A neighbor drove his vehicle into a flooded street.  He said the water
never got over his wheels but when I got there the next day the hood
felt and air cleaner were soaking wet.

When we finally got it started it made a bad banging sound.  I thought
a cam shaft push rod broke from the thermal shock but a mechanic
dropped the oil pan said it was one of the piston rods.

Anyway he had comprehensive insurance which covers "hydrolock."

I'm guessing hydrolock is when water gets into a hot cylinder and the
pressure goes WAY up when it's not supposed to.

What are the typical problems from water getting into the intake?


Bret Cahill

"Bret Cahill"  wrote in message 
news:1119478528.725645.314350@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...

>A neighbor drove his vehicle into a flooded street.  He said the water
> never got over his wheels but when I got there the next day the hood
> felt and air cleaner were soaking wet.
>
> When we finally got it started it made a bad banging sound.  I thought
> a cam shaft push rod broke from the thermal shock but a mechanic
> dropped the oil pan said it was one of the piston rods.
>
> Anyway he had comprehensive insurance which covers "hydrolock."
>
> I'm guessing hydrolock is when water gets into a hot cylinder and the
> pressure goes WAY up when it's not supposed to.
>
> What are the typical problems from water getting into the intake?
>
>
> Bret Cahill
>


anything, including the need for a replacement engine/

mrcheerful

"Bret Cahill"  wrote in message
news:1119478528.725645.314350@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...

> A neighbor drove his vehicle into a flooded street.  He said the water
> never got over his wheels but when I got there the next day the hood
> felt and air cleaner were soaking wet.
>
> When we finally got it started it made a bad banging sound.  I thought
> a cam shaft push rod broke from the thermal shock but a mechanic
> dropped the oil pan said it was one of the piston rods.
>
> Anyway he had comprehensive insurance which covers "hydrolock."
>
> I'm guessing hydrolock is when water gets into a hot cylinder and the
> pressure goes WAY up when it's not supposed to.
>
> What are the typical problems from water getting into the intake?
>
>
> Bret Cahill


you just answered your own question, it hydraulic locks as water doesn't
compress to well,  we've seen cases were the customer has just done the same
very thing driving through high puddles and sucking water up through the air
intake and bending con rods,  i seem to recall renaults having a problem as
the air intake pipe was down low behind the front bumper.

"Bret Cahill"  wrote in message
news:1119478528.725645.314350@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...

> A neighbor drove his vehicle into a flooded street.  He said the water
> never got over his wheels but when I got there the next day the hood
> felt and air cleaner were soaking wet.
>


When you drive into a flood the bow wave at the front of the car reaches up
the grille and allows water into the trunking leading to the air filter. The
engine then sucks water into one or more cylinders. Then when a piston comes
up on its compression stroke, the cylinder is full of water, the piston
meets it and pushes it to the top and stops, because it cannot compress the
water.



> When we finally got it started it made a bad banging sound.  I thought
> a cam shaft push rod broke from the thermal shock but a mechanic
> dropped the oil pan said it was one of the piston rods.
>
> Anyway he had comprehensive insurance which covers "hydrolock."
>
> I'm guessing hydrolock is when water gets into a hot cylinder and the
> pressure goes WAY up when it's not supposed to.


We call it hydraulic or hydrostatic lock in UK, I'm assuming you're
american? I don't think insurance covers that  here, but I could be wrong.



>
> What are the typical problems from water getting into the intake?
>

Bent con rods/damaged pistons usually. It used not to happen when the air
intake was a fairly short trumpet attached to the air filter. Modern demands
for quietness have led to the trunking to the front of the car, reducing
intake noise, but there's always a downside and this is it.

Steve

In news:d9cprc$bk1$2@news7.svr.pol.co.uk,
shazzbat  decided to enlighten our sheltered 
souls with a rant as follows

> "Bret Cahill"  wrote in message
> news:1119478528.725645.314350@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...
>> A neighbor drove his vehicle into a flooded street.  He said the
>> water never got over his wheels but when I got there the next day
>> the hood
>> felt and air cleaner were soaking wet.
>>
>
> When you drive into a flood the bow wave at the front of the car
> reaches up the grille and allows water into the trunking leading to
> the air filter. The engine then sucks water into one or more
> cylinders. Then when a piston comes up on its compression stroke, the
> cylinder is full of water, the piston meets it and pushes it to the
> top and stops, because it cannot compress the water.
>
>
>> When we finally got it started it made a bad banging sound.  I
>> thought
>> a cam shaft push rod broke from the thermal shock but a mechanic
>> dropped the oil pan said it was one of the piston rods.
>>
>> Anyway he had comprehensive insurance which covers "hydrolock."
>>
>> I'm guessing hydrolock is when water gets into a hot cylinder and the
>> pressure goes WAY up when it's not supposed to.
>
> We call it hydraulic or hydrostatic lock in UK, I'm assuming you're
> american? I don't think insurance covers that  here, but I could be
> wrong.
>
>
>>
>> What are the typical problems from water getting into the intake?
>>
> Bent con rods/damaged pistons usually. It used not to happen when the
> air intake was a fairly short trumpet attached to the air filter.
> Modern demands for quietness have led to the trunking to the front of
> the car, reducing intake noise, but there's always a downside and
> this is it.


