hey guys i was wondering about water crossing and the damage it does to a jeep i am considering putin in a snorkle and i was wondering about what other mods. that i would have to do to make my jeep a close to water proof as i can? and what negative effects will come from that?
Yellow Submarine????
- Thread starter YJnamedTJ
- Start date
redrooster
New member
Put silicone around the plug wire boots and seal the ignition and distributor.
What is the deal with snorkels? They look kind of cool but why do you want to go through water that deep in a Jeep. My factory setup has the hose for the air cleaner running out by the headlight. If I were to get even that deep, water would be up to the dash (and you know the doors aren't going to hold it out).
So tell, me is it really for looks or function? There's nothing wrong with lookin good, but Jeeps have enough naturally occuring problems without running them underwater.
What is the deal with snorkels? They look kind of cool but why do you want to go through water that deep in a Jeep. My factory setup has the hose for the air cleaner running out by the headlight. If I were to get even that deep, water would be up to the dash (and you know the doors aren't going to hold it out).
So tell, me is it really for looks or function? There's nothing wrong with lookin good, but Jeeps have enough naturally occuring problems without running them underwater.
well from what i read its a good thing to have be cause less crap gets to you filter and u can use it kinda like a ram air because the fact its completly outside of the engine compartment so its out there......so like where the plug wire boot thats where the wire go down around the plugs and sealing up the distributor and ignition? how do you seal them? ( im kinda none mechanical so yeah details are good for me or pictures even better)
Joopin
Super Moderator
I went through a river that was about 3 feet deep and the crossing was about 50 feet... that was bone stock, I did have the K&N intake on though... but I went through with no problem. snorkles shmorkles... just lift it. 
Seriously though, a stock jeep will go through a good amount of water... I would check your axle breather lines, don't want water in the axles!
Seriously though, a stock jeep will go through a good amount of water... I would check your axle breather lines, don't want water in the axles!
Joopin
Super Moderator
I assume you have a D35 in the rear of that right? if so there is a line coming off the T-block, that is where the brake lines come together from each wheel left of the differential. The breather line comes off that T-block somewhere and goes up and to the drivers side of the jeep and usually ends behind the inner fender mud cover thing. There will be lots of hoses back there, the breather line is the one with the wierd cap on the end of it and it's mounted to the jeep with a little bracket.
The front D30 has a tube going directly into the back of the diff... nothing really holding it on (mine anyways) and it goes up into the engine compartment.
You could buy a longer tube at a hardware store and make these go higher on your jeep to calm your worries... mine are stock length, though I had to make a new one for the D44 i swapped in.
The front D30 has a tube going directly into the back of the diff... nothing really holding it on (mine anyways) and it goes up into the engine compartment.
You could buy a longer tube at a hardware store and make these go higher on your jeep to calm your worries... mine are stock length, though I had to make a new one for the D44 i swapped in.
redrooster
New member
Your axle has a vent plug on the top of it. If you drive in water over the plug, it will fill up with water.
Bad news for the rest of us too. The axle seals on just about every axle I have ever seen are single lip. That means it only seals from one side. In other word it will seal the oil in but not seal the water out.
I make every attempt to stay out of the deep stuff. It's not always possible so I try to quickly cross creeks and such to make a wake around the wheel and axle tube.
Putting an extended vent line on there helps a lot though.
Bad news for the rest of us too. The axle seals on just about every axle I have ever seen are single lip. That means it only seals from one side. In other word it will seal the oil in but not seal the water out.
I make every attempt to stay out of the deep stuff. It's not always possible so I try to quickly cross creeks and such to make a wake around the wheel and axle tube.
Putting an extended vent line on there helps a lot though.
redrooster
New member
Muddy water.
This is pure speculation as to the physics of the issue but I will give this my best shot. When you travel through deep water the water is pushed buy the front of the vehicle in the direction that you are moving, thus creating a absence of water to the side and even less to the rear of the moving object. The water does have the ability to make it into the engine compartment and physically get sucked in to the intake and hydro lock the engine. this is due to the negative pressure created my the exhaust of spent fuel/air. Water on the other hand will not enter the interior assuming that the doors are closed, and the drain holes are plugged because there is no negative pressure, either no pressure to measure or rather a positive pressure from a heater fan or vent possibly blowing air.
This is also assuming that you do keep a foward momentum. Should you stop, the force the water exherts on the door seals and what little positive pressure there is, will be greater and seap into the interior.
This is also assuming that you do keep a foward momentum. Should you stop, the force the water exherts on the door seals and what little positive pressure there is, will be greater and seap into the interior.
redrooster
New member
suspension/lift??
Yeah, what he said.
Just don't stop or go in deeper than the bumper and change your gear oil every now and then. It will be all good.
Yeah, what he said.
Just don't stop or go in deeper than the bumper and change your gear oil every now and then. It will be all good.
Inspector-Gadget
New member
:shock:
graewulf
New member
87 yj $4000
actually, snorkels make alot of sense when crossing streams/large puddles.. example - i know my air intake is right behind the headlight, so i won't intentionally go any deeper than mid-bumper. here in south NJ, we have lots of water holes.. i'll ease in and keep an eye on the depth because i know some are jeep swallowers...
the reason i want to install the snorkel is because sometimes, in the middle of a 60 foot long puddle there's a 18 inch deep pothole on one side or the other. if i hit that hole on the driver side, i'm almost guaranteed a hydrolock. So the snorkel is an insurance policy. Yeah, i know if i go much deeper i'm taking on water, so i dont plan on going that deep.
You do not have to extend the exhaust if it will be submerged, so long as you don't turn the engine off. so long as it is running, back pressure will keep the water out, it will be able to exhaust just fine, of the system and the engine will not stall unless you get real deep (we're talking feet underwater). I constantly submerge my jeep to the bumpers, it does not harm the catalytic converter. it hisses a little till it cools down, then it just runs cool. you just put ou higher emissions till it heats back up. you just have to back up slow, so you dont force water in, and any that does get in will steam out pretty quickly.
actually, snorkels make alot of sense when crossing streams/large puddles.. example - i know my air intake is right behind the headlight, so i won't intentionally go any deeper than mid-bumper. here in south NJ, we have lots of water holes.. i'll ease in and keep an eye on the depth because i know some are jeep swallowers...
the reason i want to install the snorkel is because sometimes, in the middle of a 60 foot long puddle there's a 18 inch deep pothole on one side or the other. if i hit that hole on the driver side, i'm almost guaranteed a hydrolock. So the snorkel is an insurance policy. Yeah, i know if i go much deeper i'm taking on water, so i dont plan on going that deep.
You do not have to extend the exhaust if it will be submerged, so long as you don't turn the engine off. so long as it is running, back pressure will keep the water out, it will be able to exhaust just fine, of the system and the engine will not stall unless you get real deep (we're talking feet underwater). I constantly submerge my jeep to the bumpers, it does not harm the catalytic converter. it hisses a little till it cools down, then it just runs cool. you just put ou higher emissions till it heats back up. you just have to back up slow, so you dont force water in, and any that does get in will steam out pretty quickly.
Bounty__Hunter
Super Moderator
Muddy water easily enters the axles through the axleshaft seals, especially when the axleshafts contract when hitting the cool water. Not good on bearings. Change gear oil often, as it will look like chocolate milk when contaminated with water.
I've needed a snorkel before, it's cheap insurance even when you may only need it for a few feet, the deepest part.
I've needed a snorkel before, it's cheap insurance even when you may only need it for a few feet, the deepest part.
yeah i've given a lot of thought to having the exhaust come out a bit higher since i almost lost my jeep to a 'puddle' driving back to my budy's house.
it rained pretty bad. there was several inches of rain in a matter of minutes, flash flood basicly. we were going under the train bridge. it has a pretty bad dip. i thought it would be fun to blast thru the puddle. i didn't think it was more than a foot and a half. well i get half way thru and it was up to the door lip. i stopped prety quick and water came rushing up my muffler. i had all i could do to keep it running. it felt like it was on one cylinder. it was difficult to get going.
luckily for the car that was coming in the opposite direction they saw this 'cuz it would have been over their hood. i think they thought if a jeep can't make it there's no way in h#ll i can.
i don't think i'd intentionally go into water so deep as to cause those problems, but sometimes you do run into trouble. and it's nice to know the risk of hydro lock and other damage is greatly reduced.
it rained pretty bad. there was several inches of rain in a matter of minutes, flash flood basicly. we were going under the train bridge. it has a pretty bad dip. i thought it would be fun to blast thru the puddle. i didn't think it was more than a foot and a half. well i get half way thru and it was up to the door lip. i stopped prety quick and water came rushing up my muffler. i had all i could do to keep it running. it felt like it was on one cylinder. it was difficult to get going.
luckily for the car that was coming in the opposite direction they saw this 'cuz it would have been over their hood. i think they thought if a jeep can't make it there's no way in h#ll i can.
i don't think i'd intentionally go into water so deep as to cause those problems, but sometimes you do run into trouble. and it's nice to know the risk of hydro lock and other damage is greatly reduced.
