H2-HOHO! Major water proofing!

I have been a bad boy recently, drowning my XJ every other weekend is going to spell disaster, you want to listen to the tune, now ya gotta pay the piper.....

So far the deepest i sunk my XJ is up to the steering wheel inside, front of the motor under water as well. The ONLY issue was a water inside the Tranny (5sp) T Case (NP231) and rear axle (8.25)

I know very well its a slow death and my carpet does not like me anymore as febreez is no longer effective, so this winter is going to be my "make it up to the XJ" I am going to take the carpets out (anyone want them???) and fix whatever rust is there and line the inside! next is more water proofing, what is a definately a no no to get wet? I mean I have a snorkel, and all, but what item if soaked under water will stop you dead? CPU? and what level is it game over for major instant repair-age!???

My Jeep is a 1994, 4.0L 5sp, with a RE3.5" lift and snorkel!

Thanks in advance!

water+oil = bad...

XJ_ranger said:

water+oil = bad...

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I was under the impression that they don't mix????


Jeff

G.Q. Jeeper said:

I was under the impression that they don't mix????


Jeff

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They do when you force them to. Ever seen a motor with a bad blown head gasket...It looks like mud when you drain the "oil".

Definetely water proof the crankcase...including PCV, oil cap, etc.

PING.... PING.... PING.... PING....

I'm sure someone will get that.... :cheers: good luck with the waterproofing

My Motor is pretty sealed up, no leaks and it is well cared for in this respect. I need to know if there is anything on the inside that would kill my XJ if the entire dash board happens to go under?

Jeff

ahh pretty much every connection needs to be sealed if you are planning on running under water frequently. everything and in a fuel injected motor that is a LOT. i take it most of your accesories have stoped working? the stock conections are somewhat ok for repeling water but nowhere near what they should be for regular submarine action. basicly look around wherever a wire goes into something use silicone or some type of sealant to stop water from geting in also good idea to put electric grease on every connection and then put them back together

G.Q. Jeeper said:

My Motor is pretty sealed up, no leaks and it is well cared for in this respect. I need to know if there is anything on the inside that would kill my XJ if the entire dash board happens to go under?

Jeff

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Dont forget the vent tubes on the axles and transfer case. You can run them up through the firewall and into the back of the dash. Or if you dont care about looks i guess you could run them up the snorkle tube.

You are kind of screwed when it comes to electronics. You are bound to kill something. Your options are....tear it all out and rewire with good cable, solder all connections, fill exposed points with silicone or dielectric grease. Relocate the ECU, TCU (assuming its 90 and older) and fusebox to higher ground and inside some sort of waterproof case. Seal the distributer up, along with the relays and power distribution under the hood. Remove the mechanical fans and replace them with electric fans that you can turn off when you enter into a water hole. Run your exhaust up the back just as high as your snorkle so if it dies in the water it wont back fill into your motor.

Thats a good start. Guages are the least of your worries my friend.

G.Q. Jeeper said:

I know very well its a slow death......

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It might happen sooner than you think.

Ever think about buying a boat?

That was me a few years ago. I pretty much has water in everything. Pulled the spark plugs and spit all the water out and after about 30 minutes of cranking on it it started. I drove it home 45 minutes down the road. Next day I drained and cleaned all fluids in everything. The water was up to the steering wheel and the lower part of dash was under water for 5 hours till we got it out. 6 months later drove it from Arizona to Kentucky with no probs except I eventually had to replace the radiator because it had mud in it. I also had to replace the tranny computer as it got corroded. Since then I have a snorkel (free) and have moved all vent lines up as high as possible. Sealed as much electronics as possible in the engine bay and under the dash. As for the carpet I have had water in the XJ about 5 times. I've gotten fast at ripping out the carpet (around 3 hours) and hosing it down and letting it dry over a few days. Its nice and clean afterwards. Was thinking about lining the inside but I dont like the heat of the tranny. Remember there are electronics behind the kick panels on the drivers side (at least there were on my 96 XJ with 6" lift and 33's). I still drive mine all the time with no probs and the engine and tranny are still going strong. Good Luck

The thing about the electrical connectors (the ones made water resistant), is no matter how good they are, moisture eventually finds it way in there. And the same seals made to keep the water out, won't let what seeped in there to evaporate. They corrode and either short between pins in the connector or build a resistance that shouldn't be there. Many of the sensor circuits are low voltage and a little extra resistance adds up quick. Using most any kind of spray (that leaves a coating like WD-40) is just adding resistance.
I clean most every connector, at least yearly and pay special attention to those that have given me trouble in the past.
One cheap fix, I've found that can be used on many connectors is to use a plastic bag with the bottom cut out as a tube. Use a dab of refrigeration putty near the ends and zip strap the ends shut. I usually use this on connectors, that rarely need attention. You can cut down your connector maintenance about 75%, using this method. Some you just have to check and clean after most every run.
Washing out the starter and alternator after every run, sure saves bucks. I've built in a few short cuts. Like spot welding a cheap socket right on the starter bolts, etc. sealing the starter joints with silicon. Using thread stock nut rods to make long nuts etc.
The one thing that really sucks, about playing in the mud is the maintenance required.
I have a high pressure cleaner, which I use on the brakes and most every seal, after a mud bath. And if possible high pressure wash, everything before the mud dries.
Grease is your friend, I use it liberally and often. I keep four or five spray cans of white lithium grease handy. I've about got clean up down to a science and can do the whole truck in an afternoon, 3-5 hours).

nice pic!

What about using oxguard or dielectric grease for the electrical contacts?

-Chris

put dielectric grease in the plugs and use liquid tape on the back of the plugs. liquid tape works great at keepn water out u can get at walmart for a couple of bucks. and put some kind of rubber splash guard on the bottom of the engine it makes a big diff when u hit water holes

stephen 96xj said:

put dielectric grease in the plugs and use liquid tape on the back of the plugs. liquid tape works great at keepn water out u can get at walmart for a couple of bucks. and put some kind of rubber splash guard on the bottom of the engine it makes a big diff when u hit water holes

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This thread is damn near 2 years old, no?

Im sure he figured it out by now. :looney: