How much deeper could my 4Runner have gone with no Snorkel?

[kobusLifeRemotely]

Hey Guys,

So I have a few questions... How much deeper or more water could my 4Runner have gone through?

Here is a link to the Full series of photos Toyota 4Runner Forum - kobusLifeRemotely's Album: Blue and river crossings

What are your thoughts on Snorkels? Should we get one? What happens with too much water?

We are driving from Seattle to Argentina, and have done just over 12000 miles... About another 20 to go!

Thoughts?

 

[redbull9944]

It all depends on how fast you're going I guess. I've seen 4Runners with no snorkel go through water swiftly and have it come over the hood without hydrolocking it, but why take that risk? I would only take it in water as high as the TOYOTA emblem on the front.

Trust me, it's not worth hydrolocking.

 

[JWaldz]

Well I think snorkels are pretty self explanatory. Only with the correct preparation will you actually "water proof" your engine though. There's more to it than snorkeling your vehicle but it's the key ingredient. If you're going to be doing a lot of river or creek crossings it might be worth your while to look into preparing your vehicle for it.

As far as your question, not much farther. You suck water up your intake your screwed. Sometimes it just takes a small amount of water to 'hit the right spot' to stall your vehicle. Then your stuck in a situation where water might be rushing in and ultimately sink it completely. I've been in a situation similar, trust me it's not fun.

 

[Atrox Caeda]

If you're doing a PanAmerican type thing I would say you are in need of a snorkel. If anything it's a good excuse to get one. I've never seen a rig intended to do cross continent travel without one... why start? My $.02.

 

[kobusLifeRemotely]

Ok, so prepping for water crossings... What do I need?

I agree, getting stuck in the water sucks, I waded before crossing to see the depth and make sure there are no surprises... But other than that I really have no ideas...

 

[jdmaccord6]

the alternator needs to be waterproofed or custom mounted up higher before anything else IMHO. Once that dies, it won't matter if you have a snorkel. Also waterproofing the cab/body itself would also be needed if you plan on staying in deep water.

 

[02SE]

I would check the driveline for water contamination, after that water crossing. Ie: your rear axle, transfer case, front diff, etc. If any water is found, replace with the appropriate oil, asap.

Then look into relocating the breathers for each component, higher.

 

[KHoffRunner]

This brings back bad memories me and my friend had matching '92 xcab pickups (mines qa 5 and his is/was a auto) so we took them out and we went through a deep hole the guy in front of us made it in his big dodge so i just put it in first gear and gunned it and made it fine while my friend took it nice and easy made it but on the way back out we crossed it again we both took the same approach and BAM! he stalled and hydrolocked.... 10 miles from the main road.

 

[KHoffRunner]

Ok, so prepping for water crossings... What do I need?

I agree, getting stuck in the water sucks, I waded before crossing to see the depth and make sure there are no surprises... But other than that I really have no ideas...

I've seen people take a tarp and strap it to the front covering the grille and the front of the hood seems like a good, cheap, but maybe not too reliable approach.

 

[Victor]

Hey Guys,

So I have a few questions... How much deeper or more water could my 4Runner have gone through?

Here is a link to the Full series of photos Toyota 4Runner Forum - kobusLifeRemotely's Album: Blue and river crossings

What are your thoughts on Snorkels? Should we get one? What happens with too much water?

We are driving from Seattle to Argentina, and have done just over 12000 miles... About another 20 to go!

Thoughts?

That is as deep as I would want to go personally. The air intake (on the right side) is not that much higher than the waterline, and I would not risk it especially if you're travelling far from home. It's a safe-cheap insurance policy if you ask me. My justification for the snorkel was that it was "Good to have it and not need it, and bad to not have it and need it". If you're overlanding that far and water crossings are the odd norm here and there... Do look into it!

 

[ryankmasuda]

If you look at the bottom of the airbox there are three small holes which i assume is to let any water drain out of the box, however it is also an area to allow water in during a crossing. I believe the holes in the bottom of the box are the lowest points for water to enter so as long as you don't get the bottom of the airbox wet you should be fine.

