My tip to new 4x4 drivers

[kiwijaz]

This is what happens when u dont go out with others or take notice of warnings signs about the track. This happened to me about 4 days after i took delvery of the Navara. We left home about miday and got back home on the back of a tow truck at about 2am. Put fan through Radiator, stuffed the Air Con bearings and thats just a couple of things they had to fix. Is a long story as to what happened but lets just say i was stupid and have now leart my lesson the hard way. I am lucky i am not divorced after this little stunt hehe!!! Dont make the same mistake i did take recovery gear, go with others and take notice of warning signs!!!! As you can see from my Avater i now have Bull Bar, UHF and am getting Snorkel and Winch fitted in the next couple of weeks.

 

[phs]

so what actually happened ? you just drove in that far as seen in the pics and it just packed up shop ?

 

[frosty]

Hit the water a bit hot maybe?

 

[kiwijaz]

Was not rocks on the bottom of that puddle but a really really good mud hole sunk straight down into it i should have took notice of the sign at the start of the track that said 'Snorkles and Winches required and Travel in Convoy recomended' Motor was still running so didnt drown the engine just bogged real bad.

 

[phs]

gee i thought when i went deep deep in water a few times loseing all my coolant out of my resivour was bad luck.

thats some bad luck maybe hit it with a tad more speed next time

 

[gdog]

Did anyone walk the crossing first?

Anyway, think of the story you've got. And now we have

Hey Banner!... Check this guy out!!

 

[havok011101]

That's pretty unlucky mate, gotta love that "...oh sh*t..." feeling..... I've had it a couple of times now!

 

[Davidman]

I think everyone has had that ' O Sh*t ' feeling at least once, usually about half a second before you are no longer able to move your 4B.

 

[V8 4runner]

radiator fans always act like a boat propellor... the suck the engine and radiator closer together and usually end up with at least a big smiley face in the radiator.

cheers

 

[suttoh]

hi all, im doing a tag along to barrington tops in march, they say i may have to do a river crossing, bearing in mind that radiator fans act like propellars would it be fair to say that maybe i should carry a tarp for the front, to stop the water flow, any ideas?? advice is welcome, id rather ask dumb questions than make dumb mistakes, thanks in advance, cheers,

suttoh

ps; id rather not get that oh s---tfeeling if i can avoid it,lol

 

[havok011101]

ps; id rather not get that oh s---tfeeling if i can avoid it,lol

But adrenaline is awesome!! lol

 

[gdog]

...maybe i should carry a tarp for the front...

suttoh, definitely take a tarp.
Generally if there is going to be water at the front (not under) the car, use it as a wade sheet.
Your host or guide on the tag along tour will advise you. Listen to them. They know what they are doing and you become their responsibility out there.

Enjoy the trip - nice place to go to.

 

[suttoh]

But adrenaline is awesome!! lol

true but i want experienced adrenaline haha, know what you mean though

 

[suttoh]

suttoh, definitely take a tarp.
Generally if there is going to be water at the front (not under) the car, use it as a wade sheet.
Your host or guide on the tag along tour will advise you. Listen to them. They know what they are doing and you become their responsibility out there.

Enjoy the trip - nice place to go to.

thanks for the heads up, ill do that and use it on the front like a bra, cheers,

suttoh

 

[millsy]

Would it be worth removing the fan if you know the water is going to be that deep, or just hope that a tarp across the front will keep the water out?

Looks like the 'bendiness' of the fan blades, at higher revs, is the problem. They push water back at the motor, but by Newton's 3rd Law, the water pushes fan blades forwards to hit the radiator. OR, to every action there is an equal and opposite reaction!

And water being sprayed by fan blades all over the electric harness is not going to do the ignition circuitry any good! Or if it gets sprayed up into the air-cleaner . . .!

So does any-one remove the fan for these reasons?

 

[Grey Ghost]

Would it be worth removing the fan if you know the water is going to be that deep, or just hope that a tarp across the front will keep the water out?

Looks like the 'bendiness' of the fan blades, at higher revs, is the problem. They push water back at the motor, but by Newton's 3rd Law, the water pushes fan blades forwards to hit the radiator. OR, to every action there is an equal and opposite reaction!

And water being sprayed by fan blades all over the electric harness is not going to do the ignition circuitry any good! Or if it gets sprayed up into the air-cleaner . . .!

So does any-one remove the fan for these reasons?

I'm guessing it would be too much effort for the average river crossing, if you were driving through flood water for a fair few kms then itmight e worth the effort.
You could also either take the fan belt off, if nothing else important was attached to it, or, in a lot of vehicles the fan has a viscous coupling which you could ustelise by tying a fan blade to something solid to stop the fan spinning. But with all these ideas you have to remember to undo the modifications that are hidden out of sight and mind under the bonnet.

 

[fozzee63]

to much hassle removing fan most fans are cluch fans so go in slow with low revs should be no probs tarp on front does lower the water level under the bonnet if ya dont stop good stuff if ya dont drown the 4x4

 

[Pajer_oh]

what about using thermo fans and put a switch inside the cab?

 

[Basejj]

Yeah I think that should work but from doing little research the clutch fan is better then the thermo in ways of air flow

 

[banshee]

had water up over the bonnet before nad have found that with the aircon cooler and radiator i have never damaged the inner radiator fins...maybe it is just a nissan thing, there is heaps of room there the blades would have to bend a fair way to do damage...but a tarp definately works..lol