water and KKM

[thedirtyneck]

hey there, i know that there have been some threads about this but i am looking for soem first hand experiences. Has anyone had problems with their KKM and getting water into the engine. Is it a problem if they get wet?

I had my explorer out in some mud puddles yesterday and i killed the engine by sucking water in through the stock intake box(NOT GOOD). And of course this happened right after i finished making fun or my friends wrangler for having the same problem. Will the KKM help this or is it even easier to get water in with it installed.

thanks

 

[Alec]

Having an open element filter helps by not creating suction through the stock airscoop. During the AZ run, I was in water above my front bumper without any problems (other than water in my tranny and rearend, oops!) in the intake. I actually have dryer hose ram-air also, but it doesn't create suction. That's the key, not creating suction beyond the filter to suck water up. Also if the filter gets a little wet, it's no biggie like a paper filter. The cotton absorbs some of the water and the filter oil repels the rest.

All in all, an open element filter is a very good investment.

 

[thedirtyneck]

ahhh

ok i see, that makes sense. thanks for the info.

I guess if i leave the bottom half of the stock box in place it wouldnt be a problem either because the suction wont be there. thanks again

 

[jsdean]

dito to what Alec said, sometimes them t-sips know what they are talking about

 

[John_Rock]

Are you talking about submerging the filter in water or it be able to handles some splashes?

After I go out mud bogging in my Aztek and pulling out stuck Big Dawg GM's with 48" swampers all day, I stop by my neighborhood self-serve car wash and pop open the hood and spray down the engine. I don't bother to cover the KKM filter. It gets plenty wet without killing the engine.

 

[thedirtyneck]

yeah i was just talking about it getting wet, not submerged, maybe mud and water on it though. that answers my question thanks for the info

 

[thedirtyneck]

update from my own experiences

Since i started this post i ordered a KKM and installed it. AND
yes you can get your KKM too wet. i was out yesterday running in some really nice puddles when... you guessed it.... soaked my KKM and killed the engine. I took the intake off and it had muddy water inside that was sucked in through my KKM. i was rather dissapointed considering the 100 bucks i just spent on it, because my stock airbox sucked up water last weekend. I thought that by eliminating the suction through the stock intake sucking up water would not be a problem, however i was wrong. The KKM did last a bit longer than my stock airbox however, but they both sucked up muddy water into my intake, not good.

SO. yes you can get your KKM too wet.

 

[John_Rock]

Dirtyneck - Since you have drowned your stock airbox and a KKM filter, it sounds like it's time for you look at getting or building a snorkel system.
You'll probably have to build your own one, I have yet to find a link that shows anyone making a Snorkel for an Explorer.
Here is a link to a webpage where a guy with a Nissan Pathfinder made his own snorkel. You could probably do something similiar.
http://www.pathfinderoffroad.com/tech/snorkel.html

 

[Alec]

I'm sorry you've had bad experiences with water and your engine. I know how rough that can be. You're probably hitting the water too fast and getting a surge that comes in through and above your grille and drowns the motor. You know how they say a baby can drown in like 2 inches of water? Even though my X can go through water above the bumper, it's all about how I drive through it. The key is to not get surges that rush into the front and drown the filter. Next time you go play, try to be a bit more careful and see how things turn out.

 

[John_Rock]

Dirtyneck - Here's a couple of other homemade snorkel ideas from Ranger owners:
http://www.therangerstation.com/EFISnorkle.html
http://www.therangerstation.com/Snorkel.html

 

[thedirtyneck]

hey thanks for the info, and the links aquaman.

Alec i know i should slow down when going through these puddles but i just cant resist throwing mud all over my truck. thats just so much fun.

thanks again guys

 

[John_Rock]

Just another thought.
Make sure you have a shroud on your radiator fan, so that it doesn't propell water at your air filter.