Deep Water and River Crossing Questions

[jmdjax]

I didn't see a section in here for techniques or anything, but I took my 40 out last weekend, and although I am very inexperienced, I had loads of fun! The most interesting and fun for me was the water. We weren't in anything too deep. The deepest brought water halfway up my drivers side door, but I often see videos and pictures of vehicles up to the windshield or even higher!

My question is sort of tri-fold.


a) How do you know how deep the water is, or how hard the bottom is, and what effect does that have on how you navigate the body of water/river/whatever.

b) how do you prepare your vehicle to withstand submerging it in water? I have lots of vacuum leaks so I was worried about mine, but we weren't in anything deep enough luckily to worry about it.

c) In regards to snorkels (which I don't have) and distributors and whatnot, what are the recommendations to make these "waterproof" for this sort of sport?

This was my first time being really out of the house in a while as I recently came down with Bell's Palsy, but I was glad to get out and had a blast! I want to learn more about driving through water.


Oh and a pic from this past weekend:

 

[fireflyr]

After watching a friend hydrolock his engine (and bend conn rods) I tend to shy away from deep water. I've heard the best method is to wade the stream first. If I get over these things , it's too deep.

 

[huntoon]

Really, you gotta clear the ice first:

 

[stolenheron]

Walk it. that goes for trails, mud, or water. find the line, test the ground, use a big stick or pole to test depth.

If you "cant" walk it, then dont drive it.

It sounds tedious, but it can save u and your vehicle. everytime i said "naw, i dont need to get out, it doesnt look deep" i've plowed into the damn thing seeing a bow wave over the hood.

what part of florida are you in? the bottom of water in FL is generally 1. limestone 2. silt (black) 3. clay (red, north FL) or 4. sand (white/tan).

Another thing I've done is had a friend (WHEN AT A SNAILS PACE) sit on the hood of my rover while I drove through the water so he could gauge the depth as we went. it was a constant 3 hours of shallow wading (6" was the average....) but there were 4 or 5 big pits where it was almost impassible for my (non snorkeled) rover which I am damn glad we were able to avoid or cheat our way through thanks to spotting.

I hate water. I hate mud. However, It is my home territory in SW FL.

 

[Mr. Leary]

a) How do you know how deep the water is, or how hard the bottom is, and what effect does that have on how you navigate the body of water/river/whatever.

Best to walk it. I always walk it unless I am very sure of the characteristics of the crossing. I also toss a stick or two in and watch it move if I am unsure of the currents. It is always a good idea to take a long stick with you when walking crossings with currents. Plant the stick in front of you and side step your way out. This will help you stabilize yourself and maximize your ability to counterbalance against the current's strength.

Rocky bottomed crossings are simple, you must identify clearance hazards and plan your route accordingly. When crossings have sand or mud, it becomes even more important to investigate your line. keep in mind that you will not drive the exact route that you walk and that the surface will not support your vehicle as well as it does you. A good practice is to go ahead and unspool the winch or hook up the recovery strap before attempting the crossing in case you need to get out fast.

The most difficult / dangerous part is guaging the current. It has a profound effect on the nature of the crossing, and is more dangerous then the depth of the water.

b) how do you prepare your vehicle to withstand submerging it in water? I have lots of vacuum leaks so I was worried about mine, but we weren't in anything deep enough luckily to worry about it.

I use di-electric grease and window sealer. You should add a snorkel and extend the differential breathers of your truck if you plan to go swimming a lot. Not too much of an issue in your 40, but computers should be protected / relocated in case the water enters the cab.

c) In regards to snorkels (which I don't have) and distributors and whatnot, what are the recommendations to make these "waterproof" for this sort of sport?

As mentioned earlier, di-electric grease and window sealer work well. When installing the snorkel, a good test is to block the intake on the snorkel head. If the truck dies a few seconds later, your snorkel is working. If it keeps on ticking, you have a leak and you should start looking for it. :sombrero:

Hope this helps,

Leary

 

[Howski]

i usually try and have a truck with a higher lift go in line in front of me and gauge whether i can make it or not off of that. if you don't have that option i would usually try and walk next to the water with a large stick to gauge the depth.

what part of FL is that? looks similar to the Appalachicola National Forest near Tallahassee, but i guess most parts of FL look the same

 

[greentruck]

If you're planning on being in water regularly, plan to drain and replace diff fluid and perhaps even repack wheel bearings more frequently. That water gets into your axle and will cause you grief eventually.

I don't worry about this when crossing the creek and never had any problem. But lengthy submersion is definitely going to cause problems if precautions aren't taken.

