Scott in Bellingham Posted February 15, 2006 Share Posted February 15, 2006 ok , so next month im taking my car to Reiter pit , Ive never been there , looks like some deep water fun, my car is totaly stock under the hood 87 SPFI EA82 want to prep the engine for deep water fording , what should I do? , what works? what should I modify and seal and such, Ive watched videos of these cars with water over the Bumper , just not sure on the prep involved help me out. pictures would be nice too. SJR not me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A DOG Posted February 15, 2006 Share Posted February 15, 2006 Yeah that was my friend drving a completely stock EA82 wagon. Whenever I do deep crossings I just drive at a slow speed through it. Enough to keep my momentum, but not enough to shoot water into my engine. Some WD40 and a nice hot dry day to dry out the suby. I did this water crossing where a HUGE Dodge 4x4 with like 8in of lift and mad tires went first and made it of course then I went and slowly putting a long the water with it coming over my hood. Then to leave I had to do it again. Carb got wet, disty got wet still ran. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monstaru Posted February 15, 2006 Share Posted February 15, 2006 dielectric grease is your friend.all contact points on your wires, coil,disty and choke. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezapar Posted February 15, 2006 Share Posted February 15, 2006 Couple of things I've found. . . Remember, all of my offroaders have been ea81s, but same thing in water pretty much. A simple red rag tied over the end of the intake on your air cleaner can do wonders. It will stop water once. Minimal water will get past it. If you have a weber, then a antifeeze container cut to fit with the opening in the rear will keep water out. Webers seem to be most affected by water that drips off of the hod after the fan belt throws it up there. I personally thing that using silicone on a Soob disty is a bad idea and I'll tell you why: The disty is warm. Water near it will condence to the inside of the disty whether there is silicone or not. Silicone will just make it more difficult to take the cap off. Keep plenty of paper towels or 7/11 napkins in your glove box. Wipe it out, go on. Slow even speed is a good thing too. And Scott, the water in the water hole at Reiters is DEEEEEEP!! The toyota in the photo below had hydrolocked his engine going thru the not so deep part. The yellw rig has 49s on it. They're under. To give you an idea of how big 49s are. . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Numbchux Posted February 15, 2006 Share Posted February 15, 2006 Keep that disty protected. I'm not sure if you've seen the video, but it's in my gallery, I went through the truck mud run at iron range offroad. flooded my disty. not the points, but the crank angle sensor underneath. no spark at all... and yea, a little dielectric grease on the plug wire ends, and some on the coil connections.... I've also seen people rotate the stock airbox up into the spare tire well, keeps it even more safe... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike W Posted February 15, 2006 Share Posted February 15, 2006 I say if you seal up the disty with silicone or with a rubber glove over it, use a disty cap with the vacume fitting and a snorkle hose breather to let the water vapor escape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadyirishmen Posted February 15, 2006 Share Posted February 15, 2006 Definitely seal your distributor its the weakest link, otherwise as long as your timing belt casing has no cracks, it should for the most part be sealed. What are you going to use for a snorkel. Another problem you are going to face is depth of water, with how tight Subaru's are sealed once you get up to your headlights/hoodline they start to float. I am not sure if more weight in the vehicle will help, or if turning one into a truck so that there isn't so much trapped air. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbone Posted February 15, 2006 Share Posted February 15, 2006 The radiator fans need to be on a switch. Once you get deep and you've been running hard, you dont want the fans acting like props. Causes all kinds of problems., like puncturing your rad:-\ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott in Bellingham Posted February 15, 2006 Author Share Posted February 15, 2006 hey Zap if you look closer at your picture you can see a Soob in that deep water :banana: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subarutex Posted February 15, 2006 Share Posted February 15, 2006 At Reiter pit I snapped one of the 8 blades off my electric fan. It was soo off balance after that i had to break the opposite one off so it stopped wacking my rad and making horrible noises. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbone Posted February 15, 2006 Share Posted February 15, 2006 hey Zap if you look closer at your picture you can see a Soob in that deep water :banana: Well, now I'm going to have to come. Just so I can take a true pic of that hole when you go thru it:brow: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soobmater Posted February 15, 2006 Share Posted February 15, 2006 getting a bow wave is impotant. if its that deep, i would say dont go threw it, if it would swallow 49's!! thats deeepp. ur car would just float.. Zaps suggestions sounded very good. really though, cheap easy way to protect ur car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezapar Posted February 15, 2006 Share Posted February 15, 2006 hey Zap if you look closer at your picture you can see a Soob in that deep water :banana: Scott, I know you're just goofing, but if you photo shopped it for how deep it really is there, the water would be up on your windshield. The Toy is sitting at the edge. There are ruts running down the middle. Well, now I'm going to have to come. Just so I can take a true pic of that hole when you go thru it:brow: Me too. Although we already have video of us crossing it while it's much more shallow. This last weekend it was crazy deep! One big lake, I was hesitant to skirt the edge in my Toy, and the intake on it sits about at my chest level. (I'm 6'3) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratty2Austin Posted February 16, 2006 Share Posted February 16, 2006 I could take on that water! well... i could if i was there maybe I will when i get back! what you need to do is fit yourself a snorkel! mine was pretty cheap, and works quite well dont know what to do about the disty though....besides teh suggestion about dielectric grease the heck out of it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbone Posted February 16, 2006 Share Posted February 16, 2006 Heres my first serious water fording. Now thats a bow wave:headbang: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezapar Posted February 16, 2006 Share Posted February 16, 2006 I took that picture. . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbone Posted February 16, 2006 Share Posted February 16, 2006 And I thankyou very much. Thats your muddy hood too:-p I still remember my youngest laughing when my leg got all wet. Sealed that shifter hole good after that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott in Bellingham Posted February 16, 2006 Author Share Posted February 16, 2006 I could take on that water! well... i could if i was there maybe I will when i get back! what you need to do is fit yourself a snorkel! mine was pretty cheap, and works quite well dont know what to do about the disty though....besides teh suggestion about dielectric grease the heck out of it besides the snorkel , what have you done to that car to handle the water? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burtonsnowman Posted February 16, 2006 Share Posted February 16, 2006 hey Zap if you look closer at your picture you can see a Soob in that deep water Oh, my gosh--I've never laughed (silently) so hard in my life! I'm in the library and trying not to be noisy, but I can't stop laughing. I have no idea why I find that so funny, but my eyes teared up so much I couldn't read the posts after it. You are awesome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beachbumberry Posted February 16, 2006 Share Posted February 16, 2006 ok, so do subis not leak from the doors when you go through water? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbone Posted February 16, 2006 Share Posted February 16, 2006 It depends. If the weatherstripping is in good shape and the rockerpanels arent bashed in. I wouldnt say they are totally leak proof, they will leak after a period of time, maybe 15min more or less. Heres a old pic of Austin in his EA81 Water Wagon:D I think this is where he decided he needed a snorkel:brow: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratty2Austin Posted February 16, 2006 Share Posted February 16, 2006 It depends. If the weatherstripping is in good shape and the rockerpanels arent bashed in. I wouldnt say they are totally leak proof, they will leak after a period of time, maybe 15min more or less.Heres a old pic of Austin in his EA81 Water Wagon:D I think this is where he decided he needed a snorkel:brow: hey! I remember that day! yeah.. door seals were good on that car! no water came in could definatly use a snorkel though... water flooding the carb+disty was about the only reason i didnt make it out... (tires could have been better too) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbone Posted February 16, 2006 Share Posted February 16, 2006 Well, this is Zap after cleaning out your engine compartment. That sucker was packed full of mud and debris:lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tailgatewagon Posted February 17, 2006 Share Posted February 17, 2006 first off use the Dgrease to seal all important connections. (bassicaly id do every one under the hood. weather striping check a snorkle is a big step forward. also take a tarp. cut it to fit over the front of the grill and then bunji it on just before you take the plunge. helps make a bow wave its worked awsome the 1 time i tryed it.... get one of these and plum it in the front of you cars pass compartment and just run a tube out the top of the windo. or get a fancy one way valve to put in the door or firewall... anyway they can be had for cheep and will save your cars intior if you get stalled. http://cgi.ebay.com/Brand-New-12volt-1400-GPH-Bilge-Pump-Chandlery_W0QQitemZ4612502035QQcategoryZ15263QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem i got a 1700gph one i will probably get another and run duals on my hatch when im done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezapar Posted February 17, 2006 Share Posted February 17, 2006 Well, this is Zap after cleaning out your engine compartment. That sucker was packed full of mud and debris:lol: That was from reaching into the (nasty rump roast) water to put the chain on the tow hook. I was the only one who brought rubber boots. Took that pic of Austin too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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