Creative thinking from the Hive

I had to weld up the breather for the ford 8.8. I had brackets being welded right there. So I need to place the breather elsewhere. There is room on the passenger side, I saved the threaded tube piece. Now I just need to drill a hole and tap it for the thread pitch. The creative thinking I want help with is IF I can drill this thing out and some how keep the shrapnel out of the axle tube. Any ideas? The placement of the breather would be about middle of the tube @12o'clock. His means I can't get a rag in there deep enough to block the hole from metal shavings falling in. I'm open to any ideas, including a different route (within reason. Budget being that reason)

Coat the bit with heavy grease. Go slow and clean it often, grease should catch the shavings.

java230 wrote: Coat the bit with heavy grease. Go slow and clean it often, grease should catch the shavings.

This. Or put a magnet on a stick to insert in the axle tube and catch the shavings.

Ooh! I do have a telescopic magnetic flashlight and it's really powerful! I'll do both methods! Thanks friends.

Spiral flute taps push the chips out the top of the hole

In reply to Jumper K. Balls:

I did not know such existed.

java230 wrote: In reply to Jumper K. Balls: I did not know such existed.

i have a smaller set, they are awesome. perfect for drilling and tapping brackets and stuff all in one shot.

How much... I'm guessing I can't just buy the size I need...

Drill and tap bits are FREAKING AWESOME. Bzzzrt and threaded hole where an expanse of blank steel used to be. As long as you don't let the drill go cockeyed when the tap bites.

If it were mine, I'd just do the grease thing and figure that anything left over will get caught by the magnet in the cover if it ever migrates to the center section. I've found worse chunks in otherwise fine rears.

giggity

You can also give the thing a bit of positive pressure. 5 psi or so will help chips go out instead of in.

Shop-Vac?

914Driver wrote: Shop-Vac?

I do have a smaller shop vac, but it's weaksauce. Maybe a combination of the five things told here. (Except the 5 psi of pressure... Not sure how to hook up a pressurized system to an axle)