Under water

[SuperDave150]

All my four wheeling life I’ve seen & heard people who - because they have 4WD and because of tough image marketing - think that they can drive the vehicle through water & mud without risk or damage or liability. HA!

Here‘s the cold hard reality: differentials hate water, axles hate water, driveshafts hate water, wheel bearings hate water, transfer cases hate water, transmissions hate water, fans hate water, engines hate water, turbos hate water, electrical connectors hate water, computers hate water …

I’ve seen Jeep, Toyota, Chevy, Ford… all with water damage (mud is a form of water, but worse). In every single case the owner feigned surprise. Let‘s get real. These toys are made with standard seals & electronics; nothing special. We should have no expectation of exceptional water resistance.

On the lighter side, if you want to play the water game, here’s something inspirational:

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[userdude]

You forgot, cats hate water. Dogs on the other hand...

 

[dgorsett]

Yep, I'm paranoid about deep water. Anything over hub deep is potential trouble. Not saying don't do it, just saying be cautious and don't be surprised by damage. Heck, when launching/retrieving my boat I make it as quick as possible. Countless boat trailers with wheel bearing damage littering the road on the homeward leg from the lake.

 

[SuperDave150]

Yep, I'm paranoid about deep water. Anything over hub deep is potential trouble. Not saying don't do it, just saying be cautious and don't be surprised by damage. Heck, when launching/retrieving my boat I make it as quick as possible. Countless boat trailers with wheel bearing damage littering the road on the homeward leg from the lake.

Excellent point about boat trailers!

 

[PrepVet]

I put a snorkel on my PW because I was fording a river with a bunch of jeeps many years ago, there was a shallow portion of the river that was just wide enough for the jeeps. It was make 14 - 18" deep at the fording point.

The PW was notably wider. I was crossing and was 2/3's across and found the side drop off. Luckily it was on the non-intake side. I was able to backup and find cross, but my pants were wet for a different reason. The feeling of all of a sudden nothing under tire and the weight slowly shifting that way and water coming up... yikes

The snorkel was $300 of cheap piece of mind. I reseal the tubes if I am going out on the trails/overlanding just to make sure. I have not tested on purpose, nor do I plan on it, but I am glad I have it.

 

[Fly]

Thought this was going to be about MY24 loan financing

 

[PrepVet]

Thought this was going to be about MY24 loan financing

I thought something similar. But about idiots paying mark ups.

 

[mcinfantry]

I’ve driven both an m38a1 Jeep with water over the hood and my m715 I repowered with a Cummins over the hood

I don’t do that anymore

I know better

got it over the hood on this trip…. A few hours after this photo snorkel worked and I also built a tailpipe extension

 

[RHeinz]

Ha ha, this reminded of the time (….1972?) when I took my Chevy SB powered CJ3A across Tanque Verde Creek at the bottom of Redington Pass in Tucson after a successful day of 4 wheeling. Beautiful spring time day which obviously required some V8 hot dogging across the creek. Water wave went over the hood. Really cool and fun, and refreshing in the desert springtime heat.….

Unfortunately the water also went through the radiator and bent several of the flex fan blades which destroyed the back row of tubes in the radiator….

Yup, I overheated down the road about a quarter mile later…..

Thanks….Smiling as I wrote/recalled this…..

 

[SuperDave150]

I’ve driven both an m38a1 Jeep with water over the hood and my m715 I repowered with a Cummins over the hood

I don’t do that anymore

I know better

got it over the hood on this trip…. A few hours after this photo snorkel worked and I also built a tailpipe extension

My brother did this in his J10 (awesome truck) and the mechanical radiator fan got deep enough into the water that it pulled the blades forward into the radiator. Because water is heavier than air. Bad things happened. Very bad.
Sound familiar @RHeinz ?

 

[RHeinz]

My brother did this in his J10 (awesome truck) and the mechanical radiator fan got deep enough into the water that it pulled the blades forward into the radiator. Because water is heavier than air. Bad things happened. Very bad.
Sound familiar @RHeinz ?

Yeah…..Fording can be fun!!!!

 

[1st 75th ranger]

I put a snorkel on my PW because I was fording a river with a bunch of jeeps many years ago, there was a shallow portion of the river that was just wide enough for the jeeps. It was make 14 - 18" deep at the fording point.

The PW was notably wider. I was crossing and was 2/3's across and found the side drop off. Luckily it was on the non-intake side. I was able to backup and find cross, but my pants were wet for a different reason. The feeling of all of a sudden nothing under tire and the weight slowly shifting that way and water coming up... yikes

The snorkel was $300 of cheap piece of mind. I reseal the tubes if I am going out on the trails/overlanding just to make sure. I have not tested on purpose, nor do I plan on it, but I am glad I have it.

i was just shopping snorkels and i had a question about the alternator
my 2.7 bd sas has a low sitting alternator even with the snorkel is that an issue

 

[PrepVet]

i was just shopping snorkels and i had a question about the alternator
my 2.7 bd sas has a low sitting alternator even with the snorkel is that an issue

No idea on the Bronco's, this is on my PW. The alternator is much higher, but also a little less water adverse by upgrade.

 

[Canyon Coolers]

i was just shopping snorkels and i had a question about the alternator
my 2.7 bd sas has a low sitting alternator even with the snorkel is that an issue

Yes not first hand, but on this forum multiple 2.7L have some water issues with their alternators. The Everglades 'water fording' Bronco's are all 2.3L

 

[RC Bronco]

i was just shopping snorkels and i had a question about the alternator
my 2.7 bd sas has a low sitting alternator even with the snorkel is that an issue

My 2.7l black diamond on 32’s crosses 24” like it’s nothing. It has also been through about 30” of flowing water after a night of rain in the Ozark NF. I had to turn around at a mudhole about 100 yards later

Since the alternator sits lower (and the turbos are kinda low too), I’m not sure a snorkel gives much benefit in water fording abilities, but I’m far from an expert

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