Flooded Engine

G

Gho5t5niper

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Hey guys I have a pretty bad problem.. I was doing some offroading through some flood waters after a constant 3day rain. I must have hit the water a little too fast and water came up over the hood and stalled the engine. I tried starting it once while I was still in the water without any success it just clicked. I got pulled out in about 5 minutes after my engine stalled. Tried starting it after I was out of water and same clicking. I ended up having to get towed home by a friend.

Since then I replaced the starter and the engine makes a different sound when attempting to start but it still doesn't turn over. We took the spark plugs out and sucked water out of the cylinders that my k&n cold air intake sucked in. But it still wouldn't start. I forgot to mention that I checked the oil right after it happend also and there was no water in the oil.

We took the starter off again and tried to turn the engine by hand and it turns backwards fine but there is a spot where it just hits something and won't turn any further. Anybody have any ideas next??
 
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If it seems to "hit something", I'd say thats bad....
Liquid will not compress at all, so theres a good chance that something else had to give when the water got in. Had an old chevy step-side with a 350 in it. I did the same thing you did. It cracked the skirt on one of the pistons. Which ever cylinder was on the compression stroke when it got flooded is the one the might have taken the worst of the damage.
It might be hitting a valve that got stuck open or bent.

Best of luck.
 
Take out all the spark plugs.

Crank the engine until water stops shooting out of the plug holes.

Spray WD-40 into the cylinders and repeat.

Reinstall the plugs and hope for the best, but you may have bent a rod at this point.

G
 
Gho5t5niper said:
Hey guys I have a pretty bad problem.. I was doing some offroading through some flood waters after a constant 3day rain. I went through water up to my headlights and it made it through like a champ. I had to turn around and go back through the same hole because the rest of the road was twice as deep. As I was going back through the same hole I must have hit it a little too fast and water came up over the good and stalled the engine (I have a video I will try to post). Water started coming in through the doors and the interior got flooded. I tried starting it once while I was still in the water without any success it just clicked. I got pulled out by someone passing by about 5 minutes after my engine stalled. Tried starting it after I was out of water and same clicking. I ended up habits get towed home by a friend.

Since then I replaced the starter and the engine makes a different sound when attempting to start but it still doesn't turn over. We took the spark plugs out and sucked water out of the cylinders that my k&n cold air intake sucked in. But it still wouldn't start. I forgot to mention that I checked the oil right after it happend also and there was no water in the oil.

We took the starter off again and tried to turn the engine by hand and it turns backwards fine but there is a spot where it just hits something and won't turn any further. Anybody have any ideas next??
Click to expand...

Sounds expensive.

Pull the plugs, keep your head clear, and turn it back over with the starter. You can use a wooden dowel rod to drop in the cylinder when turning the motor over by hand to see if one piston doesn't come up as much as the others.
 
Well, you got around to pulling the plugs a bit too late in the process--you should've done that FIRST before trying to restart it after it died. It does no good to go that route later, as you've already hydro-locked the beast and likely stress-cracked lots of expensive parts. Even if you do get it to run again, it likely won't be too far down the road before something goes "boom". If you kill an engine with water, you need to evacuate the water BEFORE trying to start it again--once you crank it with non-compressible water in there, you do permanent damage.
 
So if it really is a hydro locked engine or a bent rod is there anything I can do at all? I need to start weighing my options. Insurance wont cover a dime I suppose since I got into this mess myself. A new engine is 4,000 and I bought this 4Runner for 5,000 with 210,000 miles on it.
 
I would start looking on CL and salvage yards in your area. An engine swap is not very hard if engine A and engine B are the same. You might also consider an up-grade wile you have everything apart....
 
I'd look into a long-block assembly from someone such as "toyotacarpart.com" and swap over the external pieces from your current engine. You can get one of those for less than two grand (unless their prices have jumped dramatically since the last time I checked). As zeak mentioned, a same-for-same swap isn't that difficult if you have a couple buddies and an engine hoist.
 
Gho5t5niper said:
So if it really is a hydro locked engine or a bent rod is there anything I can do at all? I need to start weighing my options. Insurance wont cover a dime I suppose since I got into this mess myself. A new engine is 4,000 and I bought this 4Runner for 5,000 with 210,000 miles on it.
Click to expand...

You'd be surprised what insurance will cover if you have a good agency. Give it a shot.

Do you have a couple weeks to mess with it? Get a junkyard block and rebuild it. Then swap it in, and tear yours down and see if it can be rebuilt and sold. If so, you might come near breaking even.
 
Well I found a couple of engines that arnt too expensive right around 1.5k, they are all jdm which evidentially imports motors from Japan. My question is are they good quality? Has anybody used them and what's your feedback? Most of these have under 60k miles on them. Are there any issues? Know anybody that has used them? Thanks guys!
 
JDM Engines???

Well I found a couple of used engines after i flooded mine and most likely bent a rod. They arnt too expensive right around 1.5k, they are all jdm which apparently imports motors from Japan. My question is are they good quality? Has anybody used them and what's your feedback? Are there any issues? Know anybody that has used them? Thanks guys! Most of these have under 60k miles on them.

Here is one of them that i was looking at.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/JDM-Toyot...r_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3f279b5071

1998 4Runner 3400 v6
 
haven't used them but here is their local info, plus their webpage seems not to be working.

IMHO, I'd be leery of a company who claims to be importing used engines from japan.
Cynthia

JDM ALLIANCE
575 S International Rd Ste 400
Garland, TX 75042

(972) 494-4900
Website: http://www.jdmallianceusa.com
 
SV_Dude said:
You need to diagnose your engine more before you come to the conclusion that you have a mechanical failure.
Click to expand...

The engine hits a stopping point when we try to hand crank it so it probably means a bent rod right? I dont know what else it could be. Just hits and you hear a huge clunk like metal hitting metal and it wont turn any further in that direction.
 
Gho5t5niper said:
The engine hits a stopping point when we try to hand crank it so it probably means a bent rod right? I dont know what else it could be. Just hits and you hear a huge clunk like metal hitting metal and it wont turn any further in that direction.
Click to expand...

My advice is the same as what was given to you in the other thread. Pull the plugs and let everything dry. Check your oil and make sure you don't have a bunch of water in it. If you do then change your oil. When everything is dry, replace your plugs and try again.

A stoppage with the engine hardly means a bent connecting rod. For all you know, that metal sound could be a valve that is stuck or dropped. Have you looked inside the cylinders through the spark plug holes to see if you can see anything in there? Either way, I think you're seriously jumping the gun with a new engine.
 
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SV_Dude said:
My advice is the same as what was given to you in the other thread. Pull the plugs and let everything dry. Check your oil and make sure you don't have a bunch of water in it. If you do then change your oil. When everything is dry, replace your plugs and try again.
Click to expand...

Its been drying since last Sunday when it happend with still no luck. Took the plugs out and sucked the water out of the cylinders and let it set for 3 days and tried to start it again with no luck.
 
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