Outer Limits 4x4 Board

Apart from the obvious snorkel, what has everyone done to stop the wet stuff from spoiling a bit off deep wading?

I have extended the gearbox and diff breather hoses etc, but my main worry is the sparkplug tubes in the head and the position of the factory ECU and fusebox under the dash.

I was thinking of mounting the ECU in a waterproof box with its own breather to stop condensation and the same for the coil.

Any suggestions?

Mac.

You can reroute the ecu wiring loom so it goes thru the firewall on the drivers side instead of the passengers side. alot of work but the ecu can then be positioned above the heater assembly so its just below windscreen height. as i say its alot of work. not so much on mine as its dedicated off road so the heated got tossed anyway.

Douse everything with WD40, and do it again before going swimming

Even though mine is diesel, I douse all the electrics regularly to keep all the nasties out

i used to go swimming regularly in my old roza and never had a problem with water getting in to the computer or it effecting the engine running. The only thing i did was get some non drying electrical sealant (silicone) and filled every connector and sealed every plug with it to stop the weter.

the door seals were still soft and would keep 90% of the water outeven when sitting in water up to the windscreen. any deeper then 4ft deep and ya start to float. Just dont open the windows when the water is that deep as it comes in rather fast.

Thanks for the replies.

I'm going to move the ECU above the heater as suggested and put it in a box anyway as most of the wading over here on play days is 4ft deep as standard!
The non drying silicone inside all the connectors is a great idea.

The rear of my truck will fill up nice and quick as I have the rear winch fairlead poking out through the rear door! I think I'd best make a cover for it when wading.

What did everyone do about the plugleads where they enter the cam cover? Just a bit of spray or should I seal it all up?

Mac.

Do you have a snorkel??

If not, you better worry about the air intake before you worry about plug leads

Just douse them with non conducting silicone type spray... You can't really seal them permanently, due to the need for replacing them and the plugs.

Yes I've got a snorkel sorted. I can't fit it till I've fab'd up the external rollcage, so its sat on the floor at the moment.

I was thinking of using a bit of adhesive silicone sealant around where the plug lead washers meet the cam cover to stop the plugs swiming in water till it boils away. It should be quite easy to remove when servicing the engine.

Mac.

over here in wet nz we have a product called innox lanicote, best thing since sliced bread for plug leads & dizzys I have even sprayed the dizzy with a hose with the engine running & had no problem. AS FAR AS YOUR ECU GOES DO NOT SPRAY ANYTHING ONTO IT, KEEP IT IN A DRY SPOT & YOU WONT HAVE A PROBLEM.

no that i have done any DEEP water crossings (only up to the top of the bumper as i dont have a snorkel), but the only problem i have EVER had with water is actualy the spark plugs, and those deep holes in the cam cover. Once they get wet, it drives really bad. It took 2 weeks to dry them out before the car ran the same again.
I would definitly think about some silicone or something to keep water out of those holes, as its really hard to dry it if and when they do get wet.

To stop water splashing around, id certainly replace your viscous fan with a thermo-fan and have an over-ride switch to shut it off when you go swimming.

Tzi wrote:To stop water splashing around, id certainly replace your viscous fan with a thermo-fan and have an over-ride switch to shut it off when you go swimming.

Or you could put a tarp or similar over the front before a deep crossing to shield the radiator and fan... A thermo never works as good as a viscous hub fan working properly... You can maybe get it to cool the same, but it takes a lot of modding to do so with shrouds etc