M923A1 Problems after deep fording

[Randyw]

Ok guys we were hit pretty hard in the Southeast Texas area with Tropical Storm Imelda. When the storm hit I used my A1 to do some emergency rescues due to flooding in our area. It did good all day until we had to go in some water about 48" deep a little over the air filter canister under the truck.

The rescue took over an hour due to the young kids and mother could not swim. In the time we were getting the family loaded up the truck choked down and died. I had to end up removing the rubber boot from the intake to get the truck started back up. after the truck was back running I noticed it was smoking (white smoke) very bad. I was able to get the family to dry ground and drive the truck approximately 6 miles back home. when I was pulling up to the house I noticed the temp gauge creeping up to around 230 degrees. after the truck cooled down I pulled the coolant container cap and started the engine and coolant was pushed out of the container when the engine was running. I did also notice a little white milky in the oil. Is it possible that I blew a head gasket are do yall think something else could be wrong?

About a month ago I pulled the air canister and replaced the filter and o ring gasket for the canister halves. when I put it back together I siliconed the halves together to prevent leaking if I had to go in deeper water. Not sure how the water got in there I don't know if maybe one of the rubber boots is possibly cracked or not but it got water in somehow.

 

[sandcobra164]

It is possible that you lifted a head gasket. You need to do a pressure test on the cooling system to see if it's leaking down but if it's pushing the coolant out of the tank when running and getting hot, not good. Diesels run very small combustion chambers so if it "did" ingest water it may also have more problems. Does it run well with no abnormal noises? I'd pull the heads, check the tops of the pistons and even measure their "top height" at TDC to ensure I didn't have a bent connecting rod. If they measure the same, you can rule out bottom end damage, perhaps.

 

[Randyw]

Yes motor starts right up and runs fine with no internal abnormal noise. The truck wasn't that hot for very long so I am hoping nothing is hurt in the bottom end. I will pull the heads and check from there. If there is more damage do you have any idea what a total rebuild cost?

 

[Ue413]

Out of curiosity, when you start and run the truck now, does it still blow excessive smoke out the exhaust, or was that only after it died and you restarted it in the 4 foot flood water?

 

[simp5782]

In frame rebuild is around $1100 for a kit. Plus other odd ends like if you need a head or 3 of them. Or head bolts. Etc.

Or you might be able to find a take out NHC250 for under $1000

 

[sue]

If you got anything over a few drops of water in
there I would try to take a look at the con rods.
( bore scope or a good visual look with the pan off)
because that would be the only thing that could
give. But you might be lucky and just change the
head gasket.

 

[Randyw]

Yes if I start truck now it still blows excessive white smoke.

 

[bachman502]

A jon boat is cheaper compared to rebuilding your engine after it took on water.

 

[Randyw]

A jon boat is cheaper compared to rebuilding your engine after it took on water.

I understand that but had to use what we had in the situation.

 

[Katavic918]

Agreed, lives are worth more than an engine.

 

[simp5782]

Agreed, lives are worth more than an engine.

Not when the rescuers have to be rescued.

 

[Randyw]

Not when the rescuers have to be rescued.

We did not need to be rescued we made it out with the family we rescued just fine. Been doing rescues for a long time.

 

[simp5782]

We did not need to be rescued we made it out with the family we rescued just fine. Been doing rescues for a long time.

Apparently you need to learn then to put all exhaust and intake section above the waterline you intent to be in. The stock setup sitting below your butt should have been a dead giveaway to not venture deeper than that due to the risk of water pressure busting that wimpy seal. The 5 tons are only rated for 30 inches of fording without the kit. Up to 78 inches with the kit. Get a kit or

Or cut a hole with an access door in the hood. So you can run a piece of 5 inch pipe down and into the intake system and put a filter so its above the cab. Poor mans emergency snorkel.

 

[cucvmule]

Now that the lesson about fording water has been learned, lets move on to repair. Having heard of how the situation developed, and water now is inside of engine, fowling the oil system, bearings. I would either rebuild your engine or purchase a used running one to replace the current sour one. How much do you want to spend?

And not knowing how cold it gets there, winter is just around the corner.


