Tide Almost Eats Truck

[TromboneAl]

We had several days of heavy rain, and last night, Big Lagoon broke out into the ocean. Usually it breaks out 0-3 times per year.

I went fishing today and paddled out to the place that it broke through the sand spit. The water was flowing in to the lagoon (it broke through, tide came up, water flowed in). I'll post some fun pictures and video soon.

But when I got back to my truck, this is what I found:

It drove out fine, and there was no water in the cab.

Is there anything I should do (e.g. take it in to repair shop), or just assume this is fine (people go in the water that far to launch boats)? The water was only slightly brackish at this location.

 

[travelover]

We had several days of heavy rain, and last night, Big Lagoon broke out into the ocean. Usually it breaks out 0-3 times per year.

I went fishing today and paddled out to the place that it broke through the sand spit. The water was flowing in to the lagoon (it broke through, tide came up, water flowed in). I'll post some fun pictures and video soon.

But when I got back to my truck, this is what I found:



It drove out fine, and there was no water in the cab.

Is there anything I should do (e.g. take it in to repair shop), or just assume this is fine (people go in the water that far to launch boats)? The water was only slightly brackish at this location.

I'd change the oil in the rear axle, as a minimum.

 

[Texas Proud]

I never put the real axle in the water when launching the boat...


The truck looks old.. so I would have the wheel bearings checked and probably repacked... as mentioned, the rear diff fluid might need to be changed... have them look at it (not sure if they can though)...

 

[38Chevy454]

X2 change the rear differential oil. I believe highly likely you have water in it. Wheel bearings should be ok once you change gear oil out. I think your transmission was out of the water, so it would be ok, but depending when that was last changed, could do it anyway.

 

[38Chevy454]

Transmission vent is on top of the case. Even if the bottom of transmission was wet it should be no water inside.

Looking closer might not hurt to also check front wheel bearings since they were also under water at the center.

 

[Bir48die]

This reminds me of when I was in jr high and high school at our beach place. We were one of the stretches on the Oregon coast that you could drive vehicles. Many people didn't look at the tide books nor did they know the difference between hard packed sand and wet loose sand so many would get stuck. We'd always have shovels handy and dug many a car/truck before they were permanently embedded in the sand.

 

[DAYDREAMER]

X3 on changing oil in differential, but also would spray the chassis and truck bed with Saltaway to neutralize the salt.

 

[Spock]

sounds like it was only in the water a couple of hours?
unless you got big holes in diff to let the water in (which would let oil out) in that amount of time I wouldn't worry much about it. If you're overdue on PM, it would be time to do it anyway.
Only you can gauge salt content vs. road deicer... I'd hose down the underside.

 

[DAYDREAMER]

unless you got big holes in diff to let the water in

Differentials have vent tubes that exhaust to atmosphere. Water gets in through the vent tube if submerged.

 

[OldShooter]

The major problem with flood water, especially salt water, is corrosion in the electrical connectors. If any connectors, anywhere were submerged you need to separate them, rinse them with clean fresh water, flood them with some kind of contact cleaner, then dry and reassemble them. Then, if you are religious, pray for good luck -- that the salt water was not drawn into the stranded wires to/from the connector. If it has gotten in there, the wire will almost certainly eventually corrode and break.

Those little corrosion devils are doing their nasty work right now inside every electrical connector. It is urgent that you attack the problem soon.

Even if a connector dries out on its own, salt left in there is hygroscopic enough that corrosion is inevitable if the connector is not cleaned.

 

[samclem]

The major problem with flood water, especially salt water, is corrosion in the electrical connectors. If any connectors, anywhere were submerged you need to separate them, rinse them with clean fresh water, flood them with some kind of contact cleaner, then dry and reassemble them. Then, if you are religious, pray for good luck -- that the salt water was not drawn into the stranded wires to/from the connector. If it has gotten in there, the wire will almost certainly eventually corrode and break.

Those little corrosion devils are doing their nasty work right now inside every electrical connector. It is urgent that you attack the problem soon.

Even if a connector dries out on its own, salt left in there is hygroscopic enough that corrosion is inevitable if the connector is not cleaned.

+1. If getting under the truck and checking/dunking/rinsing every connector is just "not gonna happen," consider at least parking the truck over a lawn sprinkler on the end of a hose and letting it run for a long time, moving the hose every few minutes (to change the angles so everything gets a good soaking). It will also rinse the salt out from the the welded/turned up body seams, etc. This falls into the "better than nothing" category, and doesn't cost much money, time, or effort.

 

[OldShooter]

... "better than nothing" category ...

Probably a good idea for the chassis, but really not much better than nothing for the connectors. For the connectors, it might work to lower the truck to its former submerged depth into a swimming pool full of distilled water and leave it for a day or two. But pulling the connectors apart and cleaning them well is really the only serious option.

 

[samclem]

Semi-related story:
During the war in the Falkland Islands/Malvinas, a British CH-47 helicopter got partially submerged in the ocean (water rose up to cover the whole cargo floor, they were very lucky to not lose the chopper and crew). There are >tons< of hydraulic lines, structural aluminum components, electrical runs, cannon plugs, etc under the floor.
Under normal circumstances, this would have required the helicopter to go to a depot for major work. That wasn't gonna happen--they were in combat and the task force was seriously short of helicopters since the loss of 10 due to the sinking of the SS Atlantic Conveyor. So, Boeing recommended that, as field expedient, they should at least rinse out the helicopter with fresh water. They ended up landing it in the shallow portion of a (fresh water) lake, dunked it a few times, and continued to fly it for the rest of the campaign.
Another helicopter lost about 18" of a rotor blade when it struck an object. They were short of replacement blades, so they cut off a like amount from the other three blades on that hub and continued to fly it. Ya do what ya gotta do.

 

[TromboneAl]

When I was partway to the mouth of the lagoon, there was this foamy interface or roiling water. I dipped my finger into the water before an after passing the interface. Freshwater before, salt after.

 

[pb4uski]

Time to trade it.

 

[HFWR]

Thought this was some new Tide Pod challenge or something...