Vararam and Water
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 1999
Posts: 7,695
Likes: 51
From: Imperial Beach CA
Originally Posted by TMyers
lol, did you read the first post. Don't think spray from other cars think of a garden hose set on stream, that was the size of the splashes.
The only way to create a vacuum is if you cover the whole opening of the intake 5x10 inches. Otherwise considering that water is 100 times heavier than air the air will displace the water. The water will follow the path of least resistance and that is back out through the opening. In addition you would have to injest enough water for it to maintain a seal through the entire intake. Considering the volume of the intake at the filter is much larger than the opening itself that would be alot of water.
I imagine that someone could figure out just what it would take. But considering that I drove 300 miles home in a rain storm that dropped 12 inches of rain in about 12 hours I'm pretty sure that unless you are a U-boat commander there is nothing to worry about.
FYI almost everywhere in Washington we have doubled our normal rain totals, broken every record out there and still have 10 days to go.
The only way to create a vacuum is if you cover the whole opening of the intake 5x10 inches. Otherwise considering that water is 100 times heavier than air the air will displace the water. The water will follow the path of least resistance and that is back out through the opening. In addition you would have to injest enough water for it to maintain a seal through the entire intake. Considering the volume of the intake at the filter is much larger than the opening itself that would be alot of water.
I imagine that someone could figure out just what it would take. But considering that I drove 300 miles home in a rain storm that dropped 12 inches of rain in about 12 hours I'm pretty sure that unless you are a U-boat commander there is nothing to worry about.
FYI almost everywhere in Washington we have doubled our normal rain totals, broken every record out there and still have 10 days to go.
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 10,436
Likes: 4
From: Everett Wa
Originally Posted by jimman
Tell that to my 2000, in Southern CA it may rain 3 to 4 times a year. Small puddle of 2 to 3 inches within a dip with oncoming traffic and traffic behind so no choice but to continue on at 5 mph. Broke two rods with coresponding holes in the block. 11 K and change later wa-la.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 7,027
Likes: 6
From: Shiloh Ohio
Well all the theory in the world does not really matter. I know I have read of C5 guys hydro locking their engines with a vararam and other aftermarket intakes. They could have been making it up but I don't think so.
Hey if you do it, take it off, put the stock back on and let GM fix it. Personally I just don't drive in the rain.
I really can think of no better configuration for hydro locking an engine than to put the intake down low in front.
Hey if you do it, take it off, put the stock back on and let GM fix it. Personally I just don't drive in the rain.
I really can think of no better configuration for hydro locking an engine than to put the intake down low in front.
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 10,436
Likes: 4
From: Everett Wa
Originally Posted by shurite44
Well all the theory in the world does not really matter. I know I have read of C5 guys hydro locking their engines with a vararam and other aftermarket intakes. They could have been making it up but I don't think so.
Hey if you do it, take it off, put the stock back on and let GM fix it. Personally I just don't drive in the rain.
I really can think of no better configuration for hydro locking an engine than to put the intake down low in front.
Hey if you do it, take it off, put the stock back on and let GM fix it. Personally I just don't drive in the rain.
I really can think of no better configuration for hydro locking an engine than to put the intake down low in front.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 7,027
Likes: 6
From: Shiloh Ohio
I drove a C5 around in the rain with a vararam also. Never hydro locked. But I can tell by looking at it that it could.
Nothing wrong with taking a chance here and there. But I just don't think saying it can not hydro lock or you would have to submerge it is really accurate. Like I said I really don't know. But if I were designing something to hydro lock it would look a lot like a vararam.
Engines do hydro lock. It is probably just the right set of conditions. But it is not always because someone sunk it in a lake or something. Like I said I remember about 4 or 5 different guys in the C5 section posting they did hydro lock.
I doubt if it is likely, but it can happen. I also remember a post about someone hydro locking a C5 with a stock box. But it is the Internet so who knows.
Nothing wrong with taking a chance here and there. But I just don't think saying it can not hydro lock or you would have to submerge it is really accurate. Like I said I really don't know. But if I were designing something to hydro lock it would look a lot like a vararam.
Engines do hydro lock. It is probably just the right set of conditions. But it is not always because someone sunk it in a lake or something. Like I said I remember about 4 or 5 different guys in the C5 section posting they did hydro lock.
I doubt if it is likely, but it can happen. I also remember a post about someone hydro locking a C5 with a stock box. But it is the Internet so who knows.
