Driving through a river...

[Surrey]

Okay I wanted to take my truck out next weekend, and there is this little (maybe 3' deep at worst, 15 across) river I wanted to cross, but I have done nothing about extending my breathers for anything.

I can figure out the front/rear diff easy enough, but dont even know where to start looking for breathers on my transfer case (m1350) or transmission (a4dl)

Also, what else do I need to be concerned about other than breathers? Already planning to have a cowl induction snorkel setup by then, but what else need to be attended to so that I can have a worry-free river crossing?

Thanks.

 

[LIMA BEAN]

If your fan is cracked probably even a little it may grenade on you when it turns from fan to propellor. Once your in dont go fast or stop and dont outrun your bow wake stay back behind it you will see it rising more and more as you cross. Dont angle upriver either and make sure your upsteam side window is up. Are you going with a friend that can pull you out if you suck water and you know if you swamp the intake to shut it off like RIGHT NOW so you dont hydro-lock it. Are you bringing extra oil in case of that and tools to pull your plugs and blow the water out.

 

[7.5L_STX]

/\ this

 

[Surrey]

The river is off the side of a logging road (not open due to winter) and is only 2 miles from my friends cabin. If I do screw up, we can tow it all the way back to the cabin with a tow strap if needed. The river didn't look extremely deep or anything, nowhere near the point I would be worrying about water coming in the window I dont think, surely not worried about the river pushing my truck around.

I would have driven through it the other week, completely stock (this time I will have 4" of lift and 31" tires) but I didn't have any extra oil or anything, and had to drive home 120km from the cabin with my girl and child, wasn't in a situation to risk anything on the truck... this time it will be a day-trip with the guys.

I havn't checked the condition of the fan, but it is something I was aware of, and was going to take a look at.

Thanks for the heads-up, but that really doesn't help me locate and extend the breathers for the tranny and tcase.

 

[88_Eddie]

The river didn't look extremely deep or anything, nowhere near the point I would be worrying about water coming in the window I dont think, surely not worried about the river pushing my truck around.

famous last words my man


as for the breathers

the one on the t-case should be somewhere near where the linkage connects. there ought to be a bracket holding it up, it'll be bolted to the t-case or the tranny

not sure about a breather on the tranny, i have a fm146

 

[Surrey]

Does the Tcase have a hose coming off it for its breather, like the axles do?

what about the a4dl?

Thanks.

 

[88_Eddie]

^
yep

 

[gribly]

Are you allowed to drive in the river? Is it common to drive through this river, and is it a marked trail? If not, you are going to do some damage to the local ecosystem and that is not acceptable as it gives the rest of us a bad name if you get caught and it hurts the environment. I don't agree with water crossing unless you need to get somewhere and there is no bridge; it sounds to me like you just want to drive through the water for the hell of it. Make sure you pressure-wash the underside of your truck first, too, to get all that grime and oil off the frame.

 

[JohnnyO]

famous last words my man

Water 3' deep doesn't have to be moving very fast to flip a truck.

 

[Surrey]

It is a marked trail, 3 feet was probably an overstatement, atvs can probably cross it without hassle. I'm not just going to go barreling in there, I do care about my truck, and the water is crazy cold, so swimming is not on my to do list.

can anyone provide pictures of their extended breathers?
Where have people located the extended lines? I kinda figured having them inside the passenger compartment will make it stink like gear oil all the time?

 

[LIMA BEAN]

If we cross some iffy deep stuff we pre-attach a recovery strap to a front and rear tow point so you dont have to scuba dive. The water up here in Alaska even in July will have you hyperthermic in no time. Spare cloaths in a drybag help too plus its not uncommon for us to wind up having our hip waders on when your mucking around in the muskeg non-stop.

 

[4.0B2]

i dont think its worth it unless you're building your rig to do it almost daily...
electrical has to be waterproofed. all the vent tubes. so on and on and on..

 

[kevinsranger]

if you have the ttb front end, make sure you clean and repack your wheel bearings after the crossing, for some reason every time i do a water crossing, the wheel bearings get wrecked if i don't, the tiny amount of sand or dirt in the water passing thru while it cools and sucks the water in plays hell on the wheel bearings

 

[4.0B2]

i've know of people having issues with the covers of the body bolts leaking to.. letting water in. and ruining carpet.

 

[LIMA BEAN]

I use these vent/check valves and they seem to work good. If I am at a JY I just go around and snag them off older chebby axles for free.

http://www.camarocentral.com/product_p/sus-194.htm