I've seen on here recently, a lot of people asking questions about
"fording". Weather intended or not, there have been a few posts about it,
and there have been questions asked and what not.

My intent here, is to hopefully answer some of these questions, as well as
provide a guide to follow as to how to reduce your problems that can happen
with "ingesting" water.

First and formost, let me say that I speak from experience on the things I
am saying. I have also given plenty of thought to how to "water-proof" my
rig, seeing as how I sometimes do stupid shit, and go places I really
shouldn't, and try even dumber things that I really shouldn't.

Case and point, the two images I have attached. YES, that is my rig. YES,
I was stupid.





Situation: Someone wanted to use thier winch. I was glad to help. Then,
after the first time with nothing happening, people said I could probably
make it all the way across, so I tried.

End result: I ended up getting water in my engine, transmission, transfer
case, diffs, ECU, Body ECU, and everywhere else.

What happened: Hosed off the ECU, and LUCKILY, the truck cranked right up.
I had about 5 different codes, ranging from the MAF to the CPS.

I got the truck running, drove back to base. What is usually a 1.5-2 hr
drive, turned into a 4 hr drive. Got back about 2 AM. Went to throw my
clothes in the wash, took a 5 minute shower, walked outside to smoke, and
the truck was smoking. The starter had gotten so much muck inside it, it
was trying to start the truck with no key in it. Burned the hell out of my
hand trying to disconnect the battery.

Looked at my fluids the next day, and water was in EVERYTHING. Diffs,
T-case, trans. I think I got lucky and didn't get water in my oil, or maybe
just a little, but I can't remember (this was almost 2 years ago, and PTSD
has killed my memory.)

Again. The following is MY(I, ME, BROCK'S) take on what it would take to
make a rig SOMEWHAT "waterproof". And, it's A LOT.


The biggest problem is getting water into your engine, causeing a hydrolock.
If this happens, you're engine is pretty much dead, and needs to be
replaced.

One way to alleviate this issue is to do a snorkle, rasing the intake above
the engine of the vehicle. On stock intake systems, the intake sits just
about at the top of the engine, maybe 1-2 inches below the top of the
fender.

Moving the intake higher DOES NOT mean that you won't get water into your
engine. On our trucks, there are three holes on the bottom of the air box,
that will let water in. You need to fill those, as well as ensure you have
a good seal around the joints on the entire air intake assembly, so water
won't enter and find its way into your motor. Making sure every tube and
fitting is sealed is another plus when it comes to a snorkle.

What I'm going to do now if go from the front of the vehicle to the back,
and make a "list" of everything that will need to be sealed. If I miss
something, please feel free to add it, or message me and I'll adjust the
thread for it.

SO, starting from the front of the vehicle:

HEADLIGHTS: They ARE NOT sealed in the back. Water will still enter them.
People have said to clean headlight housings, put them in the dishwasher. I
did this, and it completely took the chrome off my bowl. Now it just looks
like a really dingy silver, and I have almost NO reflection from the
headlights. Time for a Projector Retrofit.

Headlights also have the "breather" hose in the back, to let out
condensation when the lights get hot. Have to find a way to seal that up,
without compromising the fact that the heated air from the headlights will
expand, causing some other issue.

TURN SIGNALS, CORNER LIGHTS: Same as the headlights. They ARE NOT sealed.
Need to find a way to seal them.

ALTERNATOR: NOT SEALED. Water and Muck into the alternator will kill it
quicker than a USMC Sniper taking a headshot at a Taliban with an M82. No real way to seal it, from my research, other than buying an alternator that is already sealed, which cost big bucks.

STARTER: NOT SEALED. Water and Muck into a starter will ground the starter
out to itself, causing the problem I have described above. This is NO
BUENO. Not only do you run the risk of burning your truck to the ground,
but you also risk endangering everyone's vehicle that's around yours.
Again, no real way to water proof the starter, unless you spend big bucks
getting a custom one, from what I've found in my research.

ENGINE: While most of the engine IS sealed, there are, obviously, areas that
are NOT. One being EVERY SINGLE connector that is on the engine. While
most of them can be taken care of with Silicone DiElectric Grease, and some
Blue Lock-tite or Teflon, you need to first access them.

