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How deep can you go?

8

86k5Blazer11

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Hey, I've seen alot of videos of trucks slamming into water that's up to the grill. Does going into water this deep and slowly wading through it get water into your engine and transmission? I've been told it does but I've never gone that deep, and don't want to if it's going to drown my engine. I just though i'd ask since I see so many vids of trucks going grill deep in water and driving away fine.
 
Theoretically an engine is sealed and should be water tight. Theoretically. Diff breathers, gas tanks, etc need to be sealed or vented to a higher location also.
 
If your breathers are up high enough and the intake is above the water line, you should be able to go pretty deep. If you have breathers on the valve covers, thoes could be an issue. The fan hitting the water is also a problem. The fan will want to pull into the radiator. Getting the distributor wet is also a no-no.

I've had my K5 in water up past the rockers (and gotten it stuck) About 100 gallons of water came out when I opened the doors.

If the motor stalls when the exhaust is under water...don't try to restart it. It's possible you could suck some water back in the motor. Some parts will still work if they get filled with water. Automatic transmissions are not one of them. If water gets in your auto...consider it on it's way out. After playing in the water for any length of time, it's a good idea to change the fluids in the axles and grease everything.
 
Just remember your water line is only as high as your lowest weak link to water damage.

AKA you can hike your intake up to space but if you've got an open connection thats gonna short out and leave you dead then your still screwed.
 
My truck was stuck up to the rockers overnight in a mud/water pit a couple of months ago. It wouldn't run too good after the water got up above the exhaust pipes unless you were on the gas really hard, then the carb flooded of course. Anyway when I finally got it pulled out, the front diff housing and the front hubs were full of mud and the transmission fluid was cooked pretty good. In other words, don't go into deep water unless you know there's a solid bottom and you won't get stuck. I think that's where the damage can happen.
 
I had water up to the bottom of my steering wheel driving through flooded streets in a neighborhood a few years back. Truck was on 5" lift and 39.5" boggers running a 6.2 diesel/sm465. Water filled the diffs, trans, and tcase. Also killed my starter. But stayed running the whole time.
 
cegusman said:
I had water up to the bottom of my steering wheel driving through flooded streets in a neighborhood a few years back. Truck was on 5" lift and 39.5" boggers running a 6.2 diesel/sm465. Water filled the diffs, trans, and tcase. Also killed my starter. But stayed running the whole time.
Click to expand...

gotta love diesels :D
 
I got in pretty deep.

sunk6.jpg


Thats a 6" total lift and 35" tires. I would have made it just fine if my fan didnt send a wall of water into my airfilter to stall it out. I was too afraid to start it back up for fear of further hydrolocking, so for about 45mins of trying to get pulled out. I decided to sacrafice my jacket and wrap it around the frontside of my airfilter to block the water coming off of the fan. Worked and i drove out myself. Only problem is that water got into both hubs, both axels, tcase, trans, and there was so much water in the engine oil I changed it out on the trail after getting out before i drove anywhere. A week later my starter crapped out as well.

sunk.jpg
 
i've had water over my right side valve cover, up onto the intake, off camber & stuck! motor didn't get a drop in it...my trans and diffs were full of water tho! i may have some pics, i'll look...oh yea..6'' lift 38.5 tsl's
 
by the way, am i the only one who thought the title of this thread was a frightfully personal question to be asking????? :o
 
If you have an auto there is a breater on top of the transmission that can pull in water if you get too deep. I attached a hose to it and ran it into the cab.
 
All those axle and trans breathers are supposed to have this diaphragm type thing to keep water from going in them, but I don't think they always work as advertised.
 
K thanks for the information. So can I just run a line to the breather on the trans, and I know my diffs have breather lines hooked up to them. And then be good to go? I'm installing an electric fan and taking the mechanical one off. So I'll just turn the fan off as I go into water.
 
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