This is pretty much exactly why serious off road vehicles have a snorkel.


-- 
Pete M
"Has owned more Alfas than Steve H"
Range Rover Vogue SE,
Ford Capri (ressurection stalling)
Porsche 911 3.2 (For Sale)

COSOC #5
Scouse Git extraordinaire. Liverpool, Great Britain

< We call it hydraulic or hydrostatic lock in UK,

Must be the same thing.

< I'm assuming

< you're american?

In Arizona.

Here they are so happy to get any rain they forget to drain the
streets.

The driver said kids were rafting by him in inner tubes.  That's when I
decided to check the air filter.

< I don't think insurance covers that  here, but I could be wrong.

This policy covered hydrolock but not a lot of other mechanical
problems.  Running into water shouldn't be any different than running
into a bridge or another vehicle as far as the insurance in concerned.

All cause unintentional damage to the car.

<> What are the typical problems from water getting into the intake?

< Bent con rods/damaged pistons usually.

This one is flopping around, definitely broken.

I explained to the driver that engines are not very robust machines.
They all get damaged when you run them under water.


Bret Cahill

Bret Cahill (BretCahill@aol.com) gurgled happily, sounding much like they 
were saying :


> Running into water shouldn't be any different than running
> into a bridge or another vehicle as far as the insurance in concerned.


You're right. All are utterly avoidable.

Bret Cahill (BretCahill@aol.com) gurgled happily, sounding much like they 
were saying :


> A neighbor drove his vehicle into a flooded street.


Your neighbour is a muppet.


> I'm guessing hydrolock is when water gets into a hot cylinder and the
> pressure goes WAY up when it's not supposed to.


It's nothing to do with temperature or thermal shock or the water boiling 
or hot bits rapidly cooling. It's far simpler than that.

Basic physics.

Gases compress.
Liquids don't.

You fill a cylinder with an air & vaporised fuel mixture and compress it 
9:1. It compresses.

You fill a cylinder with water and try to compress it 9:1. Something 
breaks.


> What are the typical problems from water getting into the intake?


Expensive.

The message 
from "Bret Cahill"  contains these words:


> What are the typical problems from water getting into the intake?


Bent conrods, broken big ends, snapped crankshaft if you're unlucky. Of
course, once broken the conrods can com out through the side walls of
the block, which is always entertaining.

You may well also blow chunks out of the head gasket, but that won't
matter since you'll probably be taking the engine apart anyway.

I've also seen it unseat an injector from the sealing washer and
subsequently blow round the stem.

-- 
Skipweasel.
Ivor Cutler - "Never knowingly understood."

The message 
from "Bret Cahill"  contains these words:


> I explained to the driver that engines are not very robust machines.
> They all get damaged when you run them under water.


Not at all - some are quite happy fully immersed provided you take care
of the inlet and exhaust and electric. And the fan. And a few other
things.

OK - so it's not ideal!

-- 
Skipweasel.
Ivor Cutler - "Never knowingly understood."

In article , 
BretCahill@aol.com says...

> A neighbor drove his vehicle into a flooded street.  He said the water
> never got over his wheels but when I got there the next day the hood
> felt and air cleaner were soaking wet.
> 
> When we finally got it started it made a bad banging sound.  I thought
> a cam shaft push rod broke from the thermal shock but a mechanic
> dropped the oil pan said it was one of the piston rods.
> 
> Anyway he had comprehensive insurance which covers "hydrolock."
> 
> I'm guessing hydrolock is when water gets into a hot cylinder and the
> pressure goes WAY up when it's not supposed to.
> 
> What are the typical problems from water getting into the intake?
> 
> 
> Bret Cahill
> 
> 

The 'best' one I ever saw involved a friend going down a steep hill, at 
high revs in first, into what used to be a ford about 3" deep. This time 
it was about 2 feet deep!
The cylinder head stripped all the nuts & dented the bonnet and the con 
rod was found about 20 feet downriver, when it dried up again. The crank 
was bent, too.
I'd suggest a full strip & inspection, but a recon engine would probably 
be a safer bet.
Dave B

"Bret Cahill"  wrote in message
news:1119478528.725645.314350@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...


> What are the typical problems from water getting into the intake?


Damp spark plugs?

Hilarious!

Adrian has a great sense of humour... should have been a comedian!!!

LOL!!

:)

"Adrian"  wrote in message 
news:Xns967E50B725D81adrianachapmanfreeis@204.153.244.170...

> Bret Cahill (BretCahill@aol.com) gurgled happily, sounding much like they
> were saying :
>
>> A neighbor drove his vehicle into a flooded street.
>
> Your neighbour is a muppet.
>
>> I'm guessing hydrolock is when water gets into a hot cylinder and the
>> pressure goes WAY up when it's not supposed to.
>
> It's nothing to do with temperature or thermal shock or the water boiling
> or hot bits rapidly cooling. It's far simpler than that.
>
> Basic physics.
>
> Gases compress.
> Liquids don't.
>
> You fill a cylinder with an air & vaporised fuel mixture and compress it
> 9:1. It compresses.
>
> You fill a cylinder with water and try to compress it 9:1. Something
> breaks.
>
>> What are the typical problems from water getting into the intake?
>
> Expensive.