 |
 | Home | Contact Us | FAQ | Search & Site Map | Link to Us |
 | Sign In | Join | Other 45 Sites in Network |
Car Forum / Ford / Ford Trucks / June 2006Underwater Trucking -- now what do I do?
Ok, I really did a bonehead thing. I tried to drive my 4x2 88 Ranger 2.0 through a flooded road. The water was 1 to 1 1/2 feet high. I would have been fine, but I went a bit to fast and pushed water up high enough to suck it in the air intake. That killed the truck of course. I waited about another 15 minutes before I quit trying to restart it (the battery died) and pushed it out of the water. After getting it out of the water I was able to jump start it, but only using carb cleaner as fuel. Once the truck had to rely on fuel from the tank, it would sputter and die. I assume the tank got water in it. The water was not ever up high enough to get inside the cab with the doors open, but it did lap against the bottom of the cab underneath. Now, here are my questions. 1. What's the best way to drain the tank? I have a carbureted truck with a mechanical fuel pump. Is there a draincock of some sort down low in the tank, or do I just drop the tank to drain it? 2. What fluids should I change? I'm assuming that the manual tranny and rear axle were at least partially submerged. Should I just go ahead and drain and refill them? What lube for the rear conventional axle? 3. I just changed the oil. Would you think that the water was high enough to get around the oil pan seal? Should I just change it on sheer principle? 4. Anything else I should look at? The truck has manual steering and brakes, so I'm not worried about contamination of the p/s system. Thanks, and wish me luck... CJB I didn't know the Ranger came with the U-Boat option. > 1. What's the best way to drain the tank? I have a carbureted truck with a > mechanical fuel pump. Is there a draincock of some sort down low in the > tank, or do I just drop the tank to drain it? Drop the tank and drain it. There will be residual fuel/water in the lines from the tank to the engine bay as well. > 2. What fluids should I change? I'm assuming that the manual tranny and > rear axle were at least partially submerged. Should I just go ahead and > drain and refill them? What lube for the rear conventional axle? Trans, and rear diff should be changed to be sure, and probably repack the front wheel bearings, to be safe. Rear diff should take 75-85W gear oil. > 3. I just changed the oil. Would you think that the water was high enough > to get around the oil pan seal? Should I just change it on sheer > principle? Definitely change the oil. Don't run the engine until you do. Oil is cheap, main / rod bearings are not. > 4. Anything else I should look at? The truck has manual steering and > brakes, so I'm not worried about contamination of the p/s system. Check to be sure all filters are clean and dry. Change fuel filter too. Also, sometimes submerging electrics while they're running dramatically shortens their life. Starter, alternator, etc. > Thanks, and wish me luck... Good luck, Spdloader >I didn't know the Ranger came with the U-Boat option. > [quoted text clipped - 30 lines] > >Good luck, Spdloader All good advise. Left out one thing though, when you drian tank and fuel system, add several can of dry gas to tank when you refill it to absorb any water still present in system. (Water cannot mix/bind with gas but it can with alchol and alchol can then bind with gas and pass through system) ----------------- The SnoMan www.thesnoman.com >>I didn't know the Ranger came with the U-Boat option. >> [quoted text clipped - 42 lines] > The SnoMan > www.thesnoman.com I wonder what the odds are of me just putting a bunch of dry gas in the tank and running the water out that way? I really have no idea how much water is in the tank. It was never completely submerged. Also, it will start but sputter and die, so I'm thinking that there's not a whole lot of water in the tank, but just enough to keep it from running right. Any danger to putting in several cans of drygas and trying it? I'm dealing with a very simple fuel system anyway. Thanks, CJB >>>I didn't know the Ranger came with the U-Boat option. >>> [quoted text clipped - 57 lines] > > CJB Since you don't know the quantity of the water in the system, you should drain the tank. You run the risk of a hydro-lock if you don't. That'll be even more expensive, could cost you a motor. Spdloader "Spdloader" <askforit@nospam.triad.rr.com> wrote in message news:ePYng.2785 > Since you don't know the quantity of the water in the system, you should > drain the tank. You run the risk of a hydro-lock if you don't. That makes no sense. > "Spdloader" <askforit@nospam.triad.rr.com> wrote in message > news:ePYng.2785 >> Since you don't know the quantity of the water in the system, you should >> drain the tank. You run the risk of a hydro-lock if you don't. > > That makes no sense. If you pump enough water into just one cylinder, the water won't compress, and something mechanical will give, usually a connecting rod. Since he doesn't know how much water is in the tank, it'd be better to drain and dry the tank and lines. I saw lots of pickups come in on the hook in my dealership days with a hole in the engine block from deep water crossings. Not sure why that doesn't make sense to you, though. Occasionally I work on diesel grading equipment that hydro locks from the rain that runs down the exhaust pipe, into the manifold and through an open valve and locks up the motor, too. It's not uncommon. Spdloader The water doesn't come in from the fuel injector, it comes in from the intake valve. >> "Spdloader" <askforit@nospam.triad.rr.com> wrote in message >> news:ePYng.2785 [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > > Spdloader > The water doesn't come in from the fuel injector, it comes in from the > intake valve. Not sure what you mean, Matt. Spdloader IN the case of driving through deep water, water ingestion from the air intake is was sucks the vast majority of water into the cylinders, not water in the fuel. >> The water doesn't come in from the fuel injector, it comes in from the >> intake valve. > > Not sure what you mean, Matt. > > Spdloader > IN the case of driving through deep water, water ingestion from the air > intake is was sucks the vast majority of water into the cylinders, not > water in the fuel. Agreed. I was merely giving examples of what I've seen. It takes relatively little water to hydrolock one cylinder, but it's doubtful it would happen through the normal drafting channels of a carb; But, if the oil pan is full of water, it can hydrolock from within the crankcase. I've seen it too, but not that often. Doesn't sound like the OP is interested in taking the safe advice anyway, he's wanting a shortcut in my opinion. Spdloader >> IN the case of driving through deep water, water ingestion from the air >> intake is was sucks the vast majority of water into the cylinders, not [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > > Spdloader I appreciate the vote of confidence. ;-) Actually, I'm going to do things right, but I'm too busy bailing out my flooding basement to even think about the Ranger right now... CJB >> Agreed. I was merely giving examples of what I've seen. It takes >> relatively little water to hydrolock one cylinder, but it's doubtful it [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > CJB Didn't mean anything personal, just sayin', that's all. I've been bailing my basement, too lately. Spdloader >>> Agreed. I was merely giving examples of what I've seen. It takes >>> relatively little water to hydrolock one cylinder, but it's doubtful it [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > > Spdloader I understand. As to the Ranger, I've already bought the fluids I need except the transmission lube. I'm getting conflicting information on what to use. According to my Haynes manual (which I don't trust much anyway), all manual transmissions up to 1987 got 80W. 1988 and up Mitsu's still get 80W, but M5OD's get ATF. That's what Haynes says anyway. AutoZone's site says that no matter if I have the Mitsu 5 speed or the Mazda 5 speed, it gets 80W. The door code is "M," which one website says definitely means it's a Mazda (M5OD), but it doesn't feel like either of the other M5OD's I've had. The throw is different, and the shifts are much smoother, even though the truck has 122k on it. Complicating the matter, the truck has a build date of 9/87, which is very early in the 88 model year. I'm just not sure what tranny it is. It could even have the pre-M5OD Toyo Kogyo, which uses 80W. Some folks have said that the Mitsu only came on 4x4's, but I've also been told that there actually were a few Mitsu's with 4x2's. Even if it's not a Mitsubishi tranny, I'll be shocked if it's the same M5OD I had in my 92 and have in my 97; it's that different. The Ford dealer won't even talk to me until I get the code off the tranny, which I guess I need to do next. What's funny is that I was planning on painting it in a few weeks too. I've already ordered new window seals, etc. I wasn't going to pull the bed or even the bedliner, but now that I have to get to the tank anyway, I think I'll just do it all. But, in the mean time, the carpet is getting pulled out today. Thanks to everyone for the help so far! CJB > I understand. As to the Ranger, I've already bought the fluids I need > except the transmission lube. I'm getting conflicting information on what [quoted text clipped - 31 lines] > > CJB Wow, good luck with it. I'd drain the trans a little, you can tell pretty quick if it's ATF or gear lube by look and smell. ATF is purple and/or pink if it's mixed with water, and has a light oil smell. Gear lube is brown and smells like dirty a$$. Spdloader >> I understand. As to the Ranger, I've already bought the fluids I need >> except the transmission lube. I'm getting conflicting information on [quoted text clipped - 39 lines] > > Spdloader LOL. I just stopped by another Ford dealer and they told me the exact same thing. I'll have to pull the plug before I know what to buy. Thanks again, CJB >The water doesn't come in from the fuel injector, it comes in from the >intake valve. True, but where's the injector come in to play? he said right off the bat it was a carbureted truck. Oh. OK, replace "injector" with "carb." My point being is more likely if he hydrolocked the water came from the air intake, not the fuel supply. >>The water doesn't come in from the fuel injector, it comes in from the >>intake valve. > > True, but where's the injector come in to play? he said right off the > bat it was a carbureted truck. >If you pump enough water into just one cylinder, the water won't compress, >and something mechanical will give, usually a connecting rod. [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > >Not sure why that doesn't make sense to you, though. Hydrolocking can really bust up a engine and it really hard on diesels because of there higher CR ratio so it take even less water to do it. It need to get sucked into intake though as you will never get enough up fuel line to do it because it does not come in fast enough and it will not run either. ----------------- The SnoMan www.thesnoman.com >> "Spdloader" <askforit@nospam.triad.rr.com> wrote in message >> news:ePYng.2785 [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > If you pump enough water into just one cylinder, the water won't compress, > and something mechanical will give, usually a connecting rod. What I meant was, pumping water from the gasoline tank through a carburetor is not a way to fill a cylinder with water. That's not how that happens, ever. Hydrolocking a cylinder with gasoline would be far more likely if that were possible. It's not. Hydrolocking occurs when water goes where the air is supposed to go - the engine is operating in a whole world of water. >Since you don't know the quantity of the water in the system, you should >drain the tank. You run the risk of a hydro-lock if you don't. That'll be >even more expensive, could cost you a motor. Water is heavier than gasoline and will settle to the lowest point in the system. If you can crack that point open, you can drain until no more water is left.. Any other low spots in the line will need to similarly "purged". Don't half-a.s the recovery process. The few bucks you'll spend and the couple hours it'll take are way cheaper than hurting your motor/drivetrain. > Ok, I really did a bonehead thing. I tried to drive my 4x2 88 Ranger 2.0 > through a flooded road. The water was 1 to 1 1/2 feet high. I would have [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] > > CJB If you took in enough water to kill the engine, where do you think that water went? Your engine could be sputtering because one or more of the rods is a little shorter than average. >> Ok, I really did a bonehead thing. I tried to drive my 4x2 88 Ranger 2.0 >> through a flooded road. The water was 1 to 1 1/2 feet high. I would have [quoted text clipped - 39 lines] > water went? Your engine could be sputtering because one or more of the > rods is a little shorter than average. It was not *that* much water. The thing is this. The fresh air intake for the air cleaner is routed down to the bottom of the grille, just above the bumper. When I was pushing the water, in first gear, keeping the engine revved to prevent stalling, I got the water level just high enough to get it into the end of the intake hose. It was enough to dampen the air filter, but it wasn't as if I dumped water down the carb. Does that make sense? Thanks, CJB <snip> >> If you took in enough water to kill the engine, where do you think that >> water went? Your engine could be sputtering because one or more of the [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > > CJB When you took the air filter out, was there water inside the intake tube? Did any at all run out? If there was any water there, it was probably sucked into the engine each time you cranked it over, and just puddled in the cylinder. If you don't want to pull the tank to drain it, you could always disconnect the fuel line (or cut it) somewhere under the truck, take the fuel cap off, and drain it into something large enough to hold it all. Good luck! SC Tom If water was sucked into the cylinder, it probably didn't puddle, it probably bent a connecting rod. > <snip> >>> If you took in enough water to kill the engine, where do you think that [quoted text clipped - 24 lines] > > SC Tom I don't see how you'd get much water in the tank from this. Before you drop the tank, wouldn't you want to make some kind of determination of whether you need to do that? The truth is, if it wasn't for the vapor vents, you could submerge the whole tank and not get water in it. > Ok, I really did a bonehead thing. I tried to drive my 4x2 88 Ranger 2.0 > through a flooded road. The water was 1 to 1 1/2 feet high. I would have [quoted text clipped - 28 lines] > > CJB >I don't see how you'd get much water in the tank from this. Before you drop >the tank, wouldn't you want to make some kind of determination of whether >you need to do that? > > The truth is, if it wasn't for the vapor vents, you could submerge the > whole tank and not get water in it. Those are valid points Joe, but since he does have vents and definitely has water in his fuel is it not worth the one hour it takes to drop a tank and drain it to save your motor? Spdloader If he sucked water into the engine and then tried to crank it before he cleared the cylinders, he hydrolocked. He should check for holes in the engine block first. >>I don't see how you'd get much water in the tank from this. Before you >>drop the tank, wouldn't you want to make some kind of determination of [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > Spdloader > If he sucked water into the engine and then tried to crank it before he > cleared the cylinders, he hydrolocked. He should check for holes in the > engine block first. Absolutely. GO NAVY! I bought a flood car or 2 in my day. Replace all plug wires, regrease bearings, drain and refill manual trans and differentials with gear lube (90 weight) drain fuel tank by disconnecting rubber line at fuel pump and hook up a 12v electric fuel pump (39.95) gas and water will seperate if left standing, so dont waste it. Add drygas, replace fuel filter, and replace your catyletic converter. If your car has grease fittings, regrease all. Then go get yourself a grease needle and grease all of the sealed components (no grease fittings, but have grease) i usually will spray some lube on the a-frame bushings to displace any trapped moisture. |
Reply to this Message |
 Sign In
 Join
 My Latest Posts My Monitored Threads My Blog My Photo Gallery My Profile My Homepage Start New Thread Enable EMail Alerts Rate this Thread
|
©2009 Advenet LLC Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
This website includes both content owned or controlled by Advenet as well as content owned or controlled by third parties.