CUCV Water Fording info needed

[shadow]

The search option is working correctly for me.
I have a normal 78' chevy 4x4 that I believe is very similar to the CUCV's and I need info on water fording. What is done to the trucks to make them ford water? I don't plan on driving in anything deeper than 3 feet. Is the a TM online dealing with the CUCv's?

I have a 4" lift with 33/12.50/15 tires and have lines from the axel vents going up to the frame. I will be pulling off the cooling fan and hope I don't get too hot. (454cid motor) The exhaust is run into a single pipe with a glass pack that is under the box but I have heard that it isn't a big issue having water get in the pipe while driving in deep water. I am going to make a seal at the carb (holly 4bbl) and either take the hood off, or run a pipe out the side of the fender and up.

I was wondering if I should put silicone caulk on the spark plug boots and distributer cap. Should I put it on the alt connector and starter wire tabs as well?

Any help would be great. We are flooding all around town and they are making people evacuate areas. They say were in a 500 year flood map and that map puts it about 150 feet from our trailer park. We only have 1 road to get in or out and roads are getting closed so fast that you feel like a mouse in a maze trying to get around. The court house, jail, city builds and stuff are closed and evacuated due to flooding.

There is only a small hand full of national guards (I think 8 at last count) with humvees going around with the PD and FD telling the effected people to leave there homes. They are helping with sandbagging transportation but I haven't seen 1 deuce anywhere. Maybe there too heavy to go where the sand needs to get.

If anyone wants to see pics/info on the flooding, the local news channels website is: http://www.kcrg.com/

 

[papercu]

water

I wouldn't go into water ANY deeper that just over the axles and even then just for emergency.Water will wash out any grease in wheel bearing and anything higher up will ruin your starter and everthing else. None of your wiring connectors and equipment are waterproof.
Going into any running water might get you a ride in one of those NG HMMWV. Good luck and our prayers are with you and yours, Wayne

PS After reading this over I don't think none of this will matter too much, after pulling the fan off you probably won't travel over a mile anyway.

 

[devilman96]

RE: water

I was wondering if I should put silicone caulk on the spark plug boots and distributer cap. Should I put it on the alt connector and starter wire tabs as well?

Ya really dont stand a chance with out a diesel... and like Wayne said... over the axles are going to ruin most everything.

I will be pulling off the cooling fan and hope I don't get too hot. (454cid motor)

After pulling the fan your non diesel problem will be self correcting... then you can go shopping for a 6.2 or 6.5 lol

 

[shadow]

I wish I had a diesel CUCV. I've always had Chevy’s from the 70's and 80's. I like there style.

I normally run cold with the fan. I didn't remove the fan though. I do have an electric fan and mount from my 3rd gen camaro that I never put in. I hope I don't have to get to that point. The problem with the water is, it seems to be at every place you are going and not every place is blocked. Of course some are blocked when they don't really need to have been yet but some you have to drive through or go miles out and around.

I am now worried about my M275A1. I went to the next town where it is in storage and they are getting flooding from a creek. The water is now in the storage area and it is touching the rear wheels on the 40' trailer hooked to the Deuce. Will the water mess up the deuce bad??

I can't move it because I am totally blocked in by full sized RV's. If one moved by the front, I could maybe just squeeze the tractor itself out and leave the trailers. I don't know if we can get the owners of the rv's located to move them or not.
I'm hoping that the water won't hurt much if it stays around axel height.

Our city is in bad shape now. Even the weather channel is filming here with a reporter. opcorn:

They have extended the 500 year zone map because we are at a much higher flood stage then the city has ever seen. The old railway bridge broke and fell into the river and there is levees breaking. They even said the city water supply is at a critical level and only able to produce water at 25% of normal operation. They may have to shut off water completely to the city.

Like expected, no water, bread, dairy, ice, can goods and such are available from the stores. This sucks. I wish I had a Duck to drive around in.