You need to pull the intake plenum off, then the intake manifold to get to
the Knock sensors, to seal them up with Teflon or Lock-Tite. Then the
Injectors, which should be fairly "waterproof" because of the "O"-rings they
have on them. Then there's all the other various sensors that You can
probably NEVER "waterproof", but you can thier connections. The TPS, MAF,
Crank Position Sensor, Cam Sensors, and other sensors that I can't think of
right now, are on the OUTSIDE of the block, but are probably bolted TO the
block. You can "waterproof" the connectors, but who knows if those sensors
are waterproof? You'd just have to dunk them into water to find out.

The oil dipstick is another that should be taken more seriously than not.
While it does have the "O"-rings on it, it might not form a great seal.
Water gets into your oil, kiss your motor good-bye.

The Coil Packs also need to be "Sealed". I say "Sealed" because, though they pretty much already are, (just look on top and see all that glue shit that's on there), the connections for the odd bank is not.

While it is HIGHLY RECCOMMENDED that you use Dielectric Grease on your plugs and wires, how many people actually do this? I know, I, for one, don't always use the dielectric grease, and haven't had any ill effects of NOT using it.

Sealing the boots onto the block is something that would be tricky as well. IOT seal them, you'd have to run a very high temp silicone, and really gunk it up around the boots. BUT, then you run the risk of not being able to pull the boots off wen you need to change plugs, therefore having to change plugs, coil packs, and wires all when you just need to do the plugs.

COOLING FAN: Our fan's are clutch driven, but they still run the risk of destroying out trucks. A fan will act like a propeller in the event we sumberge our truck, possible deflecting the fan blades into the rad, completely ****ing it up. Careful about that.

FIREWALL: The firewall has more holes in it than a Chineese hooker. A hole
for the Main wiring harness from the ECU, a hole for the Body ECU to come
through, the steering shaft, the brake pedal, the AC lines, the heater core
lines, ALL run through the firewall. I'm sure I'm missing some here, but
that's what I can think of off the top of my head.

The MWH can be sealed up with some RTV. Take the (2) 10mm nuts off, lift
the cover off the firewall, liberly squirt some RTV along the cover, and
secure it back in place.

The AC lines are pretty much sealed, unless you've lose those bushings, but
you can always add some RTV to be safe.

Same with the Heater Core. Pretty much sealed, but can be gone over with
some RTV.

Steering shaft, not sealed at all, and really no way to 100% seal it,
because it spins. Unless you get some kind of bearing that you can weld
onto it, and then weld onto the firewall.

The brake shaft going to the Booster is pretty much sealed, but run some RTV
around it as well.

The Grommets on the driver side of the firewall, near the wheel well, are
going to be a PITA. I, for one, run ALL my wires that need to go outside to
the front of the truck through this grommet. My Amp power wire, my front
light wires, my switch box power wire, ect all go through this grommet.
Sealing this with RTV will be the best bet; HOWEVER, it will be a PITA to
get anything through there again, if you needed to.

Not to mention every seal that is on the engine is probably going to allow
SOME ammount of water into the engine. This wouldn't be catostrophic, but
at the same time, this wouldn't be idea either.

INTAKE SYSTEM: Again, already went over that, but you need a snorkel of some kind, to seal the air box, and all the points where the intake system connects to other points.

FRONT DIFF: The front diff is tricky. You have a breather tube, as well as two CVs that protrude from the diff. Extending the breather is easy. Just some tube. HOWEVER, the CVs are another story. There's really no way to get the CVs to seal into the diff. Water will more than likely enter the diff through the holes where CVs enter.

Not just that, but on most 4Runners, you have the ADD system on the front diff. Get that soaked, there goes your ability to engage or disengage your 4WD.

HUBS: Want to destroy your wheel bearings? Get water and mud and shit in them. Granted, it usually takes A LOT to get in there, but it does happen. And when it does, and your bearing goes out, you better have another spindle assembly to put on there, or another set of bearings and the proper tools to change them out.

There's the engine compartment. Let's move on to the drive train.

Transmission: The transmission is almost impossible to seal. The Torque Converter SLIDES over transmission input shaft, and bolts to the flywheel. There is NO way to seal this. I GUESS you can dump a bunch of grease on the input shaft, but then it's going to get slung off, and end up in your trans fluid from the rotation of the trans. Another option would be to TRY some RTV, but again, you have to slide the TC onto the input shaft, causing the RTV to be moved around, and possibly not having any effect at all on the water integrity of the TC.

The front seal on the transmission isn't a real tight fit either. Sure, you can use a smaller seal, but then you've got to worry about tearing the seal with the torque converter.

The transmission also has a breather on it, near the bell housing. The damn thing just "pops" into a hole. IOT "seal" this, you'd have to thread the hole, and use a fitting with the same threads and some Lock-Tite or Teflon tape to keep the water out.

The way I see it, a couple bits of aluminum in the trans isn't going to hurt anything. They will most likely be ground up, and then caught by the trans filter. HOWEVER, if you were so inclined, you could remove the bell housing, place a piece of duct tape under the hole, and tap it out, being careful to not puncture the tape. Or use grease. That will catch the shavings as well.

So, in order to get the trans sealed, you basically have to drop it, and make sure it's sealed up, which probably isn't going too happen.

The reason the "Pink Milkshake" destroys transmissions is because water brakes the adhesive down that holds automatic clutches together. Obviously, the clutches go out, the trans is no good anymore.

Manual transmissions don't need to worry about a Torque Converter, and their clutch is also exposed to the elements more, so they may fair a little better in water crossings. I have an automatic, so I can't really say.

If you think that the little plate that is on the bottom of the transmission is going to save it, you're sadly mistaken. It does nothing but keep grime and such out of the bellhousing, and the flywheel.

TRANSFER CASE ADAPTER AND TRANSFER CASE: The T-case adapter and T-case BOTH have breathers on them. These need to be extended, which isn't hard. Again, the best way to do it is to thread the holes, and use Teflon tape, or Lock-Tite to seal them up.

If you take your t-case off the adapter, you need to take a wire brush to it, remove all the old gasket material, and apply RTV, ensuring you have a PERFECT seal around the t-case and the t-case adapter, otherwise, what you just did was pointless.

The Shifter has a breather tube on it that goes back into the t-case, to catch any oil that gets thrown up onto the bottom of the shifter and deposit it back into the t-case. This hose cracks, to either capping both ends, or getting another hose is a good idea.

I think that just abut does it for the Trans and t-case, lets move on to the Rear Axle.

REAR AXLE: Fairly easy. Extend the Breather. Make sure your seals are good, and make sure your diff in sealed with some RTV.

BRAKES: Water in your brakes won't really hurt anything, but it can get kind annoying. Drum brakes keep mud and muck inside the drum, there for working the brakes harder.

My recommendation would be to upgrade to disk brakes, of which there are many threads on how to.

TAIL LIGHTS: The tail lights are much like the head lights. They're not sealed, and will become full of water. What happens when hot glass meets cold water? BOOM. Glass breaks. Good luck getting the glass pieces out of those housings. I'm still trying to...


That should take care of the rear axle. Let's move on to the body.

BODY: The body is such a PITA that it's not even funny. Those of you that have pulled your carpet know what I mean. There are so many holes under the carpet, that there's almost no hope in sealing them all.

To get them to seal right, you can either use a metric but load of silicone, or weld patches over them, your call.

You also have the fuel pump wiring harness, that will allow water in, and there is really no way to seal that, unless you make a custom cover for it. It looks like it would seal, but there's an end of it that's wide open.

The seat bolts also need to be sealed. Again, Lock-Tite or Teflon tape will work for those.

There is a "queefer" valve that is on the drivers side of the body, next to the tailgate, under the bumper. This needs to be sealed. BUT, sealing that, you run into the worry of pressure. That valve is intended to equalize the pressure when you shut the door, or when it gets really freaking hot outside. No queefer valve, no pressure equalization, which can cause more problems.

The door seals are another thing to think about. They suck. They won't stop water from entering the rig. You'd have to use some water, or something like weather stripping that will help to seal the water.

The Doors of our rigs are also something of concern. The window seals, handles, wiring harness port, and other holes in the door are something that will allow water to enter.

If you have the Limited cladding, you can do what I did and pull the cladding, and weld the holes up. I figured I'd be on trails, and that the cladding would probably get ripped off anyway, so i just took it off and welded everything. HOWEVER, I still have the hole for the wiring harness for the speakers, windows, and locks. There's one hole where water can get in.

The handle is another, but some silicone around the outside edge should, for the most part, take care of that.

The window seal is another issue. I would use some flowable silicone to seal that gap, but then you loose the ability to roll up or down your windows.

Another set of doors, beat all to hell, would be the best bet for fording. Weld and seal the ever living shit out of them, or just make sure you don't go in water that is deeper than the window seals and you should be ok.

The next part of the body is all your electronics. IF you're able to completely seal the body, then you've got nothing to worry about. BUT, if you CAN'T, you need to worry about your Main ECU, Body ECU, ABS ECU, 4WD ECU, Radio, Climate Control, instrument panel, seat electronics, and, if you have it, the rear heater.

"Waterproofing" these items, is next to impossible.

So, there is a little bit about "waterproofing" your rig, and what it would take.

Makes you want to think twice about going deep, doesn't it? (Giggidy)

Part two, Fording, to come tomorrow.

Fording-shallow place with good footing where a river or stream may be crossed by wading or in a vehicle.

First things first:

NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE FORCE OF FLOWING WATER.

Some fundamentals-

Water weighs about 62 lbs per cubic foot, and generally moves at 6-12 MPH. As a vehicle enters water, 1500 lbs of buoyant force is applied per foot; basically meaning that a vehicle weighs 1500lbs less for each foot of water.

For each foot of water applied to the side of a vehicle, there is about 500 lbs of lateral pressure applied.


SOOOOO, let’s put this into perspective. A stock 4Runner weighs about 4,000 lbs. So, it takes about 2 .75’(rounded up) to “float” a 4Runner, before it fills with water. That’s not a whole lot. Remember, the front end will go down before the ass end, because of the engine and such. Your ass end WILL float before it fills with water, and your front end will most likely be the driving wheels, because of the lack of anything to keep the water out of the engine bay.

Now, a 4Runner is about 180”, give or take 3” per year differences. The 96-98 versions were 178.7”, and the 98-99 were 183.2, and the 01-02 were 183.3. That’s ABOUT 15 feet long. Remember, water places about 500 lbs of lateral force on an object PER FOOT, so, 500 lbs x 15 feet =7500lbs of force against a 4Runner. Plenty of force to move it out of the way.

Toyota rated the STOCK 3rd Gen 4Runner to “ford” about 700mm of water, which equals 27.55905511811024”, so we’ll say 27.6”. That’s about the height of the stock tires. 2.75’ of water is 33”. The height of where a stock intake tube is on a 02 Runner is approx 37".

Think your truck would make it? There’s a decent possibility, but still not sure I would want to try it without some help around.

Think of what we’ve done with our trucks. We’ve lifted them, armored them, put bigger tires on them.

The lift will help raise the stock “fording” depth. The armor will help keep the rig SOMEWHAT weighted in the water, especially on the front.
BUT, the bigger tires will also create more buoyancy. Why? Because they hold more air.


We’ve all see the videos of the rigs that will wade through just about anything, and come out unscathed. HOW DO THEY DO IT?? They have a snorkel, for one.


The relocation of the intake above the hood of the car can and will do wonders for a vehicle. HOWEVER, you need to make sure it’s sealed. As stated in the above post, the stock intake is only about 2-3” below the top of the motor, in the front fender facing backwards. The only thing that is protecting the intake is the plastic piece of fender liner. That’s it. All the grime that gets slung up from the tires doesn’t make it into the fender because of this little piece of plastic.

There are also three holes in the air box that need to be sealed, or water will work its way into the intake system. You also need to find a way to get the lid of the air box to seal.

Moving the intake above the roof isn’t the only place it needs to go. Putting it in your cab can be just as beneficial, as long as it’s done right. I’ve seen people use flex-able drain pipe for “snorkels”. Really some pretty creative stuff out there.

Anyway, back on topic.

Moving the intake is step #1 in being able to wade through some deep stuff.

Step two is to know a couple of physics of water, most notably water displacement.
Water displacement is when an object moves water out of the way. While doing so, the water fills in whatever spaces it can in said object.

So, you take a vehicle, and drive it into a pool. The water is going to move out of the way of the vehicle, but then come right back and fill in all the spaces it can. The space between the rims, the engine bay, and eventually the body, until the pressure equalizes on either side of the object. IDK if I should say equalizes, but it reaches the same level inside and outside the vehicle, because it’s not water tight.

