Hey all. I am just curious about hydrolock.

What is the least amount of water you have to go into in order to get hydrolock?

Also, what happens to water that gets in, but is not enough to hydrolock?

And I looked through my lude's engine bay and really couldn't find any way for water to get in. Specifically, how does water get to your intake?

Thanks guys.

 

to get a hydrolock you have to have a Cold Air Intake

When you get a cold air intake it removes your stock air intake and replace it what a new pipe but the pipe will go all the way down to the almost to the street and picks up the air air down there.

Then if you go in a puddle the completely submerges the air filter it will suck up water into your block and cause hydrolock

 

Hydrolocking occurs because water cannot be compressed. Therefore when it enters a cylinder and uses more space than available when the piston reaches TDC it will not allow further crankshaft rotation. This is usually the time when a piston gets shot out the block or your crankshaft snaps.

 

Alright, but will it only happen if the filter is submerged, or can water fly up and get in, and if so, how much?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Markov &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Alright, but will it only happen if the filter is submerged, or can water fly up and get in, and if so, how much?</TD></TR></TABLE>

i'm sure one could do the physics and figure out just how much water it takes--

but suffice it to say that it takes enough water so that the water reaches the cylinder in liquid from, and is compressed by the piston. how much water that is, i have no clue.

however, the filter would have to pretty much be submerged for this to happen.

also, you don't need a CAI to experience hydrolock. i'm sure plenty of people that drive through lakes w/ a stock airbox prob have a hydrolock problem as well.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by bad-monkey &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i'm sure one could do the physics and figure out just how much water it takes--</TD></TR></TABLE>

I'd say it's more of a geometry problem. All you need to know is the combustion volume, which is easy to calculate 2200/(4 * (10-1)) = 61cc. (2200cc, 4 cylinders, 10:1 compression ratio). So if you put 61cc or more of water into a cylinder and try to compress it something will break (unless something leaks and lets the water out). Less than that might cause some hefty loads on engine components as well. Half as much (~30cc) water would give you a 20:1 compression ratio for that compression stroke.

 

Alright, thanks.

Also, can water get into the filter besides humidity and submersion?

And I also found some Injen Hydro-guards, are they worth it? I know they don't cover submersion, but they may help.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by bad-monkey &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
i'm sure one could do the physics and figure out just how much water it takes--
</TD></TR></TABLE>

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by flyrod &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

I'd say it's more of a geometry problem. All you need to know is the combustion volume, which is easy to calculate 2200/(4 * (10-1)) = 61cc. (2200cc, 4 cylinders, 10:1 compression ratio). So if you put 61cc or more of water into a cylinder and try to compress it something will break (unless something leaks and lets the water out). Less than that might cause some hefty loads on engine components as well. Half as much (~30cc) water would give you a 20:1 compression ratio for that compression stroke.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Damn geniuses

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by flyrod &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I'd say it's more of a geometry problem. All you need to know is the combustion volume, which is easy to calculate 2200/(4 * (10-1)) = 61cc. (2200cc, 4 cylinders, 10:1 compression ratio). So if you put 61cc or more of water into a cylinder and try to compress it something will break (unless something leaks and lets the water out). Less than that might cause some hefty loads on engine components as well. Half as much (~30cc) water would give you a 20:1 compression ratio for that compression stroke.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Ah, i was thinking more along the lines of bernoulli and the physics of the water being actually sucked up into the intake. aka, what the pressure is like in the tube and around the filter.

things to prevent hydrolock are nice, but i think the most important things are: look out for puddles, and keep the wheel well liner in place. you can use a bypass valve if you like but, they tend to kill most of the gains made by a CAI...

 

I don't think anyone should have to worry about hydrolock unless they're:

1: Trying to make the car swim
2: Traveling to New Orleans
3: an Idiot - no offense
4: full throttle on a rainy day ??????? Going through a puddle
5: an Idiot - once again, no offense

61cc/ml of water is a ******* lot.......
its a hell of a lot actually..........

My advice - if there's some miraculous "flash flood" in your area, to be a "little" safer, just take off the intake.......take it off the TB - or just don't drive it when there's puddles around.......

 

Its pretty hard to actually get 61cc's of water into your combustion chamber.

Condensation/humidity dont really play a role in a hydrolock as it would evaporate before it entered the combustion chamber.

As stated earlier, the filter would need to be completly submerged or have a constant rather large stream of water being shot at it.

 

I hydrolocked mine...........

When the head was pulled, there was about 1/2" of water on top of the piston in cyl. #4.... Maybe a goldfish too......

Also, it was #4's rod which was snapped it half as well.........

BTW, I never submerged the filter either, just went through a puddle I couldn't avoid (longer than deep in size), got through, it bogged, and BAM!! She was locked up........

P.S. This happened to be in New ORleans.......

 

you dont' have to submerge it......and i read somewhere on the aem site that the pull from the engine sucking up air, can pull water 22 ft. straight up a tube thats 3 inches in diameter....at WOT of coures...but still, water will have no problem gettin sucked up if it gets in there......