ARB Air Locker - Air Line Clearing - 80 Series
Author: Thomas Wong (LongDuck) May 28, 2015
Finally got around to clearing out the air lines on the ARB Air Lockers, front and rear. As many may know this uses an onboard ARB compressor to provide somewhere around 100psi to the actuators inside the axle, locking rear or rear+front via dash switching. Several runs back (Mt Ord) we noticed that my lockers weren't engaging on an uneven obstacle which indicated some maintenance was needed.
Taking LCPhil's advice (given several times, and thanks!), I got the creeper under the LC and loosened the brass fitting holding the blue air line using a 12mm box-end. Note that there is a 12mm air line crimp fitting which threads into a 14mm brass mount on the axle housing. Inside of both fittings when tight is a metal air line which carries the air pressure down somewhere inside where the magic happens.
Here's the front line removed, with an old sock held over the line by twisting the metal spring through it to hold it in place - it jumps around a lot while the air line is being purged and shoots out grimy old gear oil.
Taking LCPhil's advice (given several times, and thanks!), I got the creeper under the LC and loosened the brass fitting holding the blue air line using a 12mm box-end. Note that there is a 12mm air line crimp fitting which threads into a 14mm brass mount on the axle housing. Inside of both fittings when tight is a metal air line which carries the air pressure down somewhere inside where the magic happens.
Here's the front line removed, with an old sock held over the line by twisting the metal spring through it to hold it in place - it jumps around a lot while the air line is being purged and shoots out grimy old gear oil.
And here's what comes out of it (*astute observers can see the new step endcap installed here and on the other side - which were torn off the mud some time ago).
After the line was clear of the axle housing, I turned on the ARB compressor main switch and got a quick pulse ("BRRRRR"), and then nothing for a few moments, followed by "BRRR...BRRR... BRRR... BRRRRRRR" as the compressor ran longer and longer under the demand switch to push more grease and gear oil out of the line. About 5 minutes later, the compressor was running non-stop and the goop seemed to stop coming out of the air line - telling me it was completely clear. Repeated the procedure on the back air line with the same result.
I attribute this to not activating the Fr & Rr lockers as regularly as I should since the gear oil manages to get pushed up the air line from disuse. I plan to try and make an opportunity to lock them up at least once a month to be sure the air lines stay clear from now on. Installation of petcock valves to prevent oil/grease migration up the lines seems like a hassle in the long run, but we'll see how it goes.
