steering box leaking from filler/drain plug

[72dat]

It appears that my steering box is leaking from a small pin hole from the filler/drain plug. Do all plugs have this pin hole. If so, should it be leaking from there? attached a pic.

thanks

[defdes]

It's a breather. Mine does the same thing.

[510Martinez]

I don't know if it's supposed to be there. I have a filler plug for a Roadster (same box basically) on my desk and there is no hole in it.

[Dimebag]

when I got my car it had a clean dry steering box, but the filler plug appeared to be quite beat up so I bought a new one from Nissan. I don't know if the original had that breather hole, but the new one does and now my steering box is always wet from filler plug.

[bertvorgon]

They always weep. When the box oil gets heated from the headers, etc, plus any cornering forces, the oil, specially if stock oil, just plain comes out the vent hole.

My concern if non vented, IE no hole, would be that in high heat situations, the oil could blow by the seal, maybe no biggy. A lot of us put 80/90 gear oil in, and I know I run my level just a touch low, to have a bit more room to expand. I have a turbo sitting close to mine, so it does get quite hot.

I was always going to make a "stand pipe" for my box, a threaded insert maybe 1-2" high, with the plug on top of that. that would eleiminate the weeping.

[sdterrible1]

I put a barb fitting in there to replace it and attached a hose to it to breath. The hose runs up and rests next the where the m/c is.