Keep the engine dry
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Registered User
Joined: Sep 2010
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From: Copper Cliff,Ontario,Canada
Keep the engine dry
Here's the story.
Finally got my 91 Dak out in the trails for a short run in the mud for the first time.Just enough to throw some mud and splash in a few holes.What a blast!
But on the way home(back on the pavement),the engine quit for a second then ran rough the rest of the way home.After an hour of sitting in the driveway she fired up and ran smooth again,leading me to believe something in the engine compartment got wet.
Now the question.
What do you more experienced off-roaders do to waterproof your engines?
Truck specs:91 Dak 4X4,5.2L,automatic
Finally got my 91 Dak out in the trails for a short run in the mud for the first time.Just enough to throw some mud and splash in a few holes.What a blast!
But on the way home(back on the pavement),the engine quit for a second then ran rough the rest of the way home.After an hour of sitting in the driveway she fired up and ran smooth again,leading me to believe something in the engine compartment got wet.
Now the question.
What do you more experienced off-roaders do to waterproof your engines?
Truck specs:91 Dak 4X4,5.2L,automatic
Hall Of Fame
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 10,923
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From: NM
From factory all wires ect are water proof, well up to a point any way. Double check to make sure the wiring is in good condition. No cracks, ect.
The intake is the most important piece. Try routing the intake hose to an area away from open space where water can splash in.
If you were Mud Bogging or deep water crossing you would want to use silicone and seal off tons of areas. But it sounds like you are not getting that crazy.
The intake is the most important piece. Try routing the intake hose to an area away from open space where water can splash in.
If you were Mud Bogging or deep water crossing you would want to use silicone and seal off tons of areas. But it sounds like you are not getting that crazy.
Rookie
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 83
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Sounds like your distributor cap may have gotten a little moisture underneath it. I used to have that problem with my Pathfinder, I ended up shaping a little cone out of plastic, kind of like a cone you put around a dog's neck to keep him from chewing on himself, and that I wrapped around the distributor cap and sealed it off with silicone sealant. That way whenever water splashed up, it was kind of a splashguard that directed the water down and away. But yeah like Crazy said the intake is the absolutely most important thing to keep dry, hydrolocking hurts.
Veteran
Joined: Mar 2009
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From: Mandan, ND
REMOVE THE INTAKE TUBE BEFORE YOU GO IN ANY WATER!!!
I learned that the hard way. the intake tube takes air from just above the front bumper. This will act as a drinking straw in any substantial water. 2 springs ago I was trudging through some water after a flood and the water pushed highenough in the front to suck water through that tube and into the motor and sieze the motor by bending a connecting rod. Result, new motor. (with out the tube!)
I learned that the hard way. the intake tube takes air from just above the front bumper. This will act as a drinking straw in any substantial water. 2 springs ago I was trudging through some water after a flood and the water pushed highenough in the front to suck water through that tube and into the motor and sieze the motor by bending a connecting rod. Result, new motor. (with out the tube!)
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Registered User
Joined: Sep 2010
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From: Copper Cliff,Ontario,Canada
Lots of good advice.Thanks guys.
Crazy:
I won't rule out the wiring as my truck has been seriously frankentrucked .Now that I have the wiring diagrams I'll do some wire mapping soon.And you're right.I'm not ready to go extreme yet.Just some backwoods trail running for now.
Swapdip:
Good idea with the distributor.I'll take a look at it this weekend and see what I can Macgyver up.
As for the intake tube,I hadn't given that much thought as mine just points out the front at the top of the engine compartment,not connected to anything.But I'm thinking that given my primary goal to use my truck to launch my boat on less developed ramps,maybe some type of snorkel might not be a bad mod to do.
Wonder what I could fab up with PVC pipe?
Crazy:
I won't rule out the wiring as my truck has been seriously frankentrucked .Now that I have the wiring diagrams I'll do some wire mapping soon.And you're right.I'm not ready to go extreme yet.Just some backwoods trail running for now.
Swapdip:
Good idea with the distributor.I'll take a look at it this weekend and see what I can Macgyver up.
As for the intake tube,I hadn't given that much thought as mine just points out the front at the top of the engine compartment,not connected to anything.But I'm thinking that given my primary goal to use my truck to launch my boat on less developed ramps,maybe some type of snorkel might not be a bad mod to do.
Wonder what I could fab up with PVC pipe?