 

[Ironback]

Wouldn't going to deep effect the fan? I had a fan switch in my old Jeep that I would cut off when the water got too high. Of course I did this after the time my fan pulled forward and ate into the radiator...

 

[ryankmasuda]

Wouldn't going to deep effect the fan? I had a fan switch in my old Jeep that I would cut off when the water got too high. Of course I did this after the time my fan pulled forward and ate into the radiator...

if you have the stock fan it's mechanical so no shorting out

 

[broncosi]

Also if your doors are tight, water is coming in through the seals ruining your carpet.

 

[jonwilly2]

starter
the starter is the lowest critical electrical part on the engine its self there are 2 breathers on the starter housing. However the output shaft on the starter slides through a bearing that is not sealed there might be some ways to keep the water seeping through like a lot of heavy grease but that also holds dirt and thats bad for gears so no win win fix on that.

Plugs and wires
The plug wires mainly on the drivers side dont seal all that well. Where they attach to the coil pack has a o-ring so they do good. But one drop of water down in the sparkplug tube is enough to cause a misfire so those have to be sealed.

Engine Bay
there are a bunch of little clips on the engine that have water tight connections but its been at least 10 years not all are still good. There are also connectors that are not water tight but usually will be okay with a little water. Easy insurance and keep a good connection is to use dielectric grease on the plugs *not on the pins them self but the connector plastic where they join together.
The stock fan is for air not to pull you through water it will not like the water and can cause a lot of problems you dont want like a busted radiator or broken belts. I dont know how to do the alternator I am sure there are ways to do it so got to search for that one. If ya dont be prepared to pull it and tare it apart to clean the brush. Check all capts to make sure they are all tight ex power steering pump.

Driveftrain
The axles have a little breather nipple that can be unscrewed and lengthened with a piece of hose. The E-locker has a breather on the motor and the seal is good when its new but is known to go bad and leak. Im not sure about the transfer case because I dont have them but im assuming they do.

Thats the big ones the body holds water really well. As for how much deeper the intake is right above the front wheel arch so if you keep that above water you should be good.

I know this cuz i have done it. Mud has knocked out my starter twice alternator 4 times, fan well scroll down and you will see. My last axle ended up going with a hell of a lot of gear play (form when my dad had it) As for depth on the drivers side i went through a flooded intersection and the drivers side dipped down in the gutter and water came up a inch on my side window.

 

[MasonT4R]

Wes over at Central Overland has written a great five piece article that details tackling water crossings. I highly suggest reading it if you want to do water crossings.

http://centraloverland.com/2011/02/water-crossing-101-for-the-spring-rainy-season-part-1/

 

[Bandit Runner]

I've gone deeper than that, but only for very short distances. The key is to get in and out quick. If you plan on crossing wide rivers, or quick moving water, I would definitely invest in a snorkel.

Here's a few pics of my scariest moment (water was well over the hood):

Right after that, I started designing and building a custom snorkel.

 

[Maritimer]

^^^That's crazy cool. I would have been scared, too. Damn.^^^

 

[rebelbowtie]

that looks like a bow wave to me, the water wasnt over your hood it just looks like it is because of the wave. sometimes keeping a bow wave is the safest way to cross deep water since it sorta pushes all the water away from the front of your truck.

 

[Jon]

I've done some pretty dumb things involving water. Like that one time in the Gulf of Mexico..... and a few creek crossings. I've also had the engine die because of water. Started right back up though with a completely saturated air filter. Scariest one (the one that made me build my snorkel) was just crossing a familiar hole on the trail that had been dug out really deep right in the middle. Entire Hood was under water for a good 3 seconds before I had it in reverse at wide open throttle. Got lucky, no damage at all. But I've gone through even deeper stuff now with the snorkel. Of course breathers have been extended since the beginning. YouTube - 4runner creek 1 crossing