You can make a two or three bolt flange(like a header collector flange) that will slip over your exhaust pipe. Slide the flange over the pipe leaving about 1/8" sticking through the flange and weld it on the backside. Grind the tip of your exhaust pipe down until it is flush with the flange. You now have a flat sealing surface at the very end of your exhaust pipe. Bend another piece of pipe that will turn the exhaust upwards a couple of feet and then turn 90 degrees again so it is facing rearward. Weld another flange to the end of that pipe so it can be bolted to the flange you put on the end of your exhaust pipe. You now have an extension for your exhaust that can be removed for street driving and zip-tied to the inside of the frame rail for when you need it.
graewulf
New member
skyjeeper said:
thats why its never a good idea to hit a puddle at high speed unless you are sure its only a few inches.. any more, slow way down and take it easy.... i've never managerd to get water in the exhaust by doing that.. at idle you will putsh enough air to keep it dry. unless youu are driving downstream, which means you're breaking another rule.. always cross a stream, never down it.
TwistedCU
New member
stock yj leafs
Those pix I posted of my friend's snorkel, well he's got pix of that Jeep going through water up to the headlights. Dielectric grease in the plug wires and every other electrical connector you can find, a snorkel and a few RPM's and you're good to go. Stopping in the middle of a deep water crossing to check out the scenery or the fish is not advised!
Those pix I posted of my friend's snorkel, well he's got pix of that Jeep going through water up to the headlights. Dielectric grease in the plug wires and every other electrical connector you can find, a snorkel and a few RPM's and you're good to go. Stopping in the middle of a deep water crossing to check out the scenery or the fish is not advised!
If you're planning on off roading in any unfamiliar areas with mud holes or water crossings, then I'd recommend getting a snorkel. Lets be realistic here, how many people actually get out and walk through a mud hole or water crossing before driving through it? If it looks too deep, it's simple, don't drive through it. You never know if there's a deep hole or drop in the middle. The water doesn't have to be over the front bumper to hydro lock it....believe me, I did it. I went through a water crossing that came about half way up my front bumper. I wasn't even driving fast but it created enough of a wake in front of the bumper that it came over the bumper and sucked it right into the engine and hydro locked it.....a couple hundred kms from home too...good thing I had my tools! And yes, water will get in through your door seals even if your moving if it's deep enough or you're driving across a current. To help with this problem, you could do what I did and install bildge pumps on your floorboards. Their cheap and easy to install. As for your plug wires, you don't have to silicone around the plug boot to the spark plug with actual silicone. It's got a tight enough grip on the plug to keep water out but if you want to be sure, put some die electric silicone inside the boots, that'll surely keep out any water and it doesn't harden so you won't have to pick all that stuff off when you change your plugs. As for the exhaust, as long as you keep it running, it should be fine at the tailpipe end. You might want to look into getting all your exhaust welded up at any joints. One thing that I've been thinking about trying to make is a flap for my tailpipe sort of like what you see on top of a big rig's exhaust pipe just incase I stall or the engine dies when in water. I figure I can make this flap on a spring that'll open when exhaust is exiting the pipe and close when the engine is shut off mabye with some kind of heat resistant rubber seal. I'm sure it won't totally prevent water from entering the pipe if the engine were to shut off but it defintately would help.
If you wanna make one, here's an address to a website of a hummer style snorkel for a jeep. I really like this one.
http://www.michiganjeepers.com/forums/showflat.php/Cat/4/Number/359474/Main/66291
If you wanna make one, here's an address to a website of a hummer style snorkel for a jeep. I really like this one.
http://www.michiganjeepers.com/forums/showflat.php/Cat/4/Number/359474/Main/66291
Similar threads
