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OOP's I Hydo locked my engine


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Well I made a boobo. a buddy and I were on our way up to his cabin last night to do some fishing, and we had to cross about a 10 foot stream. it was only about 2 feet deep so I figured I would be safe to cross. well I guess those holes that I holesawed into the resonator box to get more air to the airbox were a bad idea. we made it about 3/4 of the way out then the engine died. it would try to crank but wouldent. I knew I hydro locked it. well we are about 3 miles from the nearest farm, with a phone to call for help, as our cells were out of range. we got a ride into town got a hotel called a friend that brought a trailer and diesel P/U out to pull us back out of the water. well we decided to pull the plugs and crank her over. WOW there was a whole lot of water that came out. we put the plugs back in and it started right up. I got really lucky as my pathy drove just as good as it did before, for the 70+ miles home. other than some slightly damp carpet I cant find anything wrong with it. So for anyone thinking about cutting holes in there resonator box in the LF fender well, I wouldent do it if you plan on wheeling it. On that note does anyone have a resonator box laying around that they want to sell? Courtesy wants 135.00 for it.

 

Just thought I would share my little story

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I dont see how holes in the resonator box would suck up any more water already, the factory intake inlet hole is already at a pretty low point (behind the stock fog light)...

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Make sure you change your oil a couple of times in a row..... like 100miles max in between changes. And make sure you do one AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. Your oil is 99% surely contaminated with water right now.

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Very lucky. I had my resonator tube off when I hydro-locked my VQ35. It was just a puddle about 5 feet long and a foot deep that did it. Engine was destroyed. Number 3 piston arm was bent and against the crankshaft counter-weight. Number 3 oil director was snapped off, and number 4 piston arm was slightly bent.

 

Don't mess with the resonator tube, and if you do, remove it completely and plug the hole where it previously entered the fender well. I ended up bolting a piece of pail lid plastic to the top of the fender, and hole-sawing the front of the airbox open behind the headlight... So unless that water is above the center of the headlight, I'm probably ok.

 

Since I havn't really deviated from topic, is there a recommended raised air intake available? Ebay only usually has the Weapon-R, cold air, short ram air, and secret weapon intakes and the K&N CAI.

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I dont see how holes in the resonator box would suck up any more water already, the factory intake inlet hole is already at a pretty low point (behind the stock fog light)...

 

Is this true w/ all R50's? My inlet ('98) is located in the left fender well above the tire. With a proper wake I don't think a stock intake would suck in water at 2 feet deep.

Mikeysentra you may want to replace or at the minimum check all fluids (fr/rr difs, t-case, trans)not just engine oil, if it sat in the drink for an extended period of time.

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Is this true w/ all R50's? My inlet ('98) is located in the left fender well above the tire. With a proper wake I don't think a stock intake would suck in water at 2 feet deep.

 

 

Mine also has a large black resonator box in front of the drivers side tire.

 

If you pull back the fender lining, and feel up in the front of the box, you will find the intake inlet to be facing forwards, behind where the stock foglight goes.... like a cold air intake

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Yeah, mine does not have that. Yes it has the "box" connected to the air cleaner housing. Then I have a plastic pipe going back up into the fender. No cold air intake/ram air effect. All tubes are sealed.

Maybe your has been modified or just plain different. If yours is that way. then I could see a whole bunch of water getting up in there. Oh well Thanks for the info

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First year in moab with my r50 i had removed the wheel well plastic lining so the tire wouldnt rub. i drove through a river and my engine died. turns out all the water coming off the top of the tire went directly into the airbox and filled up the lower airbox suffacating the engine. So id rather have this happen then sucking water directly in. The actual tube for the box in front of the LF tire is as high as the top of the fender ircc.

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That is pretty much what happened to me. The difference was probably how far we had the throttle open and how the plastic fender liners were shaped. With the resonator removed on my 3.5L, there is a hole in the bottom of the airbox that goes through the fender. The plastic fender lining is flush or a little bit below the front bottom of the ARB bumper, and the water hit it like a ramp that led directly into the airbox. When I dropped the oil pan there was a flood of oil and water, and all the cylinders were partially full. I wouldn't be suprised if the engine pulled in more than its 3.5L displacement.

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Wow, your real lucky. I had a 96 prelude with an aftermarket intake in the wheel well, went through some water, engine died. Ended up blowing a piston right through the block....learned my lesson the hard way

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Well it does look like I am one lucky SOB. I parked the Motorcycle this week and wanted to drive the pathy to see if any other damage was done. I had the oil changed at work on monday and while they had it on the lift, I pulled both diff fill plugs and t-case plug to check for any water contamination. I figured if there was water contamination that the fluids would be milky. All are clean with no signs of water intrusion. the engine oil came out un-contaminated also. I went a head and had the oil changed again today just as a precaution, and after about 150 more miles, still clean. also I did notice that the pathy runs better since. it has a really really smooth idle and better pick up on throttle tip in. also my fuel mileage is up to about 16 MPG now. I think when the water came in to the engine that it cleaned some carbon out of the combustion chambers.

 

Also the air box in the fender well has like 3 hole sawed holes in it that sucked up the water. had it not been for those I dont think I would have had the issue at all. so before I head back up to the cabin I will have a new resonator box installed.

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I was thinking about removing my resonator box, is there any reason not to? Does it drain enough moisture that it would be better to keep it? It seems a little unnerving to have a hole low in your intake, even if it is a small one.

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Those little holes allow water to drain out water that is sucked in..on my 02 3.5l there is 3 or 4 little test tube looking parts side by side at different levels all with holes in them...I have removed my lower resonator and plan to block the whole in the body with a piece of plexiglass, but the OE lower resonator does a great job of getting air from high up in the fender and filtering out the water.

 

Mikey-I would get one from an 02+ pathy and make the air box opening fit however you can...it is way sweeter than the OE from my 98 was!!

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Yeah not even coating pistons with Molybdenum can make them compress water!! Lol, JK...nothing compresses water no matter how malliable. smooth, strong, light!

 

I take it that's aimed at me? :tongue:

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