Now, obviously the water level is going to be higher, because you’re adding mass to the water. The engine, tires, rims, body, all that take up space. So, these all displace water. When the water reaches equal pressure inside and outside the vehicle, the level is still going to be higher than it once was, because there is solid material in the water, displacing it.

Boats float on top of the water, because they don’t allow water to get into the hull, while they still displace a massive amount of water.

Submarines use water displacement to fill and drain their ballast tanks, to sink or float, respectively. Water in the tanks makes the sub go down, air in the tanks makes the sub go up.

Along with the displacement, is, what I guess you would call, resistance. Take your hand, palm down, and make it glide through the water. Not much resistance and you can move it fairly quickly, right? Now, take your hand, with your palm at a 90* angle to the water, and do the same thing. Gets pretty difficult, huh?

Notice when you push your hand through the water, you create a wave in front of your hand, and a negative space behind your hand. That is the same thing you are doing with a vehicle, a boat, or anything else that you put into the water, known as a “bow wave”.

The “bow wave” is what really saves a vehicle. This is the water that is being pushed out of the way, going around and under the vehicle. As long as you’re moving, and keeping that “bow wave”, you MIGHT be ok with fording something to the headlights.

BUT, the moment you stop moving, you’re screwed.

Which leads me to the next point: NEVER STOP. You stop, you’re screwed. Said it once, I’ll say it again. NEVER STOP.


Here’s some basic things to do IF you have to “ford.”

1. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE TO. If there’s another possible way around, in a shallower spot, look for it. Look for the BEST possible spot to go across.

2. Walk the area. If you live in the SE, you know that what looks like solid ground can actually be the famed “clay”. Get stuck in that, and you’re straight ****ed. Ain’t nothing gonna help you.

Walk up and down the bank, looking for the best area to cross. Wade out into the water, if it’s warm enough outside, or you have a change of clothes, and make sure the river bottom is solid, and there’s nothing under there that you’re going to get stuck in.

IF YOU CAN’T WADE IT, DON’T CROSS IT.

3. Have your recovery gear ready to go. Nothing sucks more than waiting to be pulled out of the water. Ask me how I know……

4. If you have someone else that is with you and they have a winch, as long as the crossing isn’t more than their winch cable, hook up to them. That way, if something goes wrong, they can pull you straight out.

So now you’re prepared to cross a river. You’ve probably got a bunch of emotions going on. “WTF am I doing?” “What happens if I get stuck?” “How do I get home if I kill my rig?” Take a deep breath. Relax. Paranoia breeds paranoia. Relax, and focus on the task at hand.

EASE YOUR WAY INTO THE CROSSING. DO NOT PUNCH IT. This is probably the biggest mistake that people make. “Fording” isn’t mudding.
“You see the hole, you think about it, slowly ease in, then its balls to the wall till your motor blows.” No. Not fording. EVER.

Again, EASE into the crossing, and keep a STEADY FORWARD momentum. You want to keep the RPMs around 1500-2000, keeping that bow wave in front of the rig. DON’T STOP. DON’T USE THE CLUTCH. The gas is the only thing that should be being used.

Hopefully, you’re already in 4wd. If not, then you’ve got some balls….

If you stall the rig, get pulled out right away. Some people will say to try and start it, but if you’ve got water in your motor, there’s a probable hydrolock.

People say to lock em up before you get in. I’m a little different. I prefer to use the lockers WHEN I get stuck, not IF I get stuck. Just a matter of preference. All it takes for me is the flip of a switch. I can see why you’d want to lock them up before, but I can also see why people wait to lock em up.

You’re going to get in, and realize that your ass end is floating. DO NOT STOP. Keep moving forward. The front wheels WILL pull you, then, when the water enters your rig and weighs it down, your back wheels will push. As long as you are moving forward, keep going. DO NOT STOP.

Once you get to the other side, CHECK EVERYTHING. Let your motor run in case you’ve gotten any water into the intake, or on any electrical components. We all know the motors get warm, so let them to the drying.

If water got into your body, open the doors and let it drain out. Hopefully it didn’t get any of your more vital electronics.

Congrats. You’ve just crossed a river.

Remember, our rigs ARE NOT HMMWVs(HumVees). They’re made to be on the road, not going through 3 feet of water. BUT, they can. You just need to take the appropriate steps to be able to do so, and hope you didn’t over look anything.

