Getting a soaker

[G.Q. Jeeper]

I just want to know what is the best way to protect the XJ from water damage once the inside is gets flooded? I will be going into trails that will be water logged, and I know there is a sight chance that I will be getting wet, so now other than pouring the water out of my Nikes and wringing the water out of my socks....what can I do to protect my Jeep? what parts are the most sensitive that I should protect when the XJ makes like the Titanic?

any help or suggestions will be greatful...

Thanks!

Jeff

 

[DDCxj]

rip out all the carpeting and cover the floor with herculiner, it wont have an aweful stentch when wet.

 

[G.Q. Jeeper]

thanks Bro...

I Like my carpet, but if it smells up the XJ then it will be gone, too bad I am running a system in the Jeep too...3-10" subs with amps, I guess I will have to see what happens then. If I do go to the hurculiner, how much is that and what are the benifits besides a more soaker friendly interior??

thanks again

Jeff

 

[imma honky]

bedlining will only make clean-up 1/2 the chore. it does not make it as simple as thought (unless you dont mind a little stagnant water).
if your thinking about going through water with them subs, either raise em or get rid of em. bedlining also makes the inside noisy and hotter.
#1. water-tight your distr and wires.
#2 raise all vent holes in tranny/axles.
#3 raise anything electrical you want to keep.

this is assuming your going into REAL water, not through a 2 foot stream. if its the later, get a lift and be done.

 

[G.Q. Jeeper]

ya its the deep stuff I was with a guy and we were in his TJ with a 6 inch lift with 33's and the water came up to the dash board <---that was DEEP! I do not know if this is how deep I am going to get you cannot tell how deep it is from the puddles. My XJ will have a 3.5" lift with 31" All Terrians on them, so if this is high enough who knows.....just want to protect the inside electrical stuff if the water starts to pour in......

and a life jacket is another option for me...lol

Jeff

 

[G.Q. Jeeper]

btw..

what is the cost of this spray and can one do it themselves?? I am now interested in this method as it may be a step in the right driection...

Jeff

 

[imma honky]

bedlining can be done at home. It just requires ALOT of prep. better prep = more adhesion. herculiner is about 90 bucks at AZ.

 

[What Rd]

I Herculined the entire floorpan of my rig and I love it. If your "system" is really important to you, you may find the Herc interior a little harder to live with. It does transmit more noise and heat than the old carpet and pad did. But then it was the carpet and pad trapping all that water that caused the huge cancerous lesion over my muffler and cat!
Since the Herc went in, I've beaten it, abused it, even spilled battery acid on it and it came away unscathed. No kidding - left an old lawn tractor battery back there for a few days until I got around to returning it for the core charge. It tipped over and spilled acid out in a puddle about three inches across. It ate a shop towel leaving nothing but one small corner and some red dust - but didn't affect the Herculiner at all.
Prep IS in fact the key. Follow the directions to a T, be careful with the Xylene solvent, WEAR TWO PAIR OF GLOVES and cover every square inch of your body that you don't want to be wearing Herculiner for a couple of weeks until it wears off (eyes, face, hair, arms, etc.). And not wimpy gloves either - good chemical resistant gloves that can stand up to the Xylene. Scuff down all the paint and degrease it twice. Do all that and it'll cover like a dream and stick forever. Brush in the corners and edges, then roll on two coats.

For the word on deep water forays - look for ForeWheeler and/or Vug to chime in.

 

[railroadjeep]

I didn't see anyone mention it yet, but what about putting like 2 or 3 12v Marine style bilge pumps?

I've often though about this, but really I try to stay away from water that deep. But my thought was to just have a pump next to/near the two front seats and have the discharge go thru the floor or to the rear wheel wells or something via a check valve. It might help to slow the waters rise until you get out of it.

Then just have some boat style drain plugs up by the front floorboards, I think this is the lowest point on the floor? I believe thier is/was a writeup on www.madaxj.com about adding the drain plugs.

I dunno, just my thoughts about the water once it's in the rig.

Chris

 

[Wiley Coyote]

GQ, If you have ABS, the ECU should be under the back seat on the driver’s side. I’d figure out some way to seal that thing in a bag. While you’re back there silicon the crap out of the holes in the floor for the brake sensors. You might want to try to seal the main computer as well.

 

[poomba]

ya its the deep stuff I was with a guy and we were in his TJ with a 6 inch lift with 33's and the water came up to the dash board <---that was DEEP! I do not know if this is how deep I am going to get you cannot tell how deep it is from the puddles. My XJ will have a 3.5" lift with 31" All Terrians on them, so if this is high enough who knows.....just want to protect the inside electrical stuff if the water starts to pour in......

and a life jacket is another option for me...lol

Jeff

Myself, I'd buy a boat. Herculiner is about 90-110 bucks a gallon, but a gallon will do your XJ interior if/when the carpet comes out. But the herc ain't gonna do squat for keeping that much water out of your stuff. It's mainly to keep things from rusting from the occasional 'oh sh-t!' moments when you hit a hole and fill the floorboards with 6 inches or so. I mean, you can TRY tying plastic bags all over hell and back, but truly, d'ye need to go that deep?


http://community.webshots.com/user/poomba104

The poomba's revenge album shows a couple shots of the herc'd pig, after I played Unterwasserboot commander. "How deep can it be?" is usually followed by 'too damned deep'.

 

[Fore Wheeler]

like mentioned above, get your vent lines up out of the water, seal your dist., remove your carpet, drill holes in your floor and then plug them with rubber 'boat type' (like mentioned above) plugs, get rid of your stero system (don't need it in a trail rig anyhow), get your air intake up out of the grill and above the water line - get a snokel if you're really gonna be that deep -, prepare for your seats to never smell the same, wear your old shoes, and don't forget your XJ will float if you don't let some of the water in.

Happy boating.

 

[G.Q. Jeeper]

hey Guys

Thanks for all this input, I like the idea of the Hurkuliner and protecting of the ECM's etc. I do not have ABS and the Jeep is a 5 SP, so I will have to take it easy for now and hope I do not get too wet this spring, I will TRY to keep out of the deep abiss for now until me and the Jeep learn how to swim.

I will not be able to protect the inside with the hurk stuff until next year as I bugeted all my $$ for the lift and tires and system<--I know , but I already have the stuff..so I will just make sure the door seals are good and then take my chances when its my turn to drive through the pond.....

Jeff

 

[Blitzwing]

hey Bro I can relate

Once I went in so deep I had my dash board under the water, and all my gear & stuff got soaked and I had to stay that way for 2 days....not fun (although my buddies thought the squishing sounds from my shoes were funny)<---they are idiots anyways...I had a hydolocked motor, shot stereo electrical problems galor, a backpack full of wet clothes and shoes everything that I owned on that trip was drecnhed <---including me and I had to stay wet for 2 whole days until we got home..yukville

I would get the carpets and place them in the history books, hurk the sucker, and then buy marine speakers for the stereo, vinyl the seats or wrap them in leather if you are rich, incase all computers and fuse box in a water tight seal system, carry WD-40 with ya to disperse the water, protect the motor with a snorkel and the distribuor as well, its alot cheaper to replace wet shoes and socks then it is your motor/tranny and other equipment, beleive me I know from expereice...hope you dry out okay this year...and the life jacket is a nice touch. I know I carry one from now on

Cory

 

[XJ91]

G.Q.

Here is a stite that has some pic's and a write up on herculining the interior...

http://www.sierrajeep.com/herculin.htm

That's one problem with north of the boarder :canada: more water/mud than rocks.

PM "LOCKED UP" his XJ is water proofed from reading posts and seeing pic's.



____________________________
Fellow Canuck

 

[Blitzwing]

Nice Artical there dude.....now what should someone look at before coating the floor with that Hurk stuff? and what is the point of no return on coating your rusty floor with it?? How bad will the floor have to look/be for that stuff to be useless??

and can u coat anything else with that stuff besides metal??

Cory

 

[XJ91]

The only other thing other than a bed liner that I've seen coated was the front grill of a CJ-5.

You want to make sure that it is completly clean, free of dirt, loose rust, grease, etc........ as for how shot the floor is before you say no? personal preference I guess.

 

[Blitzwing]

Wow coating a CJ-5 eh?? not bad....

I guess renting out a sandblaster and getting down to bare metal would be the best thing for starters, is that stuff thick? or is it more watery?, if you spill the can will it run all over the driveway??? I just want to make sure before I start this project, oh and can it be painted once it is dry??

Cory

 

[XJ91]

Herculiner has a sh*t load of info on there site....

http://www.herculiner.com/
http://www.herculiner.com/enghercadduses.html

 

[Blitzwing]

XJ91, thanks a tonn, I owe you......
G.Q. sorry about taking over your post.....just curious and I am finding this like so informative its not funny...well some of the posts are funny...lol

hope I can be of help to you guys sometime soon, let me know if there is something I can help out with...

Cory