Date: Mon, 8 Jan 2007 18:55:34 -0800
Reply-To: David Marshall <mailinglist@FASTFORWARD.CA>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: David Marshall <mailinglist@FASTFORWARD.CA>
Subject: Re: How Deep Can a Vanagon Go
In-Reply-To: <76ae6a20701081734n6b7ba94jbeef5a7be0c7cf3a@mail.gmail.com>
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The snorkel isn't really for swimming - rather for getting clean air from
higher up!
If you go swimming - you need a water tight intake
system as water doesn't compress very well. You will find that the
junction between the cyclone cleaner and the air box will take in water as
well as the joint on the upstream side of the cyclone filter. Simple
fixes for he die-hard out there. Also with a wasserboxer it is the
ignition system that will be the issue. I would imagine that once
you get the spark plugs under water you will have problems - if not from
no more spark then from the water that is now entering the engine around
the distributor.
On my R-TDI Syncro the air intake water
tight tight to the snorkel which is half way up the high roof. The
deepest I can go is really to the turbo - 700C turbo plus cold water is
very bad! If you enter the water with a stone cold turbo then I
would say for a Diesel, the top of the engine where the crank case vent is
going to be the place where you would take in water.
Also, the gearbox takes in water - water really isn't nice. At the
end of each summer I drain my gearbox and front diff and there is water
contamination even with fresh rebuilds!
I think I would take my
R-TDI into 1m (3ft) of standing water with no fear. I would venture
a little deeper for a few seconds say 1.5m at the most if I had to... but
a cool down would be absolutely necessary and fresh oils waiting for the
return trip.
David Marshall
http://www.hasenwerk.ca
http://www.fastforward.ca
Box
4153, Quesnel BC, Canada V2J 3J2
On Mon, January 8, 2007 17:34,
Nathan Wood wrote:
> When I first got my Syncro I was very excited
to try out that snorkel
> and see what it could do. In my bone
stock '87 2.1L w/ 27" tires I
> drove through standing water
nearly up to the belt line. I could
> easily stick my hand out the
window and touch the water. When I would
> pull out of the water,
steam comes billowing out of the vents.
>
> I pulled the
engine cover and the foam on the bottom was completely
> soaked
and there was standing water on top of the distributor. The
>
engine was running just fine. I was amazed that the vehicle with over
> 100K on the clock could handle that kind of driving.
>
> Now my understanding is that all 2.1Ls have the snorkel, but I
don't
> think they are equipped with the same transmission
breather tubes the
> syncros have (I could be wrong). So if you
try it in a 2wd you may get
> water in the tranny.
>
> Now I wouldn't try this in a fancy Syncro Westy, but if you
aren't
> afraid to push it, they will go some amazing places. Plus
you can
> scare the hell out of your passengers!
>
> Here's my off-road video:
>
http://www.251.org/Videos/mudding.mov
>
> Nathan
> Columbia, MO
> 92 Corrado SLC
> 01 Triumph Sprint
ST
>
