99T/A_Marine

iTrader: (1)

Was driving into a parking lot today on base early morning and thought I saw a small access road that led over in between a set of buildings. It was raining pretty heavy and visibility wasn't the greatest. Not having ever parked in this parking lot before I took the road because it looked exactly like a road with about an inch or so of water on it. All of a sudden I felt the front end drop. I had rolled over a culvert (drainage pipe)and was now sitting on my y-pipe on the concrete. The motor stalled out and a good deal of the front end was under water. I had about 7-8 people lifting on the front end as I tried to keep it running so that maybe the rear tires would grab traction but eventually gave up since I could tell it wasn't going to stay on. The air filter is soaked but from the picture that someone took with the water still up, it looks as if the nose was low enough for water to leak into it. Anyways, the car won't start. I think the alternator is ruined as well as the starter since it won't turn over. It's sitting in a parking lot right now until I can get my dad down here with a dolly to move it back to Raleigh. Is there anyway to tell if this thing is hydrolocked before I tear the heads off? A buddy of mine was saying to take the plugs out and try and turn the car over and the pistons would force the water out of the plug holes. Also, I don't have collision but I talked to the insurance company and they said I may be covered for flood damage due to the comprehensive coverage on my policy. Would this cover the motor hydrolocking since the motor is untouched by the concrete as far as I can tell? It was a shitty day as you can tell but **** happens and life goes on so I'm not going to dwell on it much. If insurance isn't going to cover me it looks like I'll be doing my LQ9 build A LOT sooner than I was planning. I'm really just trying to figure out what can be done if anything with the current motor, if I even have a chance with insurance, and if it's hydrolocked, what the next step is. Thanks in advance for the advice and help everyone.

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

If it won't turn over, how do you know it won't run?

The alternator is probably fine, water doesn't hurt them. I would definitely take the plugs out before you try to turn it over again, just in case there is water in there.

Did it stall on its own while the front end was in the water....or did you shut it off the last time it ran?

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Unertl42

iTrader: (63)

yep, like your buddy said, pull the plugs and try and turn the crank, if it doesn't budge, time to pull the motor and look inside. Thats what happened to me, no biggie, just get bigger motor, and it makes everything better. HAHA It should just be a comprehensