crossing deep water

[yob_yeknom]

Probably your exhaust being under water and bubbling.

 

[Blake D]

I got a pic going through the hole, my truck can't be seen. My brother was standing up the road taking action shots with our RebelG. You see the truck go in, dissapear, and then climbing out of it. I am stock except for 31 BFG KOs. If I hadn;t drilled the airbox or relocated my diffs, I probably would have had to get rid of it. I really needed a Snorkle bc the water was over my hood, around chest deep on me and I'm 6ft. If I had known the hole was that deep no way would I have tried it. It was VERY deciving. If I get reminded I can try to figure out how to post the pics. There was a huge splash, probably going a little fast about 12MPH or so instead of creaping but most of the other holes were medium deep with mud so I needed the speed to keep from getting stuck in them. This last one was just like a ditch digger truck dug a deep hole and filled it with water. COOL but won't ever do it again.

 

[Blake D]

Well found the last breather ( I think) It was staring me in the face small metal tube pointing down if that is the right thing.
Just curious though if I go through a big hole now (Drilled airbox, rerouted breather tubes) and still get enough water to cause a problem how do i know if i need to pull the plugs to keep it from hydro lock?

If I do need to pull the plugs, do I have to pull all of them (doesn't seem to practical on the trail some people said it takes like 2 hours to replace the plugs in a garage) or just like one or two to push the water out?

 

[CBoug76]

?

Just curious though if I go through a big hole now (Drilled airbox, rerouted breather tubes) and still get enough water to cause a problem how do i know if i need to pull the plugs to keep it from hydro lock?

You will know! Your engine will stall when it get too much water in a Cylinder... This is what is called Hydro-locked. To prevent this, STAY OUT OF THE WATER! or figure out a way to hook up a scuba tank to the Air intake....

If I do need to pull the plugs, do I have to pull all of them (doesn't seem to practical on the trail some people said it takes like 2 hours to replace the plugs in a garage) or just like one or two to push the water out?

You have to pull all of them out, since you are not sure what cylinder was on the intake stroke when you hit the water....

 

[Xplodor]

Why not avoid water crossings all together. I can understand doing them in a HEEP with no carpet, but in an X??? These things are way too nice to be knee deep driving in water? I'm going to do these mods incase I come across small crossings, but anything that is going to get water in my interrior, I'm turning around and finding another way. Thanks for all the info though!

Happy Water Trails!

 

[Kris Guilbeaux]

Xplodor, Some times there is not another way. If you are going to wheel there you have to do water crossings.

 

[4.0SOHC]

Originally posted by xwhaler
About a year ago....my friend and I were driving around in the rain when we came upon a low lying area with a river on one side and a lake on the other. Now, being that it had rained for like 3 straight days, this section of the road was compleately washed over. When we got to the site....it had not been blocked off by the police yet. Before we started this little adventure we watched a tow truck pull a 300 zx sports car out (that guy made it about 10' in before he got stuck while only in approx. 1' water!) OK, we talked to the tow truck guy..he said he dint reccomend it but really didnt care what we did, probably figuring that he could soon make some money on us and tow us out. Started up the X, and started plowing through at a decent clip so as not to get stuck. When we got about 1/2 way in of this 50' section the engine shut off. Fearing the worst, I got out and discovered that the water was up to the doors and definately up to the bumper, almost seeping into the engine through the front grill. The water was up to my knees and Im 6' tall. Turns out that the entire tailpipe was submerged and thats why we could get it back started. Luckily, after a few attempts of starting it in neutral we got her running and made our way out. Definately made for a fun, yet nerve-racking experience for my first time thru deep water. After we got out, we saw a Land Rover Discovery II pull up, raise himself 2' with the electric control and have no problems getting through!

Yeah I saw a 4x4 special on TLC the other night and the featured Land Rovers, they are good for 30" of water. I was impressed.

 

[Xplodor]

No thank you. I'd seriously turn around. It's toatally not worth it to me. Thanks for the info, I'll be sure to ask if there are any deep water crossings before I go on runs with you guys.

I spent a lot of money on this thing, and want to keep it in good condition. It's only a year and a half old, and I don't plan on getting her that messed up YET if I can avoid it. When I buy a new daily driver then things will change. What do you guys do to clean/dry them out. Doesn't it smell muggy?

 

[Jason_25]

I agree with Xplodor. NO WAY I'm going through water that deep. Dents and scratches are fine. Broken front end parts are fine, but having a hydrolocked engine sucks. I would know since it's happened to me.

 

[CBoug76]

lol,
I went on a Run a ways back, and I was fairly stock and there was a Stock Jeep, well the Jeep got Hydro Locked and My Explorer was FINE! hehehehe

 

[Kris Guilbeaux]

If you know how to Drive in a water crossing you will not hydrolock.Even though sinjin's truck was that deep of water the Truck was not hydrolocked.

