Alternators and mud DO NOT mix!

[Junior_Burger_88]

Hey guys,

Could be a little stupid but I was up at Wattigan State Forest on the long weekend and my hilux got stuck in a mud hole, we got her out easy enough but the alternator was completely submerged and stopped working afterwards. Have any of you experienced this and is there anything that can be done to stop it happening again?

Cheers,
JB

[Clanky]

Stay out of the mud?!
Stay out of the Watagan? Seriously, everytime I have been to the Watagan, something gets destroyed on my truck - dont go there no more. Vehicle destroying Yowies live in there.
Go further north or west.

[Wozza244]

Stay out of the mud!

Yes, well said. It takes a couple of rebuilds to work this out usually

[MrGrim]

get an alternator with metal rings not copper contacts ...talk to an auto elec he will help explain the diffrence between the 2 and the benifits

[Junior_Burger_88]

Ok fair point, but on that track that would mean going up a rock climb that my car and I are currently incapable of, yea I'm a noob. Yes I could just not drive that track, but the point is you do find yourself in these situations so I thought I'd ask to see if anyone has a way of increasing the reliability of the alternator.

I'm guessing the metal rings run right the way around meaning that the is more contact surface area?

Cheers guys keep the posts coming, even if you're wearing a flame suit, I could use the laugh.

[zookisteve]

did anyone mention going up a rocky track?

start your motor and blast the garden hose into the alternator and it should clean it and start working again.
if not pull it apart and clean it and it should work again.

[SCANAS]

You can give the alternator it's own little bash plate etc and some rubber curtains which will help greatly for water crossings but they never like being submerged... Get it rebuilt for around $100, protect it and don't get bogged going through water. I spent every weekend playing in the mud with my first cruiser but after a couple of altenators, a starter, numerous hub seals etc I try to stay clear unless i'm posing

[MrGrim]

I'm guessing the metal rings run right the way around meaning that the is more contact surface area?

Cheers guys keep the posts coming, even if you're wearing a flame suit, I could use the laugh.

yes thats right and not little copper plates ...sloved my alt probs with mub bout 15years ago

if you get the same prob with your starter ...go the reduction gear starter but before install redo the seals

[Mudsta]

Stay out of the mud!

Yes, well said. It takes a couple of rebuilds to work this out usually

Well said, It dosent take a lot of skill to point , shoot and hope you make it thru. Its not just your alternator and stater, its your swiville hubs, wheel bearing's diff seal's, uni's, brakes not to mention if you get stuck and flood your car with soupy smeely crap . Driving thru bog holes is the BEST was to trash your truck's running gear

[bansheebuzz]

steel slip rings or copper slip rings does not matter, the mud gets into the brush housing and jams them up not allowing contact, the other thing it works its way into the bearing and they will fail to.

[904Runa]

the mud gets into the brush housing and jams them up not allowing contact

Exactly what happened with alternator no. 2 on mine, just got it repaired a couple of days ago.

the other thing it works its way into the bearing and they will fail to

Exactly what happened with alternator no. 1, to the point it was beyond repair

[howsie]

when i got my cruiser i took it through the mud all the time and thought it was heaps of fun. After replacing three alternators in nine months i now try to avoid the mud as much as possible and if i have to go through it, i do so slowly

[Mr Termite]

Stay out of the mud?!
Stay out of the Watagan? Seriously, everytime I have been to the Watagan, something gets destroyed on my truck - dont go there no more. Vehicle destroying Yowies live in there.
Go further north or west.

I'd have to agree with that - I used to do an alternator every second weekend due to Watto's... On track, the best thing (besides staying out of the muddagans state forest!) you can do is pop the bonnet and flush it with clean water/WD40 as soon as the battery light comes on- or as soon as you go through a decent slop pit, and hope it isn't stuffed already.

HiLux's have the most ridiculous alternator position, it might as well be dragging on a chain under your diff. I did think about getting a splash plate made for mine, or getting it relocated, but never ended up doing it.

Commo V6 alternator's are located at the top of the motor

[howsie]

cruisers are really low as well alternator is just above p/s pump which is on the very bottom of the engine. WD40 also is not a good thing to spray on an alternator use electrical contact cleaner. WD40 will end up doing more damage. I asked three auto elecs about spraying an alternator with WD40 and similar products and all gave me a look of horror and basically told me that id be stupid to spray it on an alternator

[DUDELUX]

when i got my cruiser i took it through the mud all the time and thought it was heaps of fun. After replacing three alternators in nine months i now try to avoid the mud as much as possible and if i have to go through it, i do so slowly

X2, I still go through mud now and then, but slowly, went through some last sunday, and my dash lights came on, so after I got home, I grabbed the torch(it was dark) and the hose and flushed out the alternator.
Did it again monday morning too just to be sure.

[mellows40]

Yep... just like everyone else has said." stay outa da mud" I like a little slop but now stay clear of the real sloppy watery deep mudholes, but if i think i could encounter any... I take the time to pre prep my vehicle.. I spray ALL electricals, seals and components under the bonnet with Inox or wd40 before, then flush proplery after I've been out. then reapply inox, wd40 after.this includes starter motor, altinator, battery, gas convertor, coil, electronic dissy.And as yet have I consider myself lucky i haven't had any major problems... But for the most part it's luck.. Mudholes do kill.. so if you dont want to spend lots on repairs.... avoid them as much as possible...