| [ Total Views: 1055 | Total Replies: 26 | Thread Id: 6341 ] |
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 Purple Martin
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| posted on May 13th, 2003 at 11:37 AM |
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What depth of water can a Kombi safely drive through?
I was wondering, what depth of water can a Kombi safely drive through? Assume it's a stock engine with dual solexes and stock air cleaner, stock
exhausts and heat exchangers, and all the tin is in place (a few gaps are inevitable).
1959 red & white Beetle
1975 Kombi camper
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kombikim
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| posted on May 13th, 2003 at 11:51 AM |
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In Sydney today is a good day to ask this question, if my wife gets home from work, I will ask her! |
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kombikim
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| posted on May 13th, 2003 at 01:13 PM |
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Strange nobody has answered this yet & the correct answer is not that simple, because it depends on what speed you are travelling & what
distance, the immobilisation taking place when the cooling fan on the crank blows enough water around to short the plugs, at reasonable speed the bow
wave (in theory) should be enough to get you some sort of distance through water up to the floor & crawling should be OK up to the point where the
water is just below the level of the bottom of the fan, these are the only situations I would attempt |
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Phil74Camper
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| posted on May 13th, 2003 at 01:13 PM |
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Read Simon Glen's fabulous Sahara Handbook, and his articles on fording rivers in Kombis in Overlander magazine. He used to do it quite a lot on
his adventures.
He was able to ford streams that covered the wheels, sometimes with the bow wave up to the bottom of the windscreen. His Overlander article even
included some diagrams. His Kombi was a 1973 Aussie Campmobile with upright 1600 engine and VW heavy duty air cleaner.
It was crucial to walk the crossing first, to look for hidden obstacles or holes. Once in, keep moving and use the throttle with care so the driving
wheels do not spin. Ignore the water pouring in, which will quickly cover your feet and lower legs. The engine will remain comparitively dry.
Simon finished by saying 'A Kombi's ability to ford deep streams will surprise you.'
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Purple Martin
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| posted on May 13th, 2003 at 01:18 PM |
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| Quote: | Originally
posted by kombikim
the immobilisation taking place when the cooling fan on the crank blows enough water around to short the plugs
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Would the plugs short? If the rubber on the leads and dizzy and coil is OK, and maybe with a squirt of WD40, wouldn't they be OK?
1959 red & white Beetle
1975 Kombi camper
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Andy
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| posted on May 13th, 2003 at 01:34 PM |
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Just turn the lights off eh!!!
I suppose a Type 1 would fair better with the fan high, the inlet protected and blowing down. A type 4 would suck water MUCH sooner.
I took the beetle (stock) through a mud puddle just up to the floor pan. The water got caught in front of the muffler, enough to bring the water level
high enough to touch the pully. What a mess!!! Mud every where. I haven't tried that trick since.
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kombikim
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| posted on May 13th, 2003 at 01:38 PM |
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| Quote: | Originally
posted by Purple Martin
| Quote: | Originally
posted by kombikim
the immobilisation taking place when the cooling fan on the crank blows enough water around to short the plugs
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Would the plugs short? If the rubber on the leads and dizzy and coil is OK, and maybe with a squirt of WD40, wouldn't they be OK?
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I am not sure, don't forget there would be quite a bit of steam/ & water mist blowing around & I just would not like to be the one to
test the theory |
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Purple Martin
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| posted on May 13th, 2003 at 01:42 PM |
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Thinking about it, the only thing that would cause actual damage would be if water got into the carbies - and as the tops of the carbies are high
above the engine, that's very unlikely.
Would the fan actually remove water from the engine bay as fast as it leaked in? It pumps air, so why not water!
1959 red & white Beetle
1975 Kombi camper
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Andy
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| posted on May 13th, 2003 at 01:47 PM |
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If the motors up to operating temp, water spray on the plug leads and a little on the distributor will be fine (just don't immerse them). Just
look how the buggies fair in the beach all open. What is a problem is if the engine bay is very wet, condensation will form in the distributor and on
the plugs when it cools. This will cause hard starting.:bounce
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Robo
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| posted on May 13th, 2003 at 01:52 PM |
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Why don't you ask this guy
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Boxer Power
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kombikim
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| posted on May 13th, 2003 at 02:15 PM |
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another picture of him on the other side of river please |
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NigeType3
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| posted on May 13th, 2003 at 05:08 PM |
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My brother in-law is the son of a mad Frenchman who loved travelling around OZ in the beloved kombi camper. They have a bloody funny tail of the kombi
floating away down river after stalling in a river crossing.
Typical frenchman sold it for top dollar to.
Cheers Nige
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fish
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 posted on May 13th, 2003 at 05:55 PM |
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probably as long as your head is out of the water and you can see the other side of where you are going, just plant it and drive through. Seen it done
at the river crossing at double island, north of the sunshine coast. Guy made it through, although his bus started to fall apart a couple of months
later as it was salt water. OOOPS!!!:bounce:bounce
Drink and drive your a bloody idiot!!! make it home you'r a legend !!!!
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pyr0
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| posted on May 13th, 2003 at 05:58 PM |
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hehehe the water can only get so deep then u start to float down stream:bounce |
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Robo
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| posted on May 13th, 2003 at 06:14 PM |
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You wanted to see if he made it or not do you, well this is what happened.
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Boxer Power
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sand kombi
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| posted on May 13th, 2003 at 06:32 PM |
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absolutely love it. what a classic and final answer :kiss
MIKE.
VW'S DON'T LEAK OIL, THEY JUST LEAVE THEIR MARK !!!
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1303Steve
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| posted on May 14th, 2003 at 07:59 PM |
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Hi
Apart from wet ignition the other problem is getting water into the wheel bearings like a boat trailer does and water getting into the trany via the
breather hose, these problems will show well after the event.
1302Steve
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Che Castro
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| posted on May 14th, 2003 at 09:42 PM |
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i would think the water might warp the heads if the water only touched the bottom of the cylinder head. Also i'd think the water might enter the
engine case through the crank pulley, as it has the grove on it that sucks the oil back in.
Jon
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68AutoBug
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| posted on May 14th, 2003 at 10:32 PM |
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Back in the 60's, My father used to take Us on Holidays to a Property near Texas -Queensland- NSW border. The border was the Macintyre River, and
many times We went across during flooding, and the Beetle (1960) never ever stopped in the river.. Most times We had water in the car.
I'll bet some poor soul had water in His wheel bearings and gearbox years later..
Have You noticed that the boat trailers that give the Most trouble have very small wheels... so the water in the grease plus a wheel (and bearings)
going round very very fast... equals disaster... also back in the early days, VW Wheel bearings were regreased in routine maintainence...
I wouldn't take My Beetle thru deep water..  :o:bounce:bounce:bounce
- [size=4]Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY--- [/size]
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Purple Martin
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| posted on May 15th, 2003 at 08:16 AM |
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Water in wheel bearings is something I hadn't considered. I've done a lot of sailing so I know about the problems that boat trailers have.
If you drive a long distance to the water, the wheel bearings get a bit hot (this is normal). Of course you want to get your boat into the water as
soon as possible because you can't wait to sail, so you reverse the trailer into the water without waiting for the bearings to cool down. The
cold water cools them very quickly, and as the hot air inside the bearings cools it contracts which sucks water into the bearing. Chances are
it's salt water - bad news! You can avoid this problem by waiting a couple of hours for the bearings to cool down before putting the boat in the
water, and making sure they're regularly packed with grease. It's also possible to get sealed bearings for boat trailers, but they're
expensive.
1959 red & white Beetle
1975 Kombi camper
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kombikim
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| posted on May 15th, 2003 at 08:34 AM |
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moral of the story so far seems to be don't take it through water unless you have to, AND if you have to then there is important mainainence to
be done later,
the gearbox breather issue is interesting & something that may be addressed by fabricating something that takes it to a higher point & inside
the engine bay? |
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dubcab
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| posted on May 16th, 2003 at 10:56 PM |
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Waters fine........but mud is worse!
Having driven my dual cab through rivers,sand and snow . I can tell you that kombi's fare well , but the worst stuff has to be mud. In the mud
pit at black duck valley 4wd park the goop was about the height of the 30inch tyres on the back! after a winch out the whole engine bay looked like a
hot chocolate bomb had gone off inside. the sporty foam air filter was dripping mud (on the inside). I thought it was the end of that 1600, but after
a thorough hose off and a descent tow start it managed to fire again.But the biggest problem was the lack of brakes (4 wheel drums),a few days later
the wife almost drove the ute into the side of the house. And the cylinder head cooling fins were completely blocked with dry mud. NOT good for
cooling. At least water will eventually drain out!!!!!Will post photo's soon.:o
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blownKombi
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| posted on May 17th, 2003 at 06:27 PM |
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easy peasy
i just depends on how fast you go. I've taken my kombi, standard auto(a few years back). through some deep water and on tuesday up to about 1 1/2
foot and no dramas, it was fun. Ive noticed if you hit it at speen with wipers going to clear the screen ive never had troubles. my mate treid one in
his laser and got stuck in the middle , Ha Ha
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kombiluva
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| posted on May 17th, 2003 at 07:25 PM |
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In to Deep................ water!
Have a good story to tell!
In 92/95 when there was a flood in Brissie, I helped out Volksrestore to move some of their gear in their primises as they were in a flood zone! Well
after about 3 hours of labour the water was lapping at the door step of their premises.....no more could be done, so we headed out for a drive in
Mathew Berrys Kombi.
Down the road the hole street was under water so Mathew decided to see what his bus was like as a boat!
The bow wave was under the windscreen and all those aboard had very wet feet; however on our return it was noticed that the engine bay was relitavly
free of water (Good engine bay seels)-only a drop or two about; but no way soaked or wet.
I along with the others aboard were very impressed with the Kombi's ability to transfers deep water! We would have gone about 300m through the
deep stuff! (German enginering at it's best!)
Mick
[Edited on 18-5-2003 by kombiluva] |
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phatrat
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| posted on May 17th, 2003 at 07:52 PM |
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buy a bloody 4WD :P
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Guy_H
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| posted on May 17th, 2003 at 10:15 PM |
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Hey I remember that Brisbane flood, and the next one where I took my now wife through Deshon Street, Wooloongabba backwards (only because we were
floating) - P.S. the 2.1 was well waterproofed & had the factory snorkel.
Anyway - back in the late 80's I drove my stock standard 66' Kombi (1500 motor, light truck tyres) from Brisbane to Cape York Solo - before
they built the new "Road". The car was stock as a rock, but all engine tray seals were new & all tinware / thermostat etc was in place.
Deepest water just over 3 foot, which apart from making all the beer cartons in the back soggy, were no problem. They were not fast flowing, just
still.
The worst part of the trip was the "rough" sections. I remember on two occasions walking back down the track, wondering "what was that
noise", and finding my rear chassis outriggers lying on the ground.
That bus is still alive today - I swapped it to Simon at the old Volksrestore & he sold it to someone. |
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 Peter Leonard
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 posted on June 5th, 2003 at 09:33 PM |
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beetle wows locals
*sits back in rocking chair with corncob pipe*
lets see now...couple years ago (yer yer i know its a post about kombis...) I was up past Katherine way on the sturt highway, when i came across about
thirty FWDs and assorted cars parked by the side of the road, in a convoy type arrangement. one guy even had a camping chair out and was settled down
sipping beer... some were just standing by their cars and looking up the road. It was completely flooded and cut off. I burbled along the line of cars
in my leedle beetle and tried to ignore the pointing and glaring of the waiting masses.....
i thought 'bugger it.. what's gonna happen? i'm gonna get wet? This baby's gonna make it... *wipes tear from eye* of course she
did. only problem was all the swimming i had to do while driving and ignoring the funny snorkelly sound of the exhaust pipe under water. I took all
the seats and covers out a few hundred k's later, and gave them a good chance to dry out. I remember looking back at in my rearview mirror from
the other side, a good fifty metres away, and noticed a couple of tentative drivers get into their cars, adjust the ol cahoneys, and start to follow
me.. if it hadn't been for my bug they could still be sitting there today!
:o
*waves the indomitable VW flag*
yahh yahhhh
wooohoooo
i just love the fact that people were camping out there, cos it was too hard to cross in a FWD... lucky i had my VWD
let sleeping dubs lie
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Peter Leonard
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| posted on June 5th, 2003 at 09:38 PM |
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dredging up old posts
it's good to bring an old topic back every so often.. I hope
there isnt some kind of etiquette breach here. like breaking some ancient rule about not coveting your neighbours wife's chickens while being
afflicted with pride... or something...
let sleeping dubs lie
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geodon
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| posted on June 8th, 2003 at 07:05 AM |
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Miltary "experience"?
I've had the pleasure of attending a couple of old military vehicle rallies in Europe & I particularly remember a very wet one in Germany
about 1985 at a tank training ground near the then DDR border. The 1st thing that happened was that a US jeep got bogged near the start! It was quite
a joke to see the kubels & schwimms just got scooting thru & past it. The schwimms were absol. unstoppable- they just slid thru any depth mud
on their bellies with the wheels getting "traction" like a paddle steamer. The kubels didn't look convincing but would hop, slither
& slide and rarely stop. Getting to the subject of water, my jaw dropped to see the depth kubels could ford. It was common to see them nearly up
to the rear apron in water with exhaust bubbles coming out on each side! I only saw one stop when it fell in a deep spot on the left hand side of the
water obstacle & drowned its distributor.
Re bearings etc, all owners changed drop box oil & repacked bearings after rallies.
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