I have had water in the Interior of my Navajo and all I did was pull the carpet and Clean it really good. My amp for my sub got wet. It dried out fine and has worked fine for over a year. Also just cause you hydrolock the motor does not mean rebuild.

Jesse hydrolocked his Motor and he was still able to drive home....

 

[4.0SOHC]

I got some good and bad new, I hydro-locked my 95 in a mud hole that didn't have water no deeper than my hubs. Yes, it was a freak of Nature, but it happend. I since changed the intake by installing 3 1" dia. PVC to my intake box and routing them to the highest place under the hood. Just one big splash took in all the water it needed to leave me stranded. Oh and by the way I was out working, not playing.
I did luck up on the tow truck the guy only charged me $100 bucks for 3hrs work. I was close to 2 miles off a gravel road, then 3 miles to a paved road. He had the only 4x4 wrecker in town.

The good news, after fluid change and a new starter and bat. it run perfect until the day I sold it. It even sounded a little deeper.

Be careful, water is very scary and I am with the other guys here avoid it at all cost. Gun shy maybe, Stupid, only once.

 

[Trckmagik]

When you wheel a Ford Explorer you ought to expect things to happen. This is why I finally decided to get a total trail explorer. No interior. I dont worry about the crossings at all. If your ever wheeling w/ the demon4x4.com group out of Texas expect some deep water at all times.

 

[VonZipper]

Just so everyone here is aware.

Extending the breather lines for your axles and transmissions does not mean you will not suck up water.

None of your mechanicals, except the airbox, have vacuum to suck up water. The reason anything pulls in the water is because of heat. A hot gearbox or axle will suck up the water to cool down. take a hot peice of metal, lay it on something and poor water next to it. the heat will draw in the water. So, with this in mind, that is the dynamics behind water in your equipment. Another thought to ponder. The beather hose is what, 1/4 or 3/8 outside diameter. So, you create this long, small hole for the hot equipment to draw in cool air.

Have any of you replaced the seals in your axles or transmission, transfer cases? Look at the direction of the seal. It is designed to keep oil in, it is tappered that way. So, you have a hot axle that really wants to cool down. You hit the cold water, and it instantly tries to draw in the cool ness. At this point it is all a matter of the easiest path. So, if the seals are worn at all, there is a great chance your axle or whatever will draw the water in past the seal.

If you get water in any part, it will not instantly break. Well, unless you fill a cylinder, that will hurt some.

So, to make this short, you will get water in your mechanicals, no matter how hard you try not too. Just make sure you check your fluids often, and change when needed. Here is something else to. Why are you drilling holes in your airbox? If you were to just run a hose from the air intake of the airbox to the firewall you would be much better off. if your airbox ever goes under water with all those holes in it, you will only have to choice to suck up the water. if you were to route a hose from the airbox, and plumb it into your firewall, like the plate that hides the windsheild wiper stuff, you would have to get the vents under the windsheild under water before you would suck any of it up.

With any rig, as long as you water proof the electrics, you should be able to get in up to the windsheild.
My poor exploder has been there, and never left me sittin. I just change my fluids as needed, and use the money and time for those long breather hoses to partake in a cool beverage and chill.

 

[Broccoli1]

Von Zipper is correct; you only need to do all that breather ext. work if you are constanlty going to be in water. All other times you encounter water just drain the fluids after the run and your rig will be fine. If you do cross water and kill the engine just pull all the plugs, dry them, re install and motor on Garth

 

[VonZipper]

Well, pull the plugs, turn the engine over for a bit to shoot out any water, then motor on.

 

[Mbrooks420]

If your engine is hot enough won't the cold water warp anything? I bent a rod on my atv by sinking it in water. It still ran ok, just had a bit of rod knock.

 

[Blake D]

ummm wow I didn't know this was such a heated topic! Thanks for everyone's input. Mainly I was curious bc some on this board mentioned they went through deep enough water on a trail somewhere, got clear of the water, and pulled their plugs to get the water out and continued on their way. It had always been posted so nonsholant that I was curious if they pulled all their plugs delaying them for like 2 hours or something. "Just pulled the plugs and was off" is a little to easy going if you just spent 1-2 hours messing with a muddy engine, pulling plugs and hasseling with those problematic plugs.
I rarely cross water, when I do it is usually ankle or calf deep so no problem, but occasionally I have a hole I can't go around and if some guy has been through there with an old Bronco with 42" Swampers diggin tryin to get stuck, I can't always tell and if I go deeper than intended I want to know what to do so I don't get strandied. Depending on the hole sometimes obviously nothing might help but if i can do some prevenative stuff before all the better.
Thanks
Blake

 

[Blake D]

and so in answer to my questions
You will know if you need to, instinctively.
Pull all plugs and it will take about 2 hrs (bc your on the trail etc)

Is this right?

 

[zensius]

I've hydrolocked on two different occasions and it only took about and hour each time to do all the work to get it running again. (No mud) On first gen X's the two rear passenger side plugs are best accessed from the wheel well.