 

[ShottsCruisers]

Scott used my 80 in his feature on this back in 2005. I'm in the top main photo. I've had both my 80's and my 100 in rivers in AZ up to my windshield and swells up and over my roof.

The key is to enter the water at pace and keep speed so that wave stays out in front. Don't gas it and don't back down suddenly.

I'd never attempt water works like this without a snorkel.

 

[1911]

c) In regards to snorkels (which I don't have) and distributors and whatnot, what are the recommendations to make these "waterproof" for this sort of sport?

What year is your 40? Later ones have sealed and vented distributors stock from the factory, though you need to make sure the plumbing is still hooked up. The vent for the distributor is in the cabin.

 

[jmdjax]

Cool article Shotts!

1911, Mine is a '77, but I believe the dizzy is from an 1980's FJ60. It has a dual vacuum advance, which I don't use here in Florida.

Funny story, something in my block is banging and knocking. LOUD. I mean loud. It just started today. I suppose it is a rod, or a main which I just had a mechanic take a look at and he told me whatever it is, don't drive it.

So I'm trailering it out this weekend and putting another engine in it. Keeping it a 2F though. It's always something! Just when I thought the IRS God's were nice to me this year, the Cruiser God's got jealous and wanted to play.

 

[1911]

1911, Mine is a '77, but I believe the dizzy is from an 1980's FJ60. It has a dual vacuum advance, which I don't use here in Florida.

That is the best distributor Toyota ever made (I have one being re-curved right now to put in my 40). It has two ports for vacuum tubing on the distributor cap, the big one should have a line going to a vacuum control valve underneath the air cleaner, and the smaller one should have a vent line going to the firewall. The vacuum system keeps hydrocarbons and moisture from building up inside the dizzy, and the vent line is just that since the dizzy cap is sealed with an o-ring. Also, you should plug the outside vacuum port on the advancer if it's not hooked up to the High Altitude Compensation system. If it's all functioning as intended your dizzy should be water tight.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

That is the best distributor Toyota ever made (I have one being re-curved right now to put in my 40). It has two ports for vacuum tubing on the distributor cap, the big one should have a line going to a vacuum control valve underneath the air cleaner, and the smaller one should have a vent line going to the firewall. The vacuum system keeps hydrocarbons and moisture from building up inside the dizzy, and the vent line is just that since the dizzy cap is sealed with an o-ring. Also, you should plug the outside vacuum port on the advancer if it's not hooked up to the High Altitude Compensation system. If it's all functioning as intended your dizzy should be water tight.

x2, late model 2F distributors rock! I like to run a bit of dielectric grease on the o-ring in the cap. In my case the vent lines are tied into my snorkel and air cleaner. Not sure which dizzy you have:
http://www.cruiseroutfitters.com/tech_dizzy.html
(one of these days I'll get around to adding the pics)

 

[Ray Hyland]

Lots of people have talked about walking strange water first, to see the depth, the base, and if there are hidden logs, rocks or holes. I agree.

So, a critical piece of your kit should be:
a pair of swim shorts, and some sandals or water-shoes.
Or in colder weather, a pair of chest-waders.

Because if you (or anyone else) only have the pants you are wearing, and your leather hiking boots, chances of you getting out and wading into deep water are probably pretty slim.

If you plan to play in the water a lot, get a snorkel and some axle breathers, they are cheap piece of mind. And learn how to repack your own wheel bearings every couple of months if you don't already know, it will need to be done, it's easy to do, and doing it yourself will save you a lot of money.

Cheers

Ray

 

[1911]

x2, late model 2F distributors rock! I like to run a bit of dielectric grease on the o-ring in the cap. In my case the vent lines are tied into my snorkel and air cleaner. Not sure which dizzy you have:
http://www.cruiseroutfitters.com/tech_dizzy.html
(one of these days I'll get around to adding the pics)

Off-topic thread hijack:

Kurt, thanks for the locker switch cover, I got it in the mail yesterday!

For everyone else, if you haven't ever bought anything from Cruiser Outfitters, then you may not know what true customer service really is.

Thread hijack over.

 

[Mr. Leary]

Lots of people have talked about walking strange water first, to see the depth, the base, and if there are hidden logs, rocks or holes. I agree.

So, a critical piece of your kit should be:
a pair of swim shorts, and some sandals or water-shoes.
Or in colder weather, a pair of chest-waders.

Because if you (or anyone else) only have the pants you are wearing, and your leather hiking boots, chances of you getting out and wading into deep water are probably pretty slim.

Didn't you know?... the official ExPo wardrobe includes scandals and zip off cargo pants. :sombrero:

We proved that on our Palo Duro scouting trip!