 

[Elwenil]

I think it's important to note that the CUCVs don't have a fording kit like most MVs that I am aware of so there is no easy "put these parts on" answer. The last of the 1 1/4 ton trucks with a fording kit was the M715, but it was considered a "tactical truck". You can "waterproof" a normal truck to a certain extent, but it will take a lot of work and some custom fabrication. Just adding a snorkel and exhaust stack doesn't cut it and in a lot of ways, the axle vents are one of the least of the issues. All ways for water to enter the engine and drivetrain will need to be sealed or plumbed upward. Oil filler caps, dipsticks, distributors, etc will need to be sealed in some way. All vents and breathers in the engine, drivetrain and fuel system will need to be plumbed above the fording level or into the fording intake, if you use one.

As far as electrical, it's not so much of a necessity to seal everything as it is prevention of future problems. There are really very few electrical components in a vehicle that will short out when underwater. Just about all the usual things needed for the vehicle to run will do fine underwater. It's the corrosion that happens later that will ruin the vehicle later on. Silicone is next to useless for keeping out water unless it's a light splashing. Packing the connectors with dielectric grease can keep them sealed for a good while but the best is to use waterproof connectors like are found on modern vehicles. Again, some components don't like getting dunked in water like radios, some models PCMs, and various control boxes for optional equipment and will need to be moved above the waterline or protected in some way. Don't think that the interior is safe, as the water level will eventually equalize inside the truck if you stay in it long enough.

In any case, nothing you do will really "waterproof" the truck. The axles will still suck water in past the seals and will need the fluid changed ASAP after fording. Theories abound about how this happens from dunking warm axles in cold water, to water pressure, to who knows what, but the fact is it will get in there and the more you stay in the water, the more gets in the axles. The front wheel bearings and hubs will also need to be repacked.

Really, the bottom line is, do you really need to be in the water? Chances are you don't. Sometimes it is unavoidable but you need to think about each crossing because the water can and will hide things that can damage or destroy your truck. The current may not look fast, but it has way more power than your truck and must be respected. I've seen water 2' deep that looked very slow moving shove a Ford F600 single axle dump truck off the road and into a bunch of trees. Once the water takes it, only getting hung against something is going to stop you. Your truck's power and weight won't make any difference once it gets moving.

 

[Lifer]

The guys who would be able to tell you exactly what you need to do are the swamp-buggy racers down there in Louisiana. How about it, you LA guys? Do you know anyone in that particular motor sport who could help him out?

 

[1stDeuce]

If I read your post right, you're only talking about 3' of water or so... On a '78 with 4" of lift and 33" tires, that's barely over the tire, and probably not even the floorboards. I wheeled a '78 1/2 ton with 31's and minimal lift for years, and put it through water that was about that deep on on several occasions, and lots deeper on a few, and never had any problems.

Other than checking axle lube and the fact that you WILL need to repack the front hubs, it's not a big deal. The starter really doesn't care about fresh water. Nor does the alternator. Mine lasted a long time after numerous dunkings. Make sure your axle vent lines are connected. The front goes to the top of the radiator area, the rear should go to the bed floor. If you have a manual trans, it's vented to a jingle cap at the top of the trans. I'm not sure where autos vent to, but I'd bet the back of the engine block. (Check) T-case is the same, with either a short hose to the top of the t-case, or a longer one to the back of the engine. Buy some 5/16" clear vinyl hose and extend them for now if you think the water is going to be 3' or more for a driving distance rather than just a quick crossing.

Low exhaust is fine, just DON'T shut it off in real deep water. (Turn the idle up a little will help prevent stalling from the backpressure.)

Manual trans clutch is OK, but try to keep usage to a minimum if you're in deep enough water to fill the housing. Silt will get in and make it slip if you keep working it in muddy water. If you shut it down overnight with a wet clutch, you may experience some sticking in the morning. Crank it to life in gear, step on the pedal, and tap the gas (lightly at first) a few times to break it loose. Usage will clean it back up.

