Grabber X3's and dual transfer cases....... Keep her safe Mud Dog!
Real Name: Andrew

Re: How to fix your leaking ARB air locker

Post by Sifu-Lux »

After pulling the front diff out, I found the problem.
Diff9937.jpg
The rotary air seal end cap unit had popped the o-ring out, causing all the air to escape when pressurised at 6 bar...
ARB air seal 9939.jpg
On looking at the installation manual, I found the retaining clip missing. Further searching revealed it had come off and ended up in the axle housing.
Thankfully it did not go through the diff gears :shock2:

This is the missing clip, and this is where it fits in to the locker assembly
air ring clip.jpg
(15.86 KiB) Not downloaded yet
locker expl-600.jpg
I still cannot determine why it unclipped ...
Sifu-Lux....I will miss you
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Sifu-Lux
LR 4WD Full Lockers
LR 4WD Full Lockers
Posts: 636
Joined: Tue Sep 11, 2007 9:46 pm
Town: Mount Vernon Illinois
Vehicle: GMC Sierra SLT Z71 (Used to drive a '91 SFA Hilux YN67R 4x4 ,Full OME, ARB lockers front and rear, Ford 3L V6, 35mm axle move, 33" General Grabber X3's and dual transfer cases....... Keep her safe Mud Dog!
Real Name: Andrew

Re: How to fix your leaking ARB air locker

Post by Sifu-Lux »

Here the air end rotary unit removed (not my picture, I forgot to take one) showing the o-ring grooves. My o-rings were now suspect, so I had to get new ones.
Locker seal housing.jpg
Locker seal housing.jpg (9.41 KiB) Viewed 3320 times
imagesVV0V7TTN.jpg
imagesVV0V7TTN.jpg (9.45 KiB) Viewed 3320 times
Sifu-Lux....I will miss you
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Sifu-Lux
LR 4WD Full Lockers
LR 4WD Full Lockers
Posts: 636
Joined: Tue Sep 11, 2007 9:46 pm
Town: Mount Vernon Illinois
Vehicle: GMC Sierra SLT Z71 (Used to drive a '91 SFA Hilux YN67R 4x4 ,Full OME, ARB lockers front and rear, Ford 3L V6, 35mm axle move, 33" General Grabber X3's and dual transfer cases....... Keep her safe Mud Dog!
Real Name: Andrew

Re: How to fix your leaking ARB air locker

Post by Sifu-Lux »

In replacing the o-rings, I scoured the interweb for the spec, not wanting to pay ARB part number prices :shock:
I have the ARB RD01 air lockers installed, my install manual lists an incorrect part number as I discovered.
The correct part number from ARB for the o-rings is 160205. Luckily I managed to find the equivalent part table chart
for the o-rings from ARB.

ARB part number: 160205
Standard part number: BS132V75 ---> 44.12mm ID 2.62mm CS Viton

Got them from Bearing Man (BMG) for R 10ea :thumbup:
ARB O-ring chart.jpg
O-ring ARB 160205.jpg
Sifu-Lux....I will miss you
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Sifu-Lux
LR 4WD Full Lockers
LR 4WD Full Lockers
Posts: 636
Joined: Tue Sep 11, 2007 9:46 pm
Town: Mount Vernon Illinois
Vehicle: GMC Sierra SLT Z71 (Used to drive a '91 SFA Hilux YN67R 4x4 ,Full OME, ARB lockers front and rear, Ford 3L V6, 35mm axle move, 33" General Grabber X3's and dual transfer cases....... Keep her safe Mud Dog!
Real Name: Andrew

Re: How to fix your leaking ARB air locker

Post by Sifu-Lux »

Cleaned everything up (and a bit of rust due to lack of use...) and lubricated the new o-rings in clean diff ol and refitted everything.

