Hydrolock question
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2009
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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From: Neosho MO
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2007
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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.
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Cruising
Joined: Sep 2020
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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
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From: Virginia
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Dude! This thread is 10 years old!
Cruising
Joined: Sep 2020
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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.
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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
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