I want to water proof my truck does anyone have any suggestions. I know I have to extend the axle vent hoses and transfer vent hoses, is there any thing else. Will an outerwear on my air filter keep water out even if the truck is submerged. Why will a truck bend a rod if water enters it and a fourwheeler won't. I can take my Honda 4x4 completly sink it with the motor running, pull it out drain the airbox, and fire her up spewing water out the muffler. Never hurt a thing. You even get a truck motor close to water there goes a rod.

------------------
1997 4x4 5.4 ORP XLT extended cab Dark Toreador red Westin nerf bars tint HARDER THAN A ROCK AND FASTER THAN A HEART BEAT

 

You bend rods because water cannot (at least not enough) be compressed. If the engine is running at the time on an intake stroke it will draw water into the cylinder. Valve closes to achieve compression only water stops the stroke dead. If there is enough kinetic energy the rod bends...something has to give and that is the weak point. Small amounts of water wouldn't be a problem, submerging the air intake would be. As far as snorkeling I believe the owners manual advises against submerging your vehicle...you can also crack the block submerging it.

------------------
Red 99.5 Lightning,#0975,Born 5/6/99...Adopted 5/27/99 Chipped w/SuperChip Flipchip chip, Mobil 1




[This message has been edited by 4D THNDR (edited 09-27-1999).]

 

4d thndr, What is the differece between the fourwheeler and the truck that would make the block crack on the truck and not on the fourwheeler. The fourwheeler will not compress the water either so it just dies.

------------------
1997 4x4 5.4 ORP XLT extended cab Dark Toreador red Westin nerf bars tint HARDER THAN A ROCK AND FASTER THAN A HEART BEAT

 

the compression must be much greater on a V8 then on a 2 cylinder engine. If you get water in one cylinder, you have 7 others pushing on the one which doesn't want to move, that alone will weaken the rod. On your smaller engine, with water in one, you only have one more pushing which probably doesn't generate enough force to bend anything, besides, on your 2 cylinder, odds are both cylinders are filled, unlike the v8 which might not have that many not working. my .02!

------------------
David
'99 F150 XLT SC, STYLESIDE
4X4 ORP 5.4L, AUTOMATIC,
139wb, Rhino, K&N,
BugGuard, RainGuards
Superchip

 

cloaker, your answer will stay the same but all fourwheelers with the exception of one have a single cylinder, making you your answer more justifiable.

 

Cloaker beat me to the punch. A multi cylinder engine is much more likely to bend a rod when submerged. On a single, the engine stops running because the air/fuel/water mixture cannot be ignited, therefore there is no power left to continue on to the compression stroke and bend a rod. I guess if you were travelling at speed and didn't pull the clutch in, you could still manage it.

With a V-8, 4.6 liter at 10 to one compression ratio, as little as 0.0575 liters (less than 2 ounces) of water retained in a cylinder on compression could stop the piston. Other cylinders are likely to still be making some power. The multi cylinder also has much more flywheel and rotational mass, making it harder to stop the whole assembly just because one piston refuses to move, increasing the force on the rod, piston, head and cylinder wall.

In theory, the engine block could also crack when being submerged due to a sudden change in temperature, but I've never heard of this happening. Your ATV is designed for this possibility.

Also, the ATV probably has a more protected airbox, and a short strong connecting rod. Your ATV starter motor probably doesn't make enough power to bend the rod. If you do submerge the ATV, I would recommend changing the oil as dirty water can get sucked into the crankcase. If you have foam air filter and it gets saturated, be sure to wring it out before restarting, as those babies can hold a lot of water.

------------------
1999 XLT S/C, 4.2 V-6, auto, 3.55 rear, dark torreador red/harvest gold, bed liner, Sony 10 disc CD, Edelbrock IAS, K&N filter, soon to Superchip

 

no the starter motor does not have enough power it just stalls, you have to hit the decompressor which lifts the exaust valve and lets the pressure or water out. I check the oil right after I sink it and only once did it have water in it. Back to trucks, I still need to know anything to waterproof my truck.

 

dirt bike dave, I think the 4.6 and 5.4 have 9 to 1 compression ration and the 4.2 9.2 to 1. I take it you have a dirt bike, what kind.

