Fording Project

[rustystud]

I've been working on a Fording project for my deuce since summer ended. I already have all the differentials and transfer-case and transmission connected with a 1/4" DOT hoses up to the engine firewall. Now I'm installing the heart of the project the control unit. It has a 0 to 3 PSI gauge, low pressure adjuster, switch and flow control valve. The last part I need is still in the mail. It's a 2-way 24 volt DC normally open solenoid valve that will control the air-flow to the collection unit where all the hoses met up. This will allow me to either vent normally the gear units or close it off and fill the units with 2.5 PSI of air pressure. This is enough air pressure to keep out water to a level of about 10ft deep. Since I never plan on going under water it will work just fine. This unit will mount under the main dash board. To operate all I need to do is flip the switch on and adjust the pressure regulator to 2.5 PSI .
The clutch housing has been sealed off. I have drilled and taped a 1/8" NPT hole for a DOT fitting on the upper housing. This now vents out with the rest of the hoses. I'll take more pictures when I get the unit installed.

 

[rosco]

Mine was fitted with something like that along the way (a small pressure regulator & valve, connected to a pull cable - all mounted to the air line into the clutch housing), but the 1/8 NPT opening is on the front side, just above the winch drive shaft. It makes me wonder if other bell housings are pre-drilled for this, or the drilling & tapping is special?

 

[NDT]

I will be curious what will happen with the front axle boots at 2.5 psi.

 

[UNIMOG-GUY]

This sounds similar to what some Unimogs come with stock. Which if memory serves me correctly are pressurized somewhere between 1-3 psi.

 

[gringeltaube]

I will be curious what will happen with the front axle boots at 2.5 psi.

Well, at 2.5 psi they will look like a balloon - for a short while at least...


Seriously, nothing will happen since you have to retain the axle seals anyway and only the diff. itself is pressurized; not the knuckles.



G.

 

[4XDesign]

I like it! It will pay off after one use.

 

[clinto]

1. Nice work- well thought out and very professional looking.

2. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE buy some scuba gear and recreate the world famous video, since you will probably be better equipped than anyone else.

 

[rustystud]

1. Nice work- well thought out and very professional looking.

2. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE buy some scuba gear and recreate the world famous video, since you will probably be better equipped than anyone else.

I'am already a "PADI" certified scuba diver, but I don't want to deal with all the maintenance after such a undertaking !
Actually I never plan to take my truck "swimming" ! This is just for the "you never know" situation . Also I had two 0-3 PSI gauges and needed something to do with them !

 

[rustystud]

This sounds similar to what some Unimogs come with stock. Which if memory serves me correctly are pressurized somewhere between 1-3 psi.

Actually the military Unimog was partly helpful for my design. I knew they only used 3PSI max on their system so that gave me the confidence that our trucks oil seals could handle the 2.5 PSI pressure.

 

[AZK9]

I'm very interested in what you've got going here!

I like how you approach your projects!

 

[AZK9]

... Also I had two 0-3 PSI gauges and needed something to do with them !

No matter how hard I looked... I'd never find anything that awesome, or useful just laying around!
Even if I were to be so lucky... I'd not know how to use them until after I finished following your thread!!

 

[rustystud]

No matter how hard I looked... I'd never find anything that awesome, or useful just laying around!
Even if I were to be so lucky... I'd not know how to use them until after I finished following your thread!!

My wife sure doesn't call it awesome about all the stuff I have boxed up and laying around ! I've been a mechanic for almost 40 years and yes I'm a pack-rat. I love to pickup weird and unique stuff from shops getting rid of old inventory and going out of business. I still have a couple of oil pans for the "dual-range Hydromatic" transmission from some early tanks NOS ! They are solid cast iron with a brass water cooler to cool the oil. They will fit a M135 truck though ! It's stuff like that my wife just doesn't understand !

 

[rustystud]

I got the last thing needed to finish my fording project today. It's a 24 volt "normally open" switching valve. Along with the hose manifold I got from peashooter (thanks Aaron !) I can finally finish it. The valve will be mounted to the end of the hose manifold with the end cap attached to the valve output. The input to the manifold will be from the air supply from the regulator in the cab. Then all the hoses from the differentials and transfer-case and transmission will be connected to the manifold. This way since the valve is "normally open" the manifold will just be a venting area for all the gears. Then when the switch is activated the valve will close and allow the regulated air to fill the gear units. Thus allowing the truck to go into deep water without having the water get into the gears from the seals since they will be pressurized.

 

[AZK9]

Hope the weather gives you a good, long opportunity to get the project done!

How much more time do you expect it will take?

 

[sandcobra164]

http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?142543-Axle-Vents/page6
RustyStud,
I input on the above linked thread and learned some decent advice concerning how much pressure to dial in to keep the water out when fording in my M923A0 now on 14's. I'm even considering using Stemco seals on my rear axles so the bearings will be a wet hub setup. http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?148996-Stemco-Seals I know I'll likely not find a solution to my front wheel bearings and knuckles other than pack them full of grease and tear them down afterwards. We basically have the same axles as they are designed very similar. One is just slightly larger than the other. I would research the Stemco seals and see if they make one that you could run on a Deuce. That would save 2 axles or 4 hubs to not have to pull apart after fording. I'm also going to pull a regulator off of a 5 ton with a fording kit and see what it's regulated at. They only pressurize the engine, trans, and transfer case. The axles still have the same vents that we're all used to seeing. I've seen many as I work at a Marine Depot. The Marines expected these trucks to perform well in shallow stream offloading from a boat. That's probably fine for a quick dip. I'm more concerned with staying in the water for an hour or so after all the flooding issues we dealt with in SW Georgia helping helpless people get to houses near the creek to get personal items. Pulling 6 hubs is no fun on a 5 ton but twice as fun as doing them on a Deuce.

Respectfully,
Joseph

 

[rustystud]

Hope the weather gives you a good, long opportunity to get the project done!

How much more time do you expect it will take?

The weather is not being very friendly lately ! It is just above freezing here and raining. It feels like your being hit with little ice pellets ! This kind of weather is really hard on the old injuries and I cannot really work in it anymore. So I don't know when I will be finishing up this project. All it would take is a good afternoon to finish up.

 

[rustystud]

http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?142543-Axle-Vents/page6
RustyStud,
I input on the above linked thread and learned some decent advice concerning how much pressure to dial in to keep the water out when fording in my M923A0 now on 14's. I'm even considering using Stemco seals on my rear axles so the bearings will be a wet hub setup. http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?148996-Stemco-Seals I know I'll likely not find a solution to my front wheel bearings and knuckles other than pack them full of grease and tear them down afterwards. We basically have the same axles as they are designed very similar. One is just slightly larger than the other. I would research the Stemco seals and see if they make one that you could run on a Deuce. That would save 2 axles or 4 hubs to not have to pull apart after fording. I'm also going to pull a regulator off of a 5 ton with a fording kit and see what it's regulated at. They only pressurize the engine, trans, and transfer case. The axles still have the same vents that we're all used to seeing. I've seen many as I work at a Marine Depot. The Marines expected these trucks to perform well in shallow stream offloading from a boat. That's probably fine for a quick dip. I'm more concerned with staying in the water for an hour or so after all the flooding issues we dealt with in SW Georgia helping helpless people get to houses near the creek to get personal items. Pulling 6 hubs is no fun on a 5 ton but twice as fun as doing them on a Deuce.

Respectfully,
Joseph

I have used "Stemco" seals for years and if I could find some that would fit the deuce I would go for it in a minute ! What most people don't know is that Stemco developed a seal that turned in itself. Meaning the seal on the metal never moves !
The seal housing is pressed in the bore and the seal lip stays put on the shaft part. Never to move again until replaced. They are one of the "best" seals on the market but they don't make them for all applications though.
As far as the pressure needed I figured it out to be 2.5-3.0 psi. That was taking into account what the pressure is at one fathom (bar) of pressure. 14.7 psi extra pressure needed for each fathom of depth. 3 psi would actually give me around 9-10ft of depth. Since I never plan on going that deep it will be fine. I hope I actually calculated that right. It's been a few years since I have dived. I got certified to dive in the Marines. I did dive a for a few years after but it is a rich mans sport really. Or at least a single mans sport !

 

[Another Ahab]

My wife sure doesn't call it awesome about all the stuff I have boxed up and laying around ! I've been a mechanic for almost 40 years and yes I'm a pack-rat. It's stuff like that my wife just doesn't understand !

Well, stud; like it said in the book:

- Men are from Mars; Women are from Venus

We're never really ever going to understand each other. We all just got to let that go, you know?

 

[tucker79]

Iv been messing around with an airbrush pump I had laying around to pressurise my axles. I had already run extended lines up to to firewall and seemed a low budget way to go, very adjustable low psi. I had already done all the seals, boots, bearings.... but was still getting water in my axles as we have a lot of 6''-3' water mixed with sugar sand trails here in S fl and I go through a lot of gear oil. I just have it pluged into my inverter now but would like to find a better way to power it or find a different one that has a external regulator I can plum into the trucks air system if it works out.
I haven't gotten to test it yet as my Tcase is stuck engaged full time in forward sprag but reverse is working correctly.Im going to install the air dump to get me by until I can swap it out, really wish there was some more trans & t case options out there but I have come up with very little in my research.
Also very interested in these stemco seals, I know what ill be reading up on tonight
Anyways I look forward to good results from Rustystuds set up and what psi seems to be the happy medium Good luck and Happy Modding

 

[rustystud]

Iv been messing around with an airbrush pump I had laying around to pressurise my axles. I had already run extended lines up to to firewall and seemed a low budget way to go, very adjustable low psi. I had already done all the seals, boots, bearings.... but was still getting water in my axles as we have a lot of 6''-3' water mixed with sugar sand trails here in S fl and I go through a lot of gear oil. I just have it pluged into my inverter now but would like to find a better way to power it or find a different one that has a external regulator I can plum into the trucks air system if it works out.
I haven't gotten to test it yet as my Tcase is stuck engaged full time in forward sprag but reverse is working correctly.Im going to install the air dump to get me by until I can swap it out, really wish there was some more trans & t case options out there but I have come up with very little in my research.
Also very interested in these stemco seals, I know what ill be reading up on tonight
Anyways I look forward to good results from Rustystuds set up and what psi seems to be the happy medium Good luck and Happy Modding

The problem you might have with a air-brush pump is volume. Yes it can put out the required 3 PSI but can it deliver it with 10 CFM ? Remember you will be filling all the empty spaces in 3 differentials, one transfer-case and one transmission and bellhousing. All that at a constant rate as there will be leaks. I especially see the shifter column and the clutch shaft ends leaking, maybe even the crankshaft seal letting air into the engine. So the volume of air needed will be constant.