Hydrolock question
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 758
Likes: 0
From: Neosho MO
Hydrolock question
Last year I was reading several posts about driving in deep water and hydrolocking the engine. I drove the vette to work today, and it came a toad strangler about an hour before I was to leave. Any direction I leave work, there are 2 places where standing water gets quite deep. I just crept thru, but could a person shut the engine off and coast thru, so the engine doesn't suck up the water. What would you do?
Racer
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 300
Likes: 1
From: rochester new york
Last year I was reading several posts about driving in deep water and hydrolocking the engine. I drove the vette to work today, and it came a toad strangler about an hour before I was to leave. Any direction I leave work, there are 2 places where standing water gets quite deep. I just crept thru, but could a person shut the engine off and coast thru, so the engine doesn't suck up the water. What would you do?
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 3,640
Likes: 83
From: . New York
Im assuming he means he is simply not worrying about you driving through it 
It really depends on how deep the water is. I dont have a figure for you but many, many people daily drive them here and report that just about no amount of torrential rain has been a problem.
Standing water, yeah that can be a problem. I personally wouldnt feel comfortable if it even touched the rocker panels, thats what ? four inches ? So if you are talking about like eight inches, for a length longer than the car, I might leave it and bum a ride from someone. Just an opinion.
BTW......w.......t.....h..is a "toadstrangler" (Ive lived a sheltered life apparently)
It really depends on how deep the water is. I dont have a figure for you but many, many people daily drive them here and report that just about no amount of torrential rain has been a problem.
Standing water, yeah that can be a problem. I personally wouldnt feel comfortable if it even touched the rocker panels, thats what ? four inches ? So if you are talking about like eight inches, for a length longer than the car, I might leave it and bum a ride from someone. Just an opinion.
BTW......w.......t.....h..is a "toadstrangler"
(Ive lived a sheltered life apparently)
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 6,774
Likes: 363
From: Midland TX
Not a very practical solution, but to answer the question, even with the ignition off if the engine is still turning (pistons moving) it can suck up water (as long as there is a vacuum).
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 758
Likes: 0
From: Neosho MO
Thanks for the replies guys. Didn't think of the pistons still moving with the engine off. As far as deepness of the water, common sense prevails in this situation, but sure wouldn't want to take a chance on destroying the engine!
BTW, a toad strangler is a REALLY hard rain, capable of, perhaps, strangling a toad? LOL!
BTW, a toad strangler is a REALLY hard rain, capable of, perhaps, strangling a toad? LOL!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 9,488
Likes: 1,743
From: Knoxville Tn
Engine off, and in nuetral, no pistons are moving...
The guys that have the hydrolock problems usually have a modified air intake where the air comes thru the license plate area. Unmodfied, the air is coming in from a much higher location.
The guys that have the hydrolock problems usually have a modified air intake where the air comes thru the license plate area. Unmodfied, the air is coming in from a much higher location.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 758
Likes: 0
From: Neosho MO
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 2,724
Likes: 2
From: Holland Landing Ontario
OK, correct me if I'm wrong, but to get hydrolock your engine has to suck water in through the intake. That being said, the stock intake is fairly high and therefore the risk is minimal. If you are in water that deep, it'll probably stall for other reasons. I have never heard of hydrolock with a stock intake.
I have a Vararam intake and that is another story. The intakes are low at the very front and deep water may get sucked in. I have heard of this happening.
I have a Vararam intake and that is another story. The intakes are low at the very front and deep water may get sucked in. I have heard of this happening.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
2027 Corvette vs The World: Every C8 vs Its Closest Competitor
Joe Kucinski
Cruising
Joined: Sep 2020
Posts: 11
Likes: 7
Aside from rain, think about when washing the c8, same idea, water / detergent gets washed down channels. GM must have thought about this and designed so it wouldn't get damaged after a car wash.
It's the same with every other mid-engine car.
It's the same with every other mid-engine car.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 5,563
Likes: 3,304
From: Virginia
2021 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
St. Jude Donor '21-'22
Dude! This thread is 10 years old!
Cruising
Joined: Sep 2020
Posts: 11
Likes: 7
Sorry, not sure why it showed up in the list of recent threads. Confused now....was not searching for any threads to read about this...it was listed as a recent thread. Very strange. I was replying the rain discussion, and it showed up in this thread.
EDIT... I get it now... it's the way the forum software lists threads. After reading one thread, if you keep on scrolling down, it then displays some other some random related thread, and can easily miss that fact that it's a different discussion since the software keeps throwing up different threads to engage the reader. Very confusing.
EDIT... I get it now... it's the way the forum software lists threads. After reading one thread, if you keep on scrolling down, it then displays some other some random related thread, and can easily miss that fact that it's a different discussion since the software keeps throwing up different threads to engage the reader. Very confusing.
Last edited by MidEng; Oct 1, 2020 at 09:44 PM.
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 81,241
Likes: 3,063
From: altered state
St. Jude Donor '05
When you are in your profile I think you can click options, scroll down and it will let you choose to not view threads that are xx days. months old something like that.
Gotta laugh at some of the tips given on p1. lol
Gotta laugh at some of the tips given on p1. lol
Administrator
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 367,947
Likes: 24,704
From: In a parallel universe. Currently own 2014 Stingray Coupe.
C7 of the Year - Modified Finalist 2021
MO Events Coordinator
St. Jude Co-Organizer
St. Jude Donor '03 thru '25
NCM Sinkhole Donor
CI 5, 8 & 11 Veteran
