Wading too deep...

IIRC - The max wading depth of a Defender is 550mm. No modifications made to the car will change this and wading any deeper is done at your own risk.

That said...

If it was me, I'd stick a raised air intake on and extend the axle & gearbox breathers. When driving, get a bow wave going and as others have said, walk the route first.

Beware - Water can be very dangerious. People forget that to begin with, if you drop a car into water, it will float! Drive into very deep water, the car will float downstream!

M

I know of a bloke who had water in the oil from a blown head gasket. He changed it the worked out he did not have enough oil on hand to change it. started it the way it was soon after the water boiled out and you could not tell that there had been water it it.
That was a 2.25 petrol in a II wonder what would happen if you submerged a td5.
I have had my county stranded in water and had to rebuild the starter and had water in front wheel bearings. My rear bearing are oil fed from the rear diff, it has no drive axle seals and series 3 axles.
I would have a look at the front wheel bearings first.
I have had my series II up to waste deep it got towed out and tow started and drive home with mushy wet seats. The gear box was full of water and the starter fields had shorted (paper don't like water). drove around with the crank handle for a few weeks till I got around to fix it.
It seem that they are getting fancy, quiet, faster and comfier but they are I feel loosing other things that made them what they were.

Thank you all for your advice its much appreciated.
So were is the best place to extend the breathers to, im assuming the front diff breather is already in the engine bay? do you go higher than this? and as for the rear diff, fuel and gear box do you run longer hoses to the same spot as the front? I've also read some put filters on the hoses is this a good idea?
my other question is what is the best sealant to use on the air intake hoses or what are some of the better methods of doing this?

Cheers Lucas.

Def 9,

Best plan for breathers are using pipe junctions ( T's and the like) bring them all together in the engine bay near the snorkel and raise a single breather pipe up the back of the snorkel.

Great idea for 200/300Tdi's as they'll keep going as long as they breathe dry air, but slightly less relevant in a Td5 or Puma...

you don't have to drain the diffs and boxes to check for any water ingress.....
just pull out the filler plugs and if the oil doesn't come out use a dipstick of some sort....
i usually use a cable tie.....and dip that into the oil....if its milky.....then its got water in it......
if its clean.....then you should be fine.......

but this is a test for AFTER the vehicle has been driven and any water has had a chance to mix with the oil......
ie....if you just crossed the river and stopped straight away to check.....it wouldn't have had a chance to mix with the oil......
in this case....you would have to drain to find out......

Def 9, you didnt say if there was any damage done? Its got me thinking about my puma and how to water proof it, i have a snorkel waiting to go on and have the intake side of things fairly well planned, breathers are another fairly easy one, that just leave the electrics, i beleive the ECU is mounted behind the motor on the firewall, does anyone know if its water proofed at all? water other electrics could be a problem with deep water crossings?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by cal415

Def 9, you didnt say if there was any damage done? Its got me thinking about my puma and how to water proof it, i have a snorkel waiting to go on and have the intake side of things fairly well planned, breathers are another fairly easy one, that just leave the electrics, i beleive the ECU is mounted behind the motor on the firewall, does anyone know if its water proofed at all? water other electrics could be a problem with deep water crossings?

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Hey Mick,

The ECU is not water proof and likely not even water resistant, but it is quite high and directly behind the motor. So if its getting wet to any extent you are in water that is way to deep.

There are more electrics under the driver seat. Mulgo's X-Box is a perfect remedy, moving them up abot 200mm and provides more storage room in the now vacant seat box.

Cheers

I posted the following on another forum some time ago but I believe it is worth repeating here:

The recommended maximum wading depth for a Puma is 500 mm which is close to the sills. At 600 mm you have water on the floor in the front of the vehicle. At 750 mm you have water entering the back. At 900 mm you reach the bottom of the air intake, but at this depth your sensitive electronics and battery are under the water. From the external air intake, the ducting rises within the engine compartment with the bottom of the ducting (at its lowest point) being close to 1000 mm. We are talking some seriously deep water here. The Defender is not a boat. You MAY be able to get through such depths for a shortish distance but you MUST NOT STOP. At that depth you clearly should use some sort of sheet over the front of your vehicle to make a bow wave and to keep the water out of the engine bay. In water crossing, a raised air intake is not a snorkel as some would like to foolishly consider them. However they are useful to keep splashing and small waves, etc. from getting into the air intake. If the water is 500 mm or less then you should not need a wading sheet. You can change gear, etc. At depths greater than 600 mm you will start to loose traction because of flotation. This is a particularly serious issue if the water you are crossing is fast flowing. You also need to be mindful that if you cause any damage to your vehicle by crossing water deeper than the recommended maximum you may find that you are not be covered by warranty nor insurance.

There are a few simple rules:
1. Always walk the crossing first to check depth, currents, obstacles, etc
2. Is there a shallower alternative crossing?
3. If in any doubt: don't do it (much better to get home feeling a bit of a coward than to not get home at all)
4. Plan your recovery before you enter into the water (what are the consequences when you do get stuck?)
5. Prepare your vehicle and contents (wading sheet, vulnerable valuables raised, etc).
6. Select an appropriate gear (you do not want to change gear mid crossing)
7. Proceed cautiously but with determination (this is how you should tackle every serious obstacle)
8. After the crossing, dry your brakes and check your vehicle for water ingress.

Cheers
KarlB
:)

Hi, if you have a snorkel fitted, you should not have water in your airbox, unless the water went over the roof.

People fitting these at some companies are doing the wrong thing by their customers by not sealing the air steam correctly - you may as well not have a snorkel in many cases. Many of people will never know as the raised air intake is a 'look good accessory' and never used in anger

The way they get around a correct and involved installation is to call the snorkel a 'raised air intake', thus avoiding having to waterproof the lines between the snorkel and the air filter.

I have gone into this a bit in the build we did on our Puma last year.

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/projects-t...project-2.html

If you had the snorkel installed yourself by an after market supplier, I would be going back and demand it be re-done and correctly waterproofed.

As for not wading in more than 500mm of water, for goodness sake, it is a Defender, put a sheet across the grill and go for it. We have ofter had water up to the windscreen wipers, as long as the crossing isn't too long.

I agree with the walking through streams first, having said that, we cross the Goyder a few times each year and you wouldn't put your big toe in there - too many crocks.


Erich

Including all of the above advise here is another very important tip -
Don't forget to close the vents!

See photos below, it was like someone poured filthy smelly water all over the dash and out through the guages and dials lol. Not nice especially when I was 100km from home.

Also its very important that if wading through stagnant water check your radiator after you come out of the water for debris and general mud that can block your radiator / intercooler as this can affect air flow and cause very high temperatures. If you have a radiator wading muff then use it, or make a home made kit from some bungee cord and a rubber mat.

Here is a few pictures of me wading with the vents open last year and getting very wet and smelly :)

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...012/01/742.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...012/01/743.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...012/01/744.jpg