I would be grateful for a run down on what I need to do to get this 94 Jeep back on the road.
We ran into a new hole in the river during a crossing. I was in low 2nd gear (Auto) when we hit the hole. I gave her some gas to see if we would grip and get us to the other side but it was too deep so we floated and I cut the engine. We floated around 200ft down the channel, lucky we had the windows open so we could bail out and climb onto the roof (manual winding windows are far preferable Jeep). Eventually the Jeep shored up on the rock as per photo. We had to hike out and then find someone to winch us free so the Jeep was there under the water for 24 hours, hood under the flow, *** up in the air.
Has anybody recovered a Jeep that has been submerged for that long?. The water was full of very fine glacier silt

 

I flipped mine in a ditch with 3ft of water in it and had to replace the relay that allowed the jeep to start and stay running. You may need to at least turn it over with the spark plugs out and get the water outta the engine and spray it down with some pb blast. Change the oil and before you put new oil in it Id throw some trans fluid in each spark plug hole turn it over a few times and let the trans fluid run outta it then fill it up with some good engine oil with any luck you should be good to go

 

If it was fresh water you can probably save it but judging from the pic the water was up pretty high and that can make things more difficult.

At the very least you will need to drain and replace every fluid and then clean and di-electric grease any electrical connection that was under water, given the water level this likely means all of them and of course make sure there is no water in the engine before starting it. You will most likely have to replace most of your sensors and possibly your starter and alternator (sometimes they still work after being submerged, sometimes they don't). If the water got to your battery this will also need to be replaced and the PDC (fuse box) and PCM(Powertrain Control Module) may need to be replaced, though fresh water is less likely to damage the PDC or PCM than salt water. And of course cleaning theinterior will be "fun" you might want to just find a complete interior from a junk yard and sawp it over.

 

I sort of "grew up" on the Russian River that floods. Some say to kiss an automatic that has flooded. The theory is the silt will trash it. At least one guy will say he saved his though. I'd surely have the pan pulled and a thorough flush on the trans. Yea, some won't recommend that, but in your case...

I guess "WD 40", is the army's 40'th try at a water displacement product. It's about "capillary action" The idea is, suppose you had a wet sponge. Might be wd 40 will soak in and displace the water. In any case spraying any/all connectors well with it won't hurt.

Don't forget alcohol mixes with water and also evaporates much easier. I've used it rinsing flooded stuff like kitchen appliances. Idk on a Jeep, maybe the PCM...One thing, never power up something until you are certain it's completely dry. Being wet might not kill it, but powering it up wet certainly can. I've waited a month to turn on a TV.

I hope the fishen waz worth it!

A side story...once we saw the brake lights come on on a car under water. Hydrolic brake light switch. About 8 feet did it!

Power washing/rincing the silt before it drys, helps.

 

The reasoning is that the "glue" that bonds the friction materials (clutches/bands) in an AT will be ruined by water. (Same reason that coolant contamination will kill an AT.) I don't know if this applies to all mfrs, though.

 

along with what everyone said, make sure to dry out the distributor cap and connections(assuming you have one)
. . .only say this because it was something that I overlooked after divebombing in a pond

 

When I got caught in a flash flood and it floated, then sank . . . what I learned:

• The auto trans will have water in it, drop the pan and get all water out you can. The water in the torque converter will come out if you drive a long grade, at least 2000 ft elevation gain. That will heat the trans fluid past boiling point of water.
• I removed the seats and carpet and washed them with a garden hose, then air dried. No smell even a decade later.
• Front diff likely filled with water, remove punkin, clean, dry, new fluid. The hubs should be checked.
• Pull the engine dip stick, if even a hint of water, new oil and filter.
• Like same for power steering

HTH

 

So Kittyhawk, where are we here? Looks terrific.

 

This is the Hopkins River, South Island of New Zealand.
Its good but very rough 4wd country which eats vehicles. There aren't too many folks here - we drove around here for 3 days without seeing anyone. Jeeps perform extremely well here, but their weak point is the river crossings as they are quite light. I will add a snorkel to mine I think. Most common 4wd in this area is the older Landcruisers.

Anyhow I like and use this Jeep Forum - the level of expertise/feedback is far superior to our local knowledge on Jeeps here in NZ.

 

That really sucks about your XJ, man, but these Jeeps are like zombies, and keep coming back for more after you think they're dead.

On a side note, that place looks like heaven on earth. I'd love to be able to visit a place like that someday. Good luck!

 

I'd love to just drive around there in my XJ.

 

"Drove around for 3 days without seeing anyone"...sounds like a chunk of paradise to me...btw...good luck with the resurrection of your xj.

 

Oil change. Trans fluid change. Diff fluid change. Pull plugs and crank to remove excess water.(SOONER than later to avoid rust on the cylinder walls) New plug wires,cap rotor and stator. Make sure ECU is dry as most are waterproof but never know. Other than that Good luck buddy

 

My granny sank her Cadillac 4 or 5 times in flash floods in SW Texas and we brought it back every time, we called it the Baja caddy.
What you need to do as all so far have said is to drain and change ALL the fluids and filters. Pull the plugs and drain the cylinders, if you suspect silt in the cylinders rinse with water and blow out with air. Plug wires are salvageable as are cap and rotor. Clean the valve body on the tranny with some fresh water, the filter should have kept out any really bad stuff. Pull the valve cover inspect and clean. Dry out the wiring and clean........lots of cleaning clean clean clean and inspect. A little water won't hurt in making sure things are dirt free. Re-lube and pre-lube everything before attempting to start. As long as all your vents are intact for the tranny and such you shouldn't have too much dirt or crud inside the workings.

 

Sand everywhere!. I finally got the XJ backfrom the river, we had to get another 4wd and trailer and someone game enough to drive it.
Anyhow there is sand everywhere but am mopping it off with engine degreaser and water blasting.
Good news is the battery and electrics are fine, except both front doors will not open/unlock. Why could this be?
The power steering is free of water, and there does not appear to be any water in the tranny but I will drain in any case.
I pulled the plugs and drained a lot of water from the cylinders. I do not appear to have hydolocked it as the engine can be manually turned easily. There is some silt in each cylinder - should I flush with water?.
Here's the weird one...when I opened the sump drain plug I got 10 gallons..yes 2 full buckets of clear water before the oil. I wasn't ready for that and got a hell of a mess.
Is there a procedure and necessity for some sort of engine clean to get all the water out?. Any ideas?