I made sure the retaining clip was well seated and cannot move
Diff17.jpg
Diff19.jpg
Did a pressure test for 1 hour, no leaks!!!!
Diff187.jpg
Sifu-Lux....I will miss you
User avatar
Sifu-Lux
LR 4WD Full Lockers
LR 4WD Full Lockers
Posts: 636
Joined: Tue Sep 11, 2007 9:46 pm
Town: Mount Vernon Illinois
Vehicle: GMC Sierra SLT Z71 (Used to drive a '91 SFA Hilux YN67R 4x4 ,Full OME, ARB lockers front and rear, Ford 3L V6, 35mm axle move, 33" General Grabber X3's and dual transfer cases....... Keep her safe Mud Dog!
Real Name: Andrew

Re: How to fix your leaking ARB air locker

Post by Sifu-Lux »

With all that done, I re-fitted the diff and re-assembled the axle (about 5 hours work)

(I also replace the pinion oil seal while I was doing this job and fitted a new locking nut which I did not cover in this post)
Diff190.jpg
I also re-fitted the Aisin front locking hubs which i serviced and repainted. Look a bit better :mrgreen:
Aisin hub hilux.jpg
Aisin hub hilux 2.jpg
Took the Lux for a good drive and every is working as it should!!
Sifu-Lux....I will miss you
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Mud Dog
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Vehicle: '90 SFA Hilux DC 4X4, Full OME, 110mm lift. Brospeed branch, 50mm ss freeflow exhaust. 30 x 9.5 Discoverer S/T's on Viper mags. L/R tank. (AWOL) '98 LTD 2.4 SFA, dual battery system. Dobinson suspension, LR tanks, 31" BF mud's.
Real Name: Andy
Club VHF Licence: HC103

Re: How to fix your leaking ARB air locker

Post by Mud Dog »

Sorry t hear of your woes Andrew, but thanks for yet another informative post. Glad you got it sorted! :thumbup:
When your road comes to an end ...... you need a HILUX!.

Image
Image

Life is like a jar of Jalapeño peppers ... what you do today, might burn your ass tomorrow.
Don't take life too seriously ..... no-one gets out alive.
It's not about waiting for storms to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain.
And be yourself ..... everyone else is taken!
User avatar
Sifu-Lux
LR 4WD Full Lockers
LR 4WD Full Lockers
Posts: 636
Joined: Tue Sep 11, 2007 9:46 pm
Town: Mount Vernon Illinois
Vehicle: GMC Sierra SLT Z71 (Used to drive a '91 SFA Hilux YN67R 4x4 ,Full OME, ARB lockers front and rear, Ford 3L V6, 35mm axle move, 33" General Grabber X3's and dual transfer cases....... Keep her safe Mud Dog!
Real Name: Andrew

Re: How to fix your leaking ARB air locker

Post by Sifu-Lux »

Mud Dog wrote: Tue Jul 04, 2017 6:06 pm Sorry t hear of your woes Andrew, but thanks for yet another informative post. Glad you got it sorted! :thumbup:
Joh, been a while Andy. Finally getting some time again to play with my Hilux. Thought I'd contribute some of my learnings again lol.
Sifu-Lux....I will miss you
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Mud Dog
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Posts: 29852
Joined: Tue Apr 29, 2008 2:18 am
Town: East London
Vehicle: '90 SFA Hilux DC 4X4, Full OME, 110mm lift. Brospeed branch, 50mm ss freeflow exhaust. 30 x 9.5 Discoverer S/T's on Viper mags. L/R tank. (AWOL) '98 LTD 2.4 SFA, dual battery system. Dobinson suspension, LR tanks, 31" BF mud's.
Real Name: Andy
Club VHF Licence: HC103

Re: How to fix your leaking ARB air locker

Post by Mud Dog »

:thumbup: :thumbup:
When your road comes to an end ...... you need a HILUX!.

Image
Image

Life is like a jar of Jalapeño peppers ... what you do today, might burn your ass tomorrow.
Don't take life too seriously ..... no-one gets out alive.
It's not about waiting for storms to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain.
And be yourself ..... everyone else is taken!
Mars
LR4WD, Lockers, Crawler Gears
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Re: How to fix your leaking ARB air locker

Post by Mars »

Good post thanks.
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