By Dudley Harris on Tuesday, November 27, 2001 - 03:47 pm: Edit

I have a Discovery 3.9 V8 Series one and am going through the usual steps of upgrading to suit my needs.

The current project is water-proofing - this Christmas I plan to tour the South Island of New Zealand which involves many river crossings.

It seems the first steps are to lengthen the Axel and gearbox breathers and add a snokel for engine air intake.

What else?

Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks

By Clint on Tuesday, November 27, 2001 - 05:28 pm: Edit

Waterprofing the computer would be the first thing on my list. You can live with water in your axles. A snorkel is good, but just a splash on the computer will stop you cold.

I'm just thinking that the 3.9's use a distributor and computer in the kick panel. The 4.0s have the computer in the engine bay.

You should be set with your aforementioned mods.

By E Snyder on Tuesday, November 27, 2001 - 08:13 pm: Edit

Grease around your sparkplugs, silicon spray distributor cap, and I think there is (or you can make from an inner tube) a rubber cap for the distributor cap and wires.
Don't run the AC (if you have it), as it activates the two fans in front of the radiator. It's too bad with the serpentine belt you can't just take the fan belt off like in older trucks. If anyone knows of a kit or fix for waterproofing the computer, it would be interesting to hear. If you have a 5 speed, does it have a wading plug in the bell housing like the older series trucks do?

By Dudley Harris on Wednesday, November 28, 2001 - 12:36 am: Edit

It's an auto so I don't think there is a wading plug.

The rubber cap sounds interesting - I haven't seen one before so I'll see what I can find on the web.

Thanks

By Michel on Wednesday, November 28, 2001 - 11:00 am: Edit

The 3.9 is very good in water. I have never stalled it and have done many water adventures. The real kicker is the wear and tear that water causes and post mainteance is the real key to staying on the road. At the end of the day grease all you ujoints and drive shaft, and the end of the trip, repack you wheel bearings, change the oil in the diffs/transfer case, maybe transmition also. The altenator could use a splash gard cause it really dosen't like to get wet and will die prematurely.

Michel