Water fording depth - Update

[PyrPatriot]

Well, this is definitely beyond the fording depth.

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[Blade1668]

• Hydro lock engine is not really a problem unless it shut down or sucks though the intake in my experience, I've had my XJ in water up to door handles idling.... as I dragged winch line out. I had raise axles, transmission, transfer case vents. Sealed dist. cap and vented same level. Now something else needs to be raised vent wise, the fuel tank. Even though it's a "sealed" it's not that sealed you can get water in the fuel tank that way and fast. When in tank fuel pump is running the tank is in a slightly negative pressure state. I ended up with 15 gallons of water gas mixed with a few pounds of silt for bad measure.
• Now on my way home from work this morning I gassed up and took a road less travelled on way home... Got to drive a little in 4WD in the rain and though 10-12 inches of water. Nothing spectacular but now crudded up again. Now I need to re wash so I can install front mud flaps.

 

[PyrPatriot]

Nothing spectacular but now crudded up again.

do you mean water got in your your lines/tanks/cases again or just dirty outside?

 

[Blade1668]

do you mean water got in your your lines/tanks/cases again or just dirty outside?

Just dirty outside after I had washed it to install mudflaps, not that it matters hours of rain and driving in to and from work. So I'd have to wash again before installing. The water had gotten into fuel tank of my XJ that experience was years ago. A picture as I was winching out... Winch line ended up being short, tree strap, 20 ft strap to Eric's Jeep winch line to front to reach. The 2 TJ's didn't have it to pull out XJ

 

[Mark Doiron]

On my 1987 LR Defender, when you installed a snorkel kit it came with plastic tubing that clamped tight over all the vents and connected to the bottom of the snorkel with a water tight seal. As long as you kept the snorkel intake on the top of the A pillar above the water level, you were good to go. Unless of course you floated away first!

Wonder why there is not a kit like this for a Jeep or maybe there is.

This is what I have on my JK ...

Originally from ...

https://haukoffroad.com/shop-by/manufacturer/hauk-offroad/smilin-bobs-breather-hose-extension-kit/

 

[LostWoods]

ETA: From reading various threads on the subject on the sister forum: looks like the transmission and transfer case breathing tubes are one limiting factor. I am reading that they are vented tubes so at slow speeds at 30” the tubes (located about 25” high) are not affected. Valves open to vent/cool and when there is cooling (like the transmission being submerged) they close.

also this article was interesting
https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/jeep-wrangler-gladiator-tech/

Self-sealing breathers have their own issues. I know the Tacoma rear breather mod is popular because the cool water hitting the hot axle housing will cause the air inside to rapidly cool. This will pull the cap closed so that it seals out water but it also pulls a vacuum in the axle and people were sucking in water through the wheel seals. The solution is to use a free-flowing breather (bronze breathers work very well) and pipe the rear axle breather up to the empty space behind the taillight. The others can be done in place because they're high enough not to be an issue.

I'll definitely be doing the same with my Jeep and I'll probably run them into a single large breather high on the firewall. If water gets that high I have more pressing concerns with washed out electrical.

 

[NC_Overland]

I would never intentionally go through water that I think is more than a few feet deep because I've severely misjudged the water depth before. I always stop and scout before crossing as best as I can, but that's not an exact science. I lived in CO for several years and did a lot of stream crossings on trails. I had a JKU Rubicon when I first moved out there, but (long story) that was replaced with a Pro4X Xterra and I accidentally had water over the hood in that one time and it wasn't rated for nearly that deep. I didn't panic and kept the engine running until I made it safely across I immediately shut the engine off after and checked the air filter. Bone dry luckily. I kept the wake going and the intake design drew water from inside the fender. It was fine for 50k miles later when I traded it in. I didn't even service the diffs or transmission, but the fluid inspection seemed ok.

My point is, be extra careful, especially during spring thaws in the mtns and scout before crossing. If it is deeper than expected try to keep moving to keep that wake going. If I had stopped (and didn't have some luck on my side), the nearly brand new Xterra could have been a total loss. Somehow, the inside stayed dry too...

 

[Blade1668]

Small engine fuel or air filters work good to end vent lines with a loop facing end down. That helps in not have a bubble of water or oil plugging. But anything done needs checked on spiders and bugs will clog them up.

 

[PyrPatriot]

So what breather tubes should I be moving up?

Differential, transmission, axle, what else?

Where are they located?

Is it as simple as adding an extension hose and clamps, or using one of the kits, and just snaking the line up higher? I bet this gets difficult, any tools to help push/pull extensions through the likely to exist small spaces?

 

[jeepguy225]

 

[PyrPatriot]

So I have found my rear differential breather tube to be sealed with a cap. Looks like the transmission and axle breathers are as well. Does that mean breather tubes are not the limiting factor ?

 

[PyrPatriot]

Well here is some information for you...

I like the line “However, you should make note that important relays and ECU, within the engine bay, are located at about the height of the wipers. Once the water reaches that level, the engine will be completely submerged and sensors/electronics exposed to the water could be severely damaged.”

link here to the article... https://www.extremeterrain.com/wrangler-jeep-water-fording.html

@sass JT

According to the user manual and Jeep technicians, the electronics in the engine bay are sealed to withstand power washing. Not point blank nozzle against the connector, but I've had 2 techs at my dealership confirm that you can spray down the engine bay. Manual (and if I recall correctly from the JL factory repair manual) says electronics are sealed rather well.

But, the article could be correct. As you can see through the discussion in this thread, the consensus was the breather tubes (located about 24" for transmission breather, 30" for axle/differential breather). If not them, then the air intake? Which would be 6" above the 31.5" OEM tires on the Sport trims. But all JL/JTs have the same fording depth, which indicated the tubes. Now I'm confused.

From the first image you can see the breather tube is located ABOVE the tire (like 33" off the ground) and doesn't match the type in the article (valved)

 

[sass JT]

I’m done... you can live your life without me saying anything to you again.

 

[Mark Doiron]

Self-sealing breathers have their own issues. I know the Tacoma rear breather mod is popular because the cool water hitting the hot axle housing will cause the air inside to rapidly cool. This will pull the cap closed so that it seals out water but it also pulls a vacuum in the axle and people were sucking in water through the wheel seals. ...

The purpose of the raised breather line is to allow air to flow into the differential housing instead of being pulled in past the seals when the cold water hits the housing. So, that description doesn't make sense. Perhaps you meant when the cold water hits the actual valve (not the housing), the valve closes off?

 

[LostWoods]

The purpose of the raised breather line is to allow air to flow into the differential housing instead of being pulled in past the seals when the cold water hits the housing. So, that description doesn't make sense. Perhaps you meant when the cold water hits the actual valve (not the housing), the valve closes off?

No the cap responds to pressure differential so it's no different if it's water pressure pushing it closed or vacuum inside the housing pulling it closed. The rapid cooling is enough to create sufficient vacuum that it will seal and pull the water in since the seals are designed to keep particulates in and higher viscosity fluids (i.e. gear oil) under the assumption the breather is working properly and allowing the housing pressure to be similar to atmosphere.

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