Exploring Underwater

badge49 · March 31, 2006

Last month I went out with the guys from Rebel4x4.net and we had some Nor-Cal fun at the local "Clay Pit". It was a great day of shooting at the range next to the pit and mud/hill climbs making a few fun memories. Just as we were all heading out, I decided to cross the "puddle" between the dirt and the parking lot. A quick test by throwing a rock in and watching it bounch back up lead me to believe the puddle was shallow. Low and behold, a minutle later I found myself nose down in what was really a canal with water at the widshield. I had too much speed going in and didn't get a chance to shut off the engine. The spiffy 3" intake I had just fabbed up made for a great straw and filled the engine with volotile water. A tow strap and two hours of tinkering later we had the rig dry of water, both inside the engine and out, but were left with a newly bent rod. Since then I have installed a new engine, but will never make that mistake again. Exploring in an exploder is fun, but I found out the hard way they weren't made to be submersible!

SkanlaxJMO · April 1, 2006

wow that sux....any bad damage from the water....cool pics too.

Champagin · April 1, 2006

an expensive, dirty mess, huh?

badash · April 1, 2006

man makes me remember how lucky i was last saturday... front was headlight deep and the driver side door was half covered, and the rear bumper was just out of water, luckily i got tugged out and nothing went wrong

section525 · April 1, 2006

You should have told me you were going to do something cool like this and I would have stayed longer that day!

Bruce-L · April 1, 2006

You need to build a snorkel!!! Wiping out two air filters in "shallow" puddles put me on a mission to protect the engine from water. I think a mud puddle dip stick will be my next toy.

badge49 · April 2, 2006

Ha Bruce, I was jsut reading your snorkal install thread...I may seriously look into that soon! Losing an engine to water was a way expensive mistake, guess I'll be eating Top Ramen for the rest of the semester! I also need to re-grease my suspention after it got such a good washing...it's creaking something fierce! Anyone have any pointers for the creaking?

CougarX · April 2, 2006

I know how ya feel. Here's what water did to my 5.0...

Bruce-L · April 2, 2006

Hey Badge',
Most of the factory bushings are rubber and they're all over the car. Get them wet and they squeeeeek. You could try getting a grease gun with a needle tip, since there are no grease fittings, and lubing the ball joints . Seal the hole with silicone after lubing.

Cougarx, U.F.B. Both times I got swamped I was lucky enough to have the air filter save the engine.

badge49 · April 3, 2006

Thanks Bruce, just waiting for a sunny day in Nor-Cal to get under the rig and do some work! What kind of grease have you used in the past? I've got some wheel bearing pack grease that's been laying around for years...looks like another trip to Kragen! They know me well

Bruce-L · April 3, 2006

I bought some grease recently and i don't think it was anything special. Just a little tub of bearing grease. i used that for a while and then i replaced the stock ball joints with a greaseable set.
You may want to check the sway bar bushings. My creaked like an old rocking chair until I replaced them with polyurethane bushings. They came with grease that may be a lithium hi temp grease.

Exploring Underwater

badge49

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SkanlaxJMO

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Champagin

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badash

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section525

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badge49

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CougarX

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