Need help - flood recovery process.

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jos51700

jos51700

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Hey guys, I know this isn't the best place for it, but I gotta start somewhere.

Grandpa's '91 Ram is currently underwater in Lyons, Colorado. It's got the Cummins diesel.

I'm not worried about replacing a wiring harness down the road, or anything like that, but as soon as the water goes down, I'm going to see if it's still there.

My hopes would be that draining water/oil, pulling glow plugs and cranking, flushing fuel/oil from engine trans and diff and drying out would be enough to bring it back to life if I can get to it before it's locked up tight.

Thoughts?

I don't know squat about diesels, and I'm not sure how to flush the fuel system on an oil-burner.

Or am I totally wasting my time?

The sentimental value of the truck far outweighs the cost of repair, unless it's thoroughly wadded. The shed it was in is still visible from the aerial footage on youtube, so hopes are high it's still there.

Thoughts, ideas, and suggestion, especially from those with experience are appreciated. My grandpa was a significant figure in Lyons. They named the senior center after him when he passed, and he's a huge part of why I got into Mopars. He wanted this truck for years, and got it just a few years before he passed.

Also, keep MileHighDart in your prayers. His place seems safe, but his family has been displaced.
Thanks
John Self
 
you will need to pull the injectors since the glow plugs is a air heater in the intake manifold. it is probally full of mud from the dirty water any who good luck to you and your family
 
jimjimjimmy said:
you will need to pull the injectors since the glow plugs is a air heater in the intake manifold. it is probally full of mud from the dirty water any who good luck to you and your family
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip. I'm hoping that the airfilter minimized the mudly intrusion. Anyone know if the fuel tank has an open vent or if it's captured like late-model cars?
 
The engine is just a small part of the equation. Water and silt are going into the differentials and transmission through their vents.

Water and silt are filling switches, the computer and every other system in the truck.
 
I would be more worried about the mud messing up the electrical components...ie brushes in the alternator, sensors, etc..than the engine.....Its not going to be locked up from being in water for a few days or weeks.... Pressure wash the whole thing, make sure to use a normal hose and hose out the electrical components..don't need super high pressure for them... Next, drain the oil and replace the filter, wash the crankcase out with fuel, strain the fuel that comes out the bottom plug .repeat multiple times with this fuel...Once you think its good...Use fresh fuel for 1 last run thru...remove the plugs, open up the air filter and flush the intake out with fuel....turn the motor over a few times with the old starter bypass to wash the cylinders and pump the junk out...Do this as many times as needed to clear the system out....once done. Replace the oil filter again and leave the plugs out and let the rest evap out of the cylinders.....Once done... The motor should be good...the electrical stuff on the other hand.....will probably need atleast 1 week to dry out....

Hope this helps.
 
That is a task- the seat and any interior items are junk. First pull the seat, carpet and door panels let it dry out. pull the cluster out of the dash and toss it along with the radio and ecm. They make cleaner for electric connections, don't use brake clean or any WD-40 at all on electrical connects! I would replace the fuel tank , blow out the fuel lines and brake lines , drain all the fluids, replace all the brake shoes and pads. New brake booster and master cylinder.
Good Luck You lucky that it is fresh water not like the guys I know who lost Cars & trucks in sandy and that was salt water
 
What really sucked about the flood...That's somebody's washed-out '68 'Bee. I only got a glimpse and then my camera died before I could get a decent shot, but it appeared to be pretty battered.

MileHighDart probably knows the guy.
 

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And how did you find your grandfather's 91 Ram condition?? Is it bad or good enough for you to get it up and running.
 
Hi John,

Sorry to hear about the truck being under water. I had a car under water for a short period of time. I think you're on target with the engine. With my car we changed the electrical harness. You might get away with a real thorough cleaning of connections, but water has a way of getting into every nook and cranny and sometimes the problem doesn't manifest itself right away. As the truck has sentimental value to you, I would recommend getting it dried out completely and then going through and thoroughly cleaning/rust proofing as much of it as you can. You might be able to rent a commercial dehumidifier that you can put in the truck...we used one in our house after a water leak and it sucked the moisture out...check with water damage restoration folks to see if they can help. I went ahead and rebuilt the motor and tranny...then redid the interior just to be sure. Mold in and behind the fabric can be a problem down the road if you don't get it dried out and any mold killed. Just my 2 cents...good luck!!
 
The good: it's a MECHANICAL Cummins...no ECM. Just make sure to flush the fuel system COMPLETELY!

How'd it go?
 
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