If your cooling fan has a fan clutch, it's ok to leave it on. It'll toss a little water around at first, but so long as you keep the engine rev's low, it'll clutch to a virtual stop right away and won't hurt anything. If you have the stock factory air cleaner, make sure the snorkel that goes to the grille is DIS-connected if it pulls air from down by the bumper. Some pull from the top of the grille, which is good. If you have an open element, you could fab a quick tin shield to cover the front 1/2 just so the fan can't splash too much water on it. With the setup you have, 3' is not enough to even reach the fan if you keep things nice and slow. Which is how you ford water. No movie crossings, first gear low range, just keep it moving with a very small bow wake to keep the water level around the truck a little lower.

Chevy did a pretty good job of keeping the trucks water resistant back in the day... Even the HEI ignition is pretty tolerant to some spray if the cap and wires aren't from 1978. (Not the case with a Ford!) In your case, a little PM after spending time in water will be the most important thing.

Good luck!
C

Edit: I would leave the hood ON, as if you experience a rapid dunking, it'll trap a pocket of air in the eng compartment for a short time to give you time to either climb the out of the washout, or key off the engine before it sucks in water. (2-3 seconds max!)

For slow 3-4' of water, a snorkel should not be necessary at all on a truck as tall as yours.

 

[Alredneck]

No salt water you couldnt pay me enough to put my rigs in the salt water, well yea everybody does have a price! Your rig should be good for limited excursions in tera aqua, but dont make it a habit because maintnance gets real exspensive after awhile. I have put my 04 dodge 2500 in over 4 ft of mud and water and it takes it pretty good and it has way more electronics than your ole school chevy. If all else fails make you a imaginary line or put a piece of tape on the outside of the fender at or just below where the distributor is on the engine, we have used that rule of thumb for a long time so you can lean out the window and see how deep you are in reference to the important stuff. You also have to make sure all your gaskets and seals are good. ALso its all about the bow wave man!!!!!!

 

[maritimer]

pack your barings with marine grease before hand and you might save a little bit of time as it is a little more resilient to getting wet. extend your axle vents like it was mentioned if your air intake is pulling from below the top of your rad you will want to reposition it. you should be fine without a snorkel. if your gonna be doing extended wheeling in the water befor getting past your hubs let the truck run standing in water for a bit before driving in to the deeper stuff it will let your axles cool down and avoid sucking in to much water * yes if your running in a flood you will suck water in through the axle seals LOL* once you get her to dry ground drain the diffs and check all the fluids. your exhuast should be fine as long as you keep her just above idle. good luck and stay safe man

 

[JohnFire]

The TM states 18" if I remember right but i wouldn't push it. Check with the guys on the CK5 forum they can tell you all about the gas k5 blazer and those guys set theirs up for water mud and everything else. Good luck and stay away from any water that is moving much.

 

[colomil]

I have done my fair share of river crossings in 4x4's and have learned the following lessons:
1) starters & alternators usually handle clear water okay but they will eat bearings faster.
2) idler pulley bearings wear out quickly.
3) silty muddy water will eat your starter.
4) belt driven fans can eat the radiator in deep water.
5) water always seems to find it's way into the engine (crankcase venting/ air intake).

One possible solution to some of this is to put a positive pressure in the axles, tranny, engine. I have heard of some people using a 12v mini compressor to put .5 psi pressure in the axles & tranny. It might work on the crankcase as well. The downside to this is the seals might blow out. You might be able to pressurize the distributor cap as well.

If you get water in your axles/tranny, you should only go a short distance before changing out the oil. If you get water in your crankcase, shut it down right away and change the oil. If you suck water in the intake, you run the risk of hydraulic locking a cyl and bending a rod. If you get some water in the gas tank, you can dump some E-85 ethanol in there to absorb some of it.