 

ford-tough1,

All the electric connectors have to be waterproofed. Check all the connections to the Vacuum systems. The coils on the plugs could get you into trouble if they stay wet for a long period of time. Alternators don't like to run under water. Fans can distort and reek havoc with rads. The carbon canister has to be looked at. The electric shift motor on the T-Case if you have Electric shift on the fly. The MAF sensor will leak like a sieve if under water. PCV connections must be tight. Do you have cruise control? It won't like water if there is a leak. In short any thing that leads to the inside of the engine must be sealed or above the water line if it can not be sealed. Anything electrical must be protected from water or be able to run submerged. Any thing mechanical with moving parts must be sealed or able to function Submerged. Example: the manual tranny has rubber plugs in the bell housing, they must remain attached. Go watch the movie Danties Peak, You will see a Suburban go into the water. He is up his Shoulders in water. Your truck would start to stumble because the GEM & PCM would be in the water at this point and they control the 4x4 system and Engine functions. Sorry for rambling on.

Regards

Jean Marc Chartier

------------------
On Order: 00 F-150 XLT SC Flairside 4x4 4.6 w/5spd
using: Wife'S 99 Explorer till arrival

 

JMC, you didn't ramble abit. Will silicon work for the electrical connections? Will the fan not clutch? What do I need to do to the carbon canister? Is there any thing you can do to the electric shift motor? What will I need to seal for the cruise control? Thanks for your time.

 

Glad to see JMC was able to give you some good info. I've not done much 4 wheeling, but have ridden my bike on some of the challenging 4wd trails (Rubicon, Strawberry Jump, Hope Valley) and I'm completely amazed at what a 4wd can do in the right hands.

To answer your question, I've got a Kawasaki KDX250 (2 stroke) that I have made California street legal, so I can ride it on forest roads. It has many mods and works well in the forest, my favorite type of riding. In 23 years of riding, I've only completely submerged my bike once, but it has happened to friends or acquaintences on many occasions, and nobody has ever bent a rod.

------------------
1999 XLT S/C, 4.2 V-6, auto, 3.55 rear, dark torreador red/harvest gold, bed liner, Sony 10 disc CD, Edelbrock IAS, K&N filter, soon to Superchip

 

ford-tough1,

Silicone will work fine for the connectors as long as they are clean. Most connectors are the weather proof kind and the only weak spot is where the wires go into the connectors. Apply it where the wires go into the connector. The water proof kind is best.
You are blessed with no carbon canister. The vapor systom is completely sealed. Just make sure there are no leaks in the hoses.
The fan should clutch, actually while driving in water if you maintain forward motion there will be an air pocket formed behind the rad. It is when you blast into water you fan could break. Or when you restart a stopped engine and rev it in the water.
Just make sure the cruise hoses are intact and there is no hole in the diaphram. When the truck is new all the seals are fresh it when it gets to be a few years old that thing start to go wrong. If you plan on frequent waterings dielectric grease in the terminals would prolong the life of the contacts and would be better than sylicone.

Regards

Jean Marc Chartier

------------------
On Order: 00 F-150 XLT SC Flairside 4x4 4.6 w/5spd
using: Wife'S 99 Explorer till arrival

 

What kind of water are we talking about? is this muddy water? lots of sediment? salt-water?

If your talking about clean lake water with no sandy bottoms, perhaps all this is good, but in salt water, your truck will eventually disintigrate unless you oil coat every inch of the undercarriage, inside the engine compartment, any metal painted or not...that list is long, just ask any Canadian stuck driving on salty roads, take his story, multiply by 100 fold for the damage.

Growing up in atlantic Canada I can tell you the damage salt AIR does!

If you hit sandy bottom water, you might end up with lots of sand in places that will cause lots of problems.

Do you actually plan on getting into water, or trying to minimize damage if you do?

------------------
David
'99 F150 XLT SC, STYLESIDE
4X4 ORP 5.4L, AUTOMATIC,
139wb, Rhino, K&N,
BugGuard, RainGuards
Superchip

 

muddy muddy water, no salt around here. I don't plan on going through anything deeper than the doors but sometimes I end up deeper than I want to be

 

ft You DO have a charcoal canister. It is hidden under the bed somewhere, near the rear end of the gas tank. I think I saw it tucked inside or above one of the frames crossmembers.

------------------
99 2wd S/C s/b XLT 4.6 Triton auto. w/3.08
BONE STOCK...for now