warriorpluto

iTrader: (2)

Anyone have a write up? I don't want to hydro lock my engine.

JD_AMG

I dont really understand... Are you planning on going underwater?
Do you have an aftermarket hood or something that has the cowl area cut out? Even if you do, the intake is on the front end of the car, so even if water got into the engine bay from the back, there little to no chance of hydro locking the engine.

Kevin Lee 487

iTrader: (1)

LMAO thats exactly what I was thinking.

warriorpluto

iTrader: (2)

Lol you guys didn't read all the threads on this subject? Water enter in through the cowl area and drips into the intake and hydrolocks the engine. This happens mostly after a hard rain. Couple of guys even had pictures where the water rusted inside the heads. I just need to know where to seal it up. As many posts as you have I'd expect you to know this

EdgarB

iTrader: (2)

lol Noob. You will be fine

y2k_ta

iTrader: (80)

I hope this isn't keeping you awake at night.

JD_AMG

You're talking about 4th gens right???
These cars are sealed up from the factory, thats why I was asking about what hood you had.
Like I said, even if water got through the back side, the intake is on the opposite side of the hood, theres no way in hell the water would get there and hydrolock the engine... How is water going to make its way all the way to the front of the car when entering from the back of the hood???
If you are seeing pics of rusted heads then thats from junkyard engines that have been sitting out.

warriorpluto

iTrader: (2)

Yea. I have 99 trans am

Paul Bell

iTrader: (9)

There are some people that say the cowl is NEVER sealed and ALWAYS drips water onto the intake and the intake manifold bolts are ALWAYS loose and the intake manifold gaskets are ALWAYS bad and this water makes its way through the bolts then through the gaskets and ALWAYS into a cylinder through an intake valve and ALWAYS hydro-locks the engine.

These same people that claim this say this affects every vehicle. If this was so, we'd ALL have hydro-locked engines.

Regardless, it's not a bad idea to check your cowl and seal as needed.

black79transam

I know I have been scared by this. There have been a few threads about this on this site and others

Ive noticed twice after my car being parked in the rain while at work that it started hard. It has never done that any other time. Coincidence? Probably but every time I wash my car I pop the hood to see if water has fallen down on the intake.


taken from another site


"I've read this a few times, seems water passes the hood/cowl seal, and since the engine is half way under the cowl it drips right down on the middle of the intake manifold. Evidently people have had injector 0-rings that aren't sealing completely. If you've ever noticed water on top of an LS1 engine, it will pool around the injectors. Then the logical path is through the intake runner into the cylinder.

I don't see any other way for water to enter the engine if it's just sitting in a rain storm other than the explanation above, and this has happened to more than one person so this doesn't seem to be an unusual circumstance.

I see two problems with this issue. A cowl seal that's not doing it's job and an injector o-ring seal that's not doing it's job. Damage is done now though so you are past a cure and need an engine repair or replacement. Unfortunately no one finds this out till it's too late.

I got perinoid when I first read this stuff a couple years back so I hit the cowl area on ours with a pressure washer while the hood was shut, then popped the hood to see if I had gotten the intake wet. I figure if I couldn't force water past the hood seal I was golden That's how I checked it.

After you repair/replace the engine, I'd take a good look at that cowl seal and the entire cowl area and find the source of the water leak. Until then you can lay a sheet of plastic over the new engine to prevent any further mishaps. Just remember to remove it before you drive away"

Daniel Richards

iTrader: (1)

maybe I just don't see the problem here as I have physically washed engines even with a pressure washer and have never had any type of hydro-lock, agreed non of these where an LS motor, but short of a story like was described in the post above me as an injector o-ring leak I just don't see this as any type of concern.

RockinWs6

You'll be sorry if you don't seal it....look under your hood when it raining hard. It will be dripping from about 10 places onto the engine. The cowling is NOT sealed from the factory neither the plastic rivet holes that hold it in place. MANY MANY MANY LS1 cars have lost engines to this.
Plus the factory intake gaskets are known for leaking even when the bolts are tight. Every LS1 I worked on had loose intake bolts!

Plenty of threads about this if you search it.

RockinWs6

Pressure washing isn't the problem. But rain water slowly dripping onto the intake for 8 hrs slowly seeping past a injector oring or intake gasket MAY let enough water into the intake to ruin the engine OR make it start hard....

Why take a chance when its easily fixed with a tube of silicone and a water hose to test it? I've found it there is quite a few places that need sealing before all the water stops leaking through onto the engine. The plastic rivet holes are pita to seal completely. I awalys test with a water hose when I',m done and check the next time it rains to be sure I sealed it all.

I had two bad experiences with this, take it for what its worth to YOU.

By the way the new Camaro has a complete engine cover so no water can lay on the intake........

01WS6/tamu

iTrader: (37)

If an injector o-ring and or intake gasket were to be leaking enough that water could enter the motor it would also have a vacuum leak causing lean codes and or driveability problems.

I'm not saying the above scenario cannot happen as it is logical I'm saying that of the hundreds of the LS V8 cars that we sold off of our lot brand new and many that we've serviced not once to this day have I seen this happen to a vehicle in our shop.

So yes check all of the above but don't go paranoid nutso reading stuff on internet forums and getting all worked up.

Paul Bell

iTrader: (9)

This has been discussed in another thread. The car ended up NOT being exposed to rain.

I would also agree, if an intake manifold gasket or injector O-ring was bad or loose enough to allow water in by seepage alone, it would most certainly cause a vacuum leak leading to engine operating issues-and probable code P0102.

While few people have heard of this (water seepage from the cowl) and I'm sure even fewer have actually had a problem because of water getting past the cowl, the injector OR head bolt then gasket into the cylinder, it is (at a stretch) a possibility.

Having said this, I say it's not a bad idea to seal up the cowl.

Daniel Richards

iTrader: (1)

^^^^ if this was an issue then wouldn't anyone with a Mecham hood have hydro-locked there motors by now or are we just gonna ignore all those heat extractors directly over the intake? or every single 3.8 v6 would misfire (since there coil packs are located DIRECTLY below one of the push pins) whenever it rains.

warriorpluto

iTrader: (2)

Just as same poster above, he stated his car starting hard after a hard rain.mine has done that too. Misfire code appeared and car was running rough. Let the car sit and dry after rain and it cleared up. I had this happen on a 99 camaro v6 and now it happened on my 99 trans am. Just completed an engine swap on my Fox body and don't want to do another anytime soon. Are there any aftermarket cowls available for these cars?

RockinWs6

Just seal it...no more worries, think about it who would want rain water dripping onto the engine every time its rains???? Its a no brainer here.

Daniel Richards

iTrader: (1)

Just saying running rough and misfiring because the coil packs getting effected by moisture is a long way away from sucking water into the intake and hydro-locking the engine. I know what your talking about when it comes to that aspect of the coil packs (as I see it to) but that is a far cry from hydro-locking from sucking water in the motor.

MagicMike Shriver

this is what garages are for.. and I never drive mine in rain or snow..