water, deep deep water!

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thainy

thainy

New Member
Posts
1,013
Location
swindon
hey guys, i got myself a 110 not long ago and have started the the whole 'pimping' process. I have been out and about on a few local greenlanes and even motocross sites! but i seem to feel a need to go through 'any' water i see. problem is i know nothing about machanics. so my question is, i have had fitted a wading kit and the snorkel was already on, so i should be fine in water to what depth????

i have the high exit exhaust but as long as she keeps running then that doesnt matter anyway does it??

if anyone is out near swindon or marlborough any time let me know, could do with meeting some fellow muddy loving peeps.
 
breathers fitted by a land rover specialist up in salisbury, he does all offroading etc and seems to know his stuff so u can only hope.

is anyone on here from swindon u know?
 
test that your snorkel works by covering up the intake using you hand or something strong when you have your engine running, it should cut out if sealed correctly.

hold on to whatever you are using to cover the intake very tight as it might get sucked in!

if it doesn't cut out try spraying a TINY bit of WD40 around joints and you should hear the engine rev if its not sealed correctly
 
ok thanks hext, ill give it a go in the morning. im working on it tomorrow anyway. i want to take the spare wheel off the rear door, chequer plate the boot floor, and then mount the wheel flat there. figure its a lower center of gravity and less weight hanging on the door. im also doing the chassis in red to help a little bit with rust prevention and hoping to pick up some mud tyres and maybe a 2" lift if all goes well.

i also had a steering guard and front diff guard fitted, and a guard on the rear salisbury diff, so if i beach myself now on the middle of a deep rut, like i done last week! i shouldnt do any damage really should i? im thinking tank guard but it seems to pretty unlikely that i could ever hit that, am i right?

thanks
 
Once you have been through the water you can start thinking about all the new things you will need - the problem is not the water but the silt and mud in the water. If you were going to cross a river for example which is clear fresh water then the chances are most things will just dry out. BUT bear in mind things like bearings may trap the water and this will just lead to early failure.

The Defender will fill up with water very quickly, so you will be sitting in the water, soon after deep wading many people report failed alternators and bearings of all sorts; it is also recommended that you drain ALL your oils and replace them afterwards. This all adds up, with your engine kitted out the way it is I would be inclined to say drive water of a fair depth but try and keep it from being any higher than 1/4 way up your doors and don't make a habit of it - also try and stay well clear of pure muddy water.

As for the tank guard, you would be surprised what you can damage off road!

Just because it can do it, doesn't mean it is necessarily good for it.
 
discomania...change all oils after wading? dont you think thats a bit drastic???

I would be changing the oils on mine every saturday and sunday!! lol
 
No I don't.

Granted some axles gearboxes etc will keep it out, but it's a land rover which often struggles to keep heavy oil IN, let alone water out - this problem is added to by the fact as soon as all these are plunged into water they will cool, the casing will now suck water in.
 
Apart from changing oils everytime you wade (which would be great but not practical), I am with Discomania. In particular, the alternator prob with muddy water. It has now cost me 100 quid easy. Now blast with water after trip and load a tin of wd40 down it to keep contacts ok. Alternative is reduced alternator output and discharged battery. Also, think even water takes over from grease in joints so maintenance (oil, re grease and removing ****) is essential or £20 pay and play becomes a load more
 
thanks guys, ref the oil changes, etc, isnt the wading kit there to stop the axles, etc, drawing water in when it hits the cold water???
 
Yip but not totally effective and have you put plugs in timing case and clutch bell housing, removing afterwards. Beyond this - the alternator and oiling and greasing is still consideration. PS, I still wade but cost brings focus and attention to prevention
 
The axle breathers stop the breather pipe from being submerged in water and therefore filling the axles and gearboxes yes, however they are often not totally sealed, water will find other ways in, especially when things are a little old and worn.

The plug in the bell-housing will stop water from pouring in, however if the clutch has ever been changed the chances are the gearbox was not put back on with sealant, so the water can seep in (rather quickly in deep water), if it is just plain fresh water then you will be OK, a clutch will soon drain and certainly dry out in use if driven for a good while afterwards, but if you fill it with silt and mud it will not last so well at all - bearing failure, clutch disc contamination...

I spend a lot of time trying to stop water getting into places it shouldn't in my LR, I spend a lot of time redesigning and painting things with huge quantities of paint to try and stop corrosion and rot and that is without wading with it - so my advice would be to adopt a good cleaning and protection system if you plan on doing this stuff frequently.
 
[JP];1019146 said:
check on ebay, there's one seller there where is pictures show axledeep.com

i got my kits from him, good stuff.
Click to expand...
Now you mention it thats who i think i got mine from, came with fitting guide seemed reasonably priced to me.
 
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