Well, I got a question with Jeeper's with experience with water crossings. I tried searching but nothing really jumped out to answer my question.

Well, last night I went down to the Columbia River with my kids to go throw a few rocks, take the dog for a run as well as have some fun doing a few water crossings to get to a few isolated islands. Well, I went through a few water crossing that were easy...then I hit a large pocket of about 2.5 ft deep water and I started to get nervous about sucking in water in the airbox.... but the water just went over the stock bumper and stopped my nervous feeling for a moment....BUT......

I was more worried when I hit a rock with the front diff....and it just about stalled out the JK while in 4wd hi and first gear....but fortunately it had a enough momentum to get over the rock and we made it across. Kids thought we maybe floating down river!!!

Well, I started thinking about what if???? What if I stalled the JK on that rock in 2.5 ft of water? Would I slam the transfer case into 4 low and start the motor without depressing the clutch??? Or should I have been in 4 low before I crossed the water for just such a scenario of stalling out in the middle of the water??? Or time to get a winch if I did stall???

I have always had automatic 4x4's and it's not such a big deal if you hit bigger obsticles in water just place in reverse and go around...but a 6speed is a little different you are basically committed. So, I would love to hear some comments from experienced off-roaders with manual transmissions and water crossings.

After I did this I had 3 people taking pictures of our JK crossing back over from the island going through 2.5ft of water and several thumbs up making it threw the water!!!! I know the JK loved the underbelly wash

 

I know im not the most experienced around here but i have went through high spots were i have got momentarily and had to clutch in and no problem so far.

I actually sank it one time and didnt have a problem with the clutch.

 

the trick is to submerge your manual tranny and shift back and forth from 1st to 2nd.... do this about 20 times and post the results here.


J/K... as long as you maintain speed, pick a gear and stay with it.

a few others on here have some tricks should you get stuck in some deep water/mud

if it were me, i would just have someone pull me out

 

i agree if i ever get stuck in something like that i want someone to pull me out. I don't want to take a chance f*** up the clutch. i have never been in deep deep water though but i do have a snorkel now so i guess i don't have to worry about water in the intake now just the clutch thing .

pick a gear mash the gas and close your eyes pray you make it across thats what i do

 

You probably should have been in 4lo, just in case. It isn't so much the water that kills the clutch as it is what is in the water, sand, dirt, etc., that gets in between the plates and won't let it engage. If you stall start it in 4lo and try to get going again otherwise use the winch.


I had shifted in water and not had a problem before but it only takes shifting one time in contaminated water to kill the clutch. I was on sitting on the bottom and packed it full off mud, killed the clutch and the slave cylinder. It was about a 5 hr recovery to get the Jeep back to the staging area where a tow truck would pick it up, plus I had to call my wife and have her make the 80 mile trip to come pick me and my son up (thank god he was with me, she might not have come).

 

As you probably know, ideally you want to find a speed where the vehicle pushes the water away and maintain that speed. So, you should probably be in 4 low to start out with, because you never know, and this speed is not very fast anyway.

Unless the water is clear and you know what you are driving over, which happens just about never, it would probably be a good idea to be in a position where you can start the truck without the clutch, just in case you do get hung up and/or stall out. There is, by the way, a mod somewhere on this board for being able to start without the clutch in any gear. Grounding some wire. Admittedly this is the first ORV that I have had where you had to push the clutch in to start, so when I get a chance I will probably be doing the mod as well.

As far as water destroying the clutch, like everyone said, its not the water, its the mud and stuff in the water, so you make the call for the situation you are in.

As far as shifting goes, lots of people will tell you not to shift in water because you risk getting debris between the clutch and clutch plate. But, what they forget to tell you is that if you have to, you don't need the clutch to shift. If you don't know how, find someone to show you (Honda guys are pretty good at it ) and practice it... a lot.

Worst case scenario, you stalled out in muddy water and no one was around to pull you out and ended up destroying your clutch... well, money for parts aside, at least you can learn how to swap out a clutch once you eventually get home.

 

4Lo, second gear does well for me, and in a stock Jeep i would NOT go any higher than the tires as that is where the top of the breathers are.

 

So not to steal the thread but has anyone swapped their clutch in their JK. Thinking about putting in Centerforce clutch and wondering if I could do it myself

 

Wouldn't work,, the starter won't engage unless the clutch is pressed!!

You need to be in 4 lo and the right gear for the situation, before you get into water.

 

im not sure about this id try 1st gear 4hi and gas it

just not enough to get water in my intake or too deep where id have to switch gears or restart