How deep is too deep?

[MustangO4]

Well, I got my VX in the mud and water up to the headlights this week and you could hear the audible pop as my ***** puckered while I had visions of my alternator going out, but it lived. The door seals leaked a little in the back corner, and the waterline in the engine compartment was just below the bottom of the battery(just below my Morgantec intake, lucky!) I also got to pull out a fullsize chevy 4x4 owned by .mil. That was fun. But, now I have a grinding sound that apears to be coming from my A/C clutch. I washed it out and sprayed some spray lube into it with no difference so I parked the VX. Before I get serious about tearing out the pump, I have some questions:
1. Any guidance on where to look for bad bearings or hidden dirt?

2. How deep is too deep? If I want to go deep reliably, say top of hood level briefly, I gather I am looking at the alternator, breathing tubes for t-case etc, intake and exhaust as far as issues go.

I've taken HMMWVs to "hold your breath" deep, and they are build for it, but has anyone else tackled this with a VX?

[johnnyapollo]

I remember reading about an issue with the alternator getting wet - someone will chime it, but I think it causes it to fail when submerged? Don't remember anything about a noise.

-- John

[Triathlete]

In clear water the alternator usually will survive. The dirt/mud/grime is what tends to kill them. As far as the noise, I would check all external moving parts that were submerged. More than likely they have grit in them which is grinding in the bearings. If you were that deep you will probably want to change your diff fluids also. They probably took on some water and it doesn't take much to break down the lube and make it less affective.

[VX crazy]

This would be too deep.....in mud......fried the alternator.

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/medium/mud.jpg

[MustangO4]

That's too bad. I should've taken pics but it was work, not fun muddin. Our .mil trucks kept getting stuck. Worn out tires didn't help.
I had an LAV25 for the first part of the current war and what they did (aside from being able to float and having 8 wheels) was had bilge pumps and an open top. The water got pumped out faster than it could come in through the small leaks, and only if you swamped the opening in the top, would you sink (I saw that once, nasty recovery). Maybe someone motivated could bucket the motor with plastic panels and cover most of the openings, then just run a pump for when it fills up.

[tomdietrying]

Interesting paint job. It looks like SPAZZ's VX. Is it the same vehicle?
Peace.
Tom

[Triathlete]

Nope, as far as I know, Spazz still owns his. Mustangs is flat black paint, Spazz's is Rhino lined.

[MustangO4]

Ye, mine actually now is 2 tone. The truckbed liner is still black, but the metal is flat tan. And I did the stock rims with less textured spray on truckbed liner. I think I'll go back to black on black though.