Tips needed to waterproof D1

MikeLara66

Active member
Nov 12, 2017
31
0
Dunedin, FL
Hello All,

Please be gentle on me......I have a question for all of you hardened LR veterans.

I was watching several LR club videos on Youtube for the FL area and noticed these guys going through some pretty deep water at least hood level.

I recently went to the car wash and used a pressure washer on exterior only. I never sprayed the engine with water, when it was time to pull away my D1 started to back fire and constant ticking coming from under the passenger dash area. My check engine light was flashing with the ticking sound on and off.

I kept throttling the engine up and down to try to keep it running - eventually it shut down. I waited a few minutes and tried several times, it finally started - I kept the rpm up for a couple of minutes and it has run perfect since.

I dont have a cover on my ECU ( I ordered one from WILL Tillery this week), what else can you think of that I need to do to get this D1 ready to keep up with the LR club if I go out with them and face a water crossing that deep?

If it cant take a little spray from a closed hood with a pressure washer - I doubt it can handle any substantial puddles or water splashing underneath.

I know I need a snorkel - but what other tips or hacks can I do to help mitigate any water intrusion that will leave me "stuck like chuck" out with the club. I dont want to be out with my kiddos stuck because I did not prepare correctly.

Thanks as always,

Mike
 

1920SF

Well-known member
Jan 6, 2007
2,705
1
NoVA
As a start point recognize visions of the camel trophy discos wading through deep water will destroy your truck...






What year (as it makes a difference what to tell you what will go wrong between a 14 CUX or a GEMS truck)?
 

MikeLara66

Active member
Nov 12, 2017
31
0
Dunedin, FL
Thanks Lester,

I thought of that as well... The video is not a Camel Trophy video is a local video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dVc0sHNq9Q

I appreciate the reminder - it's like that bumper sticker that reads "remember stupid you have to drive this home". Ha!

I still need to do some water proofing - it should not shut down at a car wash for sure.

Mike
 

1920SF

Well-known member
Jan 6, 2007
2,705
1
NoVA
Mike-
So what year is it?


Some stuff is common regardless; you'll want to elevate your breathers (but still need to change the oil in the difs and such a lot given immersion) but some stuff is engine specific.
r-
Ray
 

4Runner

Well-known member
May 24, 2007
660
110
Boise Idaho
My 96 did the same thing. There is a hole in your cowl / firewall that will drop water right onto your ECU. You need to move your washer hose to a different hole and silicone a plug in that hole. Pretty sure there was a thread on that mod if you search for it. I also removed my ECU, opened it and dried it out then put it back together with a bead of gasket maker around the outside of the seam. I’ve had good luck with spray on rust prevention that is grease or wax based on my electrical connections. That’s a great start but in my opinion, there is always a price to be paid for any water crossings that are over the tires.
 

jastutte

Well-known member
Nov 10, 2009
463
72
you may want to check the crankshaft position sensor plug wire. the insulation can disintegrate over the years from the heat and elements. water and/or moisture can cause a short, rough running and misfires. this happened on my son's '96. any time he would cross a stream of just the right depth the truck would run rough for a bit. as time went on even wet weather, rain puddles and such, would cause issues.

i cleaned up the frayed wires and painted them with liquid electrical tape then wrapped them in more electrical tape and all was good to go.
 

MikeLara66

Active member
Nov 12, 2017
31
0
Dunedin, FL
Thank you - yes you are correct - Mine were frayed as well -I had to replace the sensor too - the tip was sheared off - had a few tabs that were bent and would hit the sensor as it was going around. Thanks for the tip.

MIke
 

JUKE179r

Well-known member
Sep 14, 2016
761
95
Suffolkshire, UK
How about a wading kit?
85-F947-F5-B160-4-C84-BF6-C-539-E90-F631-EB.jpg
 
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Muddy water is bad for radiator. It is preferable to wade in clean water! :bigok: Radiator with hot mud is transformed into a brick...
Diesel engines only need maximum care in their air intake because rods are bent if water enters, due to its high compression ratio, but otherwise a deep wading does not bring problems.

Regards
 

p m

Administrator
Staff member
Apr 19, 2004
15,617
838
58
La Jolla, CA
www.3rj.org
To the OP: Mike, if you start driving your D1 hood-deep in water, you will find yourself very busy.

You can somewhat waterproof the GEMS EFI/ignition setup (up to relocating the ECU from the engine compartment to the roof inside the cab, or into a waterproof NEMA enclosure with a waterproof feedthrough), but the rest of the truck is populated with random electronics boxes, relays, and fuses. You'll be chasing inoperable alarm/door locks setup, windows, seats, and whatever else electrical.

And that is beyond considering changing every plastic vent line (axles, transmission) and seal to prevent water ingress.
 

CORover

Well-known member
Jun 11, 2007
745
65
Colorado, USA
You should probably pull the whole interior out, seats and carpet and sponge padding and get down to metal. Make sure you have no holes in the passenger cabin flooring. Plastic plugs can be not inserted correctly or just missing. Or worst case scenario after you bring gallons of the river home, you find some rusted through spots you did not know you had and could not see from underneath, that was my surprise.
 
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p m

Administrator
Staff member
Apr 19, 2004
15,617
838
58
La Jolla, CA
www.3rj.org
You should probably pull the whole interior out, seats and carpet and sponge padding and get down to metal. Make sure you have no holes in the passenger cabin flooring. Plastic plugs can be not inserted correctly or just missing. Or worst case scenario after you bring gallons of the river home, you find some rusted through spots you did not know you had and could not see from underneath, that my my surprise.

In my D1, the gap between the rear doors and rear quarters is large enough to toss a pencil outside.
 

BarryO

Well-known member
May 15, 2018
98
7
Bend, OR
... the rest of the truck is populated with random electronics boxes, relays, and fuses. You'll be chasing inoperable alarm/door locks setup, windows, seats, and whatever else electrical.

Yep. Take a peek behind the glovebox to see what you're up against. All sorts of ECU's, relays, etc., none of them IPxx-rated.You don't want to get water anywhere near those.

Really, deep wading is the realm of simple diesel engines (no ignition or electronics).

As to the problem at the car wash, if the ECU doesn't have a cover, it doesn't take much water sneaking under the hood on the right side to cause problems.
 

discostew

Well-known member
Sep 14, 2010
7,706
1,015
Northern Illinois
My 96 did the same thing. There is a hole in your cowl / firewall that will drop water right onto your ECU. You need to move your washer hose to a different hole and silicone a plug in that hole. Pretty sure there was a thread on that mod if you search for it. I also removed my ECU, opened it and dried it out then put it back together with a bead of gasket maker around the outside of the seam. I?ve had good luck with spray on rust prevention that is grease or wax based on my electrical connections. That?s a great start but in my opinion, there is always a price to be paid for any water crossings that are over the tires.

This is what I think you have going on. I remember it storing all kinds of faults and running just like you describe. We would open up the ECM and look for water inside the thing. You take the screws out of both sides of the case and kind of lay out the internal boards attached with standard issue computer ribbon type connectors, just open the thing up like its a book.

The fix was kind of like 4Runner described with sealing of the cowl. That is in fact where the water is most likely coming from. I think the problem in the beginning was extra body seam sealer clogging up the path water takes to leave the cowl area, then the water level would rise in the cowl and leak out of body seams and holes into the engine compartment and the ECM mounted in the right front near the washer reservoir. I've also seen the ECM fill up with washer fluid thru the same path. I would make sure you don't have leaves and other debri in the drain holes and water will run out to the ground.