Bearing failures after wading?

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DreXeL

DreXeL

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About a month or so back I took my 300tdi powered 110 wading through some pretty deep 'water' on Salisbury plain. Great fun, but my engine developed several nasty sounding noises slowly over last few weeks. Turns out the bearings were shot in the tensioner, water pump and fan pulley, and the alternator bearing seems to be on the way out too. I have fitted a new tensioner bearing and a new water pump, and I have removed the fan and have ordered a shorter belt so I can bypass the fan pulley alltogether.

Is there anything I can do to prevent this in the future? Or was it just coincidence/bad luck?
 
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Yeah I did check all the wheel bearings etc, even changed transmission, transfer box and diff oils (were due anyway), but how can I protect all the engine ancillary bearings? I appreciate continued wading isn't good for it but surely there is something I can do to stop them all failing within weeks of wading?
 
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DreXeL said:
About a month or so back I took my 300tdi powered 110 wading through some pretty deep 'water' on Salisbury plain. Great fun, but my engine developed several nasty sounding noises slowly over last few weeks. Turns out the bearings were shot in the tensioner, water pump and fan pulley, and the alternator bearing seems to be on the way out too. I have fitted a new tensioner bearing and a new water pump, and I have removed the fan and have ordered a shorter belt so I can bypass the fan pulley alltogether.

Is there anything I can do to prevent this in the future? Or was it just coincidence/bad luck?
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Yes, it is called grease, it is available in all good car shops. liberally apply to all pulley and tensioner bearings before and after after off road trips involving water. ;)
 
goonarmy said:
Did you use wading plugs?
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No (I know, I know), but I don't wade that often so haven't bothered before now, I will be getting some though. They aren't relevant to this specific problem anyway.

martin1512 said:
Yes, it is called grease, it is available in all good car shops. liberally apply to all pulley and tensioner bearings before and after after off road trips involving water. ;)
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No need for the sarcasm ;)

Being sealed bearings it never occurred to me to grease them, but I'll make sure they are well greased in future.
 
martin1512 said:
Yes, it is called grease, it is available in all good car shops. liberally apply to all pulley and tensioner bearings before and after after off road trips involving water. ;)
Click to expand...

This is about your only defence, it will help but water brings all sorts of dirt with it, sailsbury plane is famous for its concrete like mud, took me ages to get the rad and intercooler clear again!
 
DreXeL said:
No (I know, I know), but I don't wade that often so haven't bothered before now, I will be getting some though. They aren't relevant to this specific problem anyway.



No need for the sarcasm ;)

Being sealed bearings it never occurred to me to grease them, but I'll make sure they are well greased in future.
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That's the problem with those bearings. They are not watertight, but they are an arse to lubricate when the grease inside them is contaminated. I thouroughly coat the outside of the bearing with grease. Rather than actually lubricating the bearings, the coating of grease keeps moisture and fine silt and dirt from being washed into them and contaminating the grease inside them.
 
I had my cambelt replaced in nov and in jan it failed again,when pete took it all apart there was mud n water in there and the tensioner had seized causing belt to snap.also the front wheel bearings were full of water and they were only 1 month old

it comes with the territory im afraid,,goin shopping and dropping kids off at school wont bring these probs
 
Hopefully mine is OK, there are no nasty/dry noises coming from my timing cover area. I'm going to change my cambelt next month anyway.
 
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Wading is inherently bad news for any off roader, a bit like drugs for your body, great at the time but sooner or later it will damage the internals and you won't necessarily know about it at the time.

I love water crossings, can't get enough of getting wet, but all the issues I've had have Ben caused by this silly habit.

Wheel bearings and pinion bearings are common place failures. I have the Zeus timing gear conversion so belt don't bother me but my mates have ll had failures in the last six months following water play.

All because a landie can swim, doesn't mean you should and I don't recommend it.

Now if you insist then stock up on ATF and ep80/90 so you can swop fluids upon return. Also strip off hubs and repack the bearings so all is good. At the same time you can renew wheel bearing grease seals for a few pence now.

Finally as with the rad, use a. Wading blanket.

41025a1c03618f0feec66222e46c8c1d_zpsec4a3b3b.jpg
 
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