Water in Engine Issues (2 Viewers)

[ryankalel]

So I was out today running around in some puddles and mud with my kids when I hit a rather large puddle she stalled out. I tried and tried to get her started again and after about 4 minutes or so she did. However, it was super rough. I checked the air filter assembly and it was dry as a bone. So what else could it be and how can I water proof it? Distributor, O-ring??

thanks in advance.....

Ryan

94 FZJ80, 2.5 OME, Sirius, Alpine, Yok's,

 

[cruiserdan]

The dizzy may be wet.

Remove the three screws that retain the cap and look inside for moisture.

 

[landtoy80]

<The dizzy may be wet. >

Thats a new one for me!!!

I had the same problem. I would stall out when I hosed off the motor. It would run fine for a couple of blocks then die or almost die.
I replaced the plug wires and spark plug tube seals (in the valve cover) as they were dry and cracked.
I can hose the motor all day now and it will run!
I also sealed up the DIZZY I sealed the dist cap and the rubber plug that the wiring goes through.

Water workd its way down the plug wire untill it shorts out the plug. If the motor is hot enough and there is not too much water in the plug tube, the water will boil off. After a several min. the motor would run again.
There is a valve cover cap on the wire. As the rubber gets old, it doesn't seal the plug tube.
At least this is my theory.

 

[John E Davies]

I agree about the spark plugs shorting out - I had the exact same problem after washing the engine on my LX. The easy way to tell which cylinder is shorted is to run the engine (if it will start) and check the temp of the header tubes using a temp gun. The cold one is the culpret. (This is a guaranteed, waaay cool method to impress your neighbor or a child.) Note that this won't tell you if the short is at the cylinder or in the distributor, so pop the cover off the dist for a look first.

Anyway, I suggest installing new spark plug tube seals if they are old and hard, and using a lot of silicone dielectric grease on the spark plug rubber boots. If you replace the tube seals you might as well check the valve clearances....

John

 

[John E Davies]

Wait a sec - brain fart! The tube seals won't affect water getting into the spark plug wells - they seal the outside diameter of the tubes to the valve cover to prevent oil leakage. If they are bad you will see oil on the cover and might get water into the oil. I don't see how water could get into the spark plug areas.

Check all your tubes to see if they are nice and round - they are easy to distort when the vave cover is removed. They are quite soft. You can reform one to a good approximation of a circle by inserting a close-fitting deep socket into the tube, and rapping gently on the outside with a small brass hammer. BE CAREFUL not to dent the metal. Obviously the valve cover must be removed to do this repair.

Good luck.

John

 

[RavenTai]

Wait a sec - brain fart! The tube seals won't affect water getting into the spark plug wells - they seal the outside diameter of the tubes to the valve cover to prevent oil leakage. If they are bad you will see oil on the cover and might get water into the oil. I don't see how water could get into the spark plug areas.

Check all your tubes to see if they are nice and round - they are easy to distort when the vave cover is removed. They are quite soft. You can reform one to a good approximation of a circle by inserting a close-fitting deep socket into the tube, and rapping gently on the outside with a small brass hammer. BE CAREFUL not to dent the metal. Obviously the valve cover must be removed to do this repair.

Good luck.

John

I think he was talking about the tube seals on the OEM plug wires, not the spark plug tube seals in the valve cover , the former could allow water into the sparkplug tube,

 

[landtoy80]

Now that I think of it, the spark plug tube seal does nothing to keep water out.
But if it was leaking it could let water in the motor and cause a vacuum leak.
Either way, they need to be replaced and best to do it when you replace plugs/wires, clean intake and check valves. Its even more better to do all of the above PM's at once.