Looking good! I would add some tips if people do want to go river crossing

like use 4wd, put your air on full blast, enter the water slow to prevent a splash of water that could get sucked up the intake....

What about the fender intake tube. doesnt that point directly towards the wheel and the inner fender cover is the only thing between it? wouldnt it make more sense to take it off to that you are only pulling air from the engine bay (yes it is slightly warmer air) where it could be more protected. just a thought.

also what about the air release vent on the driver side behind the tire under the rear bumper quarter panel. it that just a 1 way? i am sure water can back feed thought those flaps.

EDIT: saw you covered it

Awesome! I learned more about my rig besides waterproofing. Thanks for the info...waiting for tomorrow.

Well done! Thanks for taking the time to put this together. I think that was about everything we discussed (I took notes over the phone.) Don't forget the coil packs, rear hatch, and tail lights. You could go to the extreme and find a way to seal the outside door handles and the seals around the windows for submersion too.

My biggest concern with waterproofing the body is that you give up traction in the deep (truck begins to float) and are then susceptible to the flow of current (if there is one), or stuck up $h#% creek without a paddle (unless of course you have one, along with an operating sunroof.) On the other hand, if you go too deep with an unsealed body you'll potentially kill the electronics in the interior if they're not sealed properly.

I'd like to see what you found for a sealed alternator & starter. I was thinking that the starter solenoid could possibly be sealed up, thus shielding the contacts. I'll try to get my hands on a used spare sometime to figure it out. It may need a vent tube plumbed to the intake as well, but nowhere near as critically as the fluid retaining cavities.

Whoa, that is good info. Is it normal to have that may spots for water to enter? Or is this unique to our 3rd Gens? I've seen so many youtube vids of vehicles fording deeeeep water. I would think people would be more cautious about doing this if water leaked into all those areas?

I'm sure Doc will cover this in more depth (get it? ha!) tomorrow, but the short answer is, as long as you're moving at a steady pace, the flow of water around the truck helps prevent the water from entering at door seals and body grommets. Water comes in much faster if you stop moving.

Thanks for the kind words guys. Still woking on this. I've got it in a Word format, so all I have to do is Copy and Paste it into the forum.


That's what the "reserved for Fodring" second post is for. ;)


Added about the windows, coil packs, and tail lights. Can't believe I forgot those.



In "Part 2" I will discuss the properties of water, the volume, ect. I will also discuss some ways to ford a river if you have to.

So...the real question. Who's going to try and attempt this?

Here's my thing.

EVERYTHING I have done to my truck, put it through, built for it, ect, has been done for a purpose. I have already dome some of these mods that I talked about, and will probably be doing more since my rig is down at the moment, and I have a new DD.

Anything I will do, I will add to my build thread, and document step by step.

There is still some stuff I'm researching, such as a "paintable" cover for circut boards that will make them water proof. If I can find that, and not have to worry about heat or cross currents, I'll be doing EVERY single board in my truck, just for the hell of it.

I was thinking of something like Plasti-Dip, but unsure of how it would work, and don't want to risk it with out doing full research.

Computers for 3rd gens are hard to come by, expecially 99-00, because they changed them for that year. I know when I did my 4WD conversion, a '98 ECU WOULD NOT plug into my '99 harness.

That's very interesting. I'll definitely be keeping up with your build then. This is probably something I'll never even come close to doing. Water that high would scare the hell out of me, but it is very intriguing nonetheless and props to you for compiling such a list.

Just because I'm curious, how is it that the LC 80s are able to ford huge amounts of water so easily? I know in most of the videos I've watched, they are the diesel LC80s which I know simplifies things, but it seems they just nose dive into rivers and such without a second thought.
Edit: Now that I think about it, I'm sure they don't have quite the electrical wiring and such as the 3rd gens which would definitely simplify things.

Doc - The 4runner will never really be water proof. If you can pass the crossing in fast enough time to prevent water from coming though the doors, and not in the motor intake, you should be fine.


As for the transmission. It is sealed but there is one vent on it and if you run the vents high or even into the air intake, it will stay dry. no RTV or grease needed.

install a bilge pump inside the cab.

ha ha ha ha ...

The solution is trivial: Hot glue...

We made an autonomous submarine in college, and part of the waterproofing on the circuits was to simply dunk in hot glue. Worked flawlessly, and never failed.