There has to be 20 threads on the very miscalculations about water ingested engines. Hydrolocking

 

[doghead]

Don't delay in flushing out all the other fluids and drying stuff out, before rust sets in. Including all the wheel bearings and brake chambers.

 

[Randyw]

Apparently you need to learn then to put all exhaust and intake section above the waterline you intent to be in. The stock setup sitting below your butt should have been a dead giveaway to not venture deeper than that due to the risk of water pressure busting that wimpy seal. The 5 tons are only rated for 30 inches of fording without the kit. Up to 78 inches with the kit. Get a kit or

Or cut a hole with an access door in the hood. So you can run a piece of 5 inch pipe down and into the intake system and put a filter so its above the cab. Poor mans emergency snorkel.

This is not an intended situation that the truck was put in it was an emergency situation. I am aware of where the air filter canister is and piping, this truck is equipped with the fording kit and it was used in this situation. The truck was only in about 55" of water when this happened. The air filter canister along with all the boots were silicone to prevent leaking in deep water. After getting the truck back home the first thing I pulled was the air filter canister. The culprit for the water intrusion was a small hole rusted through on the bottom of the fixed side canister under the support strap. The hole was the size of the end of a ink pen and had rusted completely threw. When I replaced the filter a month back I contemplated pulling the whole canister instead of just the cap and now I wished I had. If I had done that I would have most likely caught the hole. So enough of the shoulda, coulda, woulda and you need to learn this and learn that. I am just looking to fix the truck. It was fore sure a lessoned learned.

 

[Randyw]

Now that the lesson about fording water has been learned, lets move on to repair. Having heard of how the situation developed, and water now is inside of engine, fowling the oil system, bearings. I would either rebuild your engine or purchase a used running one to replace the current sour one. How much do you want to spend?


And not knowing how cold it gets there, winter is just around the corner.


There has to be 20 threads on the very miscalculations about water ingested engines. Hydrolocking

I believe I have made the decision to rebuild the current engine. I have already drained and flushed the diffs everything else looked good except engine. I plan on starting the tear down this weekend. Thanks!

 

[Randyw]

Don't delay in flushing out all the other fluids and drying stuff out, before rust sets in. Including all the wheel bearings and brake chambers.

Thanks Doghead I am working on all that now.

 

[simp5782]

This is not an intended situation that the truck was put in it was an emergency situation. I am aware of where the air filter canister is and piping, this truck is equipped with the fording kit and it was used in this situation. The truck was only in about 55" of water when this happened. The air filter canister along with all the boots were silicone to prevent leaking in deep water. After getting the truck back home the first thing I pulled was the air filter canister. The culprit for the water intrusion was a small hole rusted through on the bottom of the fixed side canister under the support strap. The hole was the size of the end of a ink pen and had rusted completely threw. When I replaced the filter a month back I contemplated pulling the whole canister instead of just the cap and now I wished I had. If I had done that I would have most likely caught the hole. So enough of the shoulda, coulda, woulda and you need to learn this and learn that. I am just looking to fix the truck. It was fore sure a lessoned learned.

or the cost it is cheaper to put a big cam in it. it is a simple welding mod to the front crossmember for the front mount and that is it. There is a thread M929 Big Cam Swap. Well worth the cost over rebuilding a small cam.

and if the truck in question is the one you started a thread about 2yrs ago when you bought it then your 923 is not equipped with a fording kit. 809 series trucks had them and were more common on the USMC trucks. The M939 series USMC trucks have them more often but it is still a rare creature on the M939s. So your truck is only rated to 30 inches.

 

[Randyw]

or the cost it is cheaper to put a big cam in it. it is a simple welding mod to the front crossmember for the front mount and that is it. There is a thread M929 Big Cam Swap. Well worth the cost over rebuilding a small cam.

and if the truck in question is the one you started a thread about 2yrs ago when you bought it then your 923 is not equipped with a fording kit. 809 series trucks had them and were more common on the USMC trucks. The M939 series USMC trucks have them more often but it is still a rare creature on the M939s. So your truck is only rated to 30 inches.

This is the same truck I have had for the last 2 years and yes it does have a fording kit on it. Not sure if its an ex Marine Corp truck but the kit is there and works. Would love to do the big cam swap just not sure if I want to get that deep in to it right now. Plus I have no idea what engine to run or what the swap would consist of.