waterproofing question.

[idaxj97]

I am planning on getting a safari snorkel for my xj and i want to do the waterproofing right the first time, i heard on another forum about using Di-electric grease to waterproof electric components in the engine, does this actually work? if not what to recomend to waterproof my engine? thanks.

 

[Layonnn]

one more thing to add to your list for waterproofing, relocate the breather valves on your diffs and transfer and transmission.

Not sure on your electronics though.

 

[spencyg]

Dielectric grease is great for warding of corrosion on electrical connections in the event they get wet but really doesn't do much for waterproofing. Your alternator and ECU are the two most critical items which can fall victim to a deep water crossing. The ECU is most likely low in the passenger compartment, probably in the kick panel next to the gas pedal. I have known a few people who relocated that box (by adding wire to the harness) up to the ceiling. The alternator can't really be relocated....best you could do is fabricate brackets to put it at the very top of the engine hugging the bottom side of the hood. As already mentioned, breathers for the axles, transmission, and crankcase should be routed as high as possible along with the gas tank vents. At the end of the day, a deep water crossing is probably going to do far more harm than good and really should be avoided. The use of a snorkel and relocating items for better crossing ability doesn't automatically turn your jeep into a boat, it just hedges the bets in your direction if you find yourself in water that is way too deep. If you do find yourself in this position you probably will be happy with just being alive and take the damage you've done to your rig as a lesson to be learned in proper prior planning

Spence

 

[idaxj97]

I had already planned on relocating all of my breathers, im not looking at crossing any water higher than my headlights if i do any water crossings.

 

[chasespeed]

On the alternator... The water itself wont hurt it... you drive in the rain dont you? Ever driven through a deep puddle.. its really just a rotor in a coil... nothing special(other than the voltage regulator, which you could keep a spare on hand, they are easy enough to R&R)....

Anyway, keep some CLEAN(doesnt have to be potable water), and after the water crossing, RINSE IT WELL. the MUD, and silt, dirt, etc, will wreak havoc on the bearings, and cook onto the windings, etc....

I do not advocate deep water crossings... just stating what I have discovered...

IF, you REALLY wanted to have an extreme alternator, a few years of Caddy Northstar used a liquid cooled alternator... cooled by the coolant... should be plenty easy to plumb into your system...

NOW, yes dieletric grease will help. You have factory "weather pack" connectors, which really are pretty good.. but, the grease is always a good thing...
Use it on all electrical connectors, spark plugs, etc. Check, double, and triple check your ignition system, for cracked/damaged plug wires, plugs, etc.. You are more likely to have a problem there, and stall the motor, than any other electrical problem.

Make sure your exhuast is good to go....as long as its running, the engine should provide enough pressure to keep water out.. but, if you stall the motor... its done... water will immediately enter the exhaust, preventing you from starting... Look to the Humvee for ideas on how to deal with that if you wish.

You will have vents/drains in your floor.. so, water will eventually come in...

Move the ECM, and any low wiring, grease....

Use Marine Grade grease in all your fittings... its thick BLUE stuff... Use some kind of dressing on your door seals to make sure they are nice and pliable....

And with the vents for the trans etc... route them into the airbox...

Chase

 

[XXXpedition]

my xj went through tons of water...
what i did:
- silicon the distributor and run a hose from the breather hole to the roof line
- as mentioned, run diff, transmission, t-case breathers atop
- tape the doors before deep crossings - they might leak with current pushing...

don't forget to silicon the holes on the bottom of the airbox!

that's it - i never had any issues (not with electronic either)!
sven

 

[dzzz]

The trouble with a lot of these measures is that it encourages the driver to not check water depth. I do think high breathers make sense. Bigger tires and a lift also help. But by the time the waters a foot deep in the cabin and threatening the ECM your probably not going to make it anyways.
A snorkel is often installed with extra filtration. That may be the biggest advantage to this upgrade. Keeping grit out of the engine.
The alternator is mounted high to keep it from water already. On newer cars and trucks moving it higher will be difficult. As far as a better alternator, marine regulators can measure alternator and battery temp. and adjust load. If the alternator is consistently very hot , it's too small and has a cheap voltage regulator. A consistently very hot stock alternator will have a short life. It also puts out far fewer amps than a cool alternator, so it's a destructive cycle.

 

[Nullifier]

I had already planned on relocating all of my breathers, im not looking at crossing any water higher than my headlights if i do any water crossings.

Thats what I said lol!

 

[dust devil]

The trouble with a lot of these measures is that it encourages the driver to not check water depth.

Really? Why would that be, or, why would such measures reflect negatively on the driver's propensity for caution whereas having taller tires and a lift would not?

Also, what is the best way to check water depth? I find moving water to be deceptive as far as depth is concerned.

I always thought the idea with waterproofing was to avoid unwanted stalls or serious mechanical damage from crossing water that otherwise needs to be crossed anyway to complete a trail.

 

[dust devil]

Make sure your exhaust is good to go....as long as its running, the engine should provide enough pressure to keep water out.. but, if you stall the motor... its done... water will immediately enter the exhaust, preventing you from starting

Personally, I have never had an engine fail to restart with the exhaust under water. It might be slow to start because of the back pressure, depending on circumstances, but just like starting in gear on an uphill incline, a few seconds of cranking will generally do the job. Turning over the engine, even if it does not start immediately, increases pressure in the exhaust system and forces out the water, such as it is.

I otherwise agree with venting, which is important not so much for getting across water, but for avoiding serious damage to rotating parts as a result of water contamination.

Using silicon to seal a distributor is generally a bad thing unless the distributor also has a vent in it. It has to be vented or corrosion will take over rapidly. Never completely seal a distributor. If you inundate your vehicle to the point that the distributor is under water, you already have other problems.

 

[BlueBomber]

If you inundate your vehicle to the point that the distributor is under water, you already have other problems.

x2
instead of sealing the dizzy, just keep a can of WD-40 in your truck (you should anyways). it will displace any water ...after you pull your truck out of the lake.:sombrero:

 

[expoxj]

Nice thing about the xj is the ecu is in the engine compartment and protected by a nice case. I have sealed mine with silicone. Also the front diff and tranny breather already go up to the back of the engine compartment to the top of the firewall.

I have a 00 xj with the distributorless ignition and I just worked on sealing the areas where the connectors come together. I wouldn't bother sealing the bottom of the airbox. There is only a few small holes and it would take forever for it to fill up with water. With them sealed it would never drain if water did get in it. Your axle seals are also not designed to keep out water and will let it in if submerged for too long.

I've had water over the hood on my xj without a snorkel. As long as you keep a good wake in front of the rig you will be ok. Thats after checking the situation to make sure your not going to get stuck or run into any obstacles under the water.

 

[idaxj97]

thanks for all the tips. I had one question tho, where is a good place to run my rear diff breather ive heard of above the gas tank and ive also heard of up in the filler neck area.

Also, what is the best way to check water depth? I find moving water to be deceptive as far as depth is concerned.
I think that if the water is not running to swiftly than choke up and walk out there other than that i dont know. I agree with you that woving water is deceptive.

 

[chasespeed]

I usually run all the vent lines to one place, and label them...

Chase

 

[XXXpedition]

i ran all my breather lines (the rear diff included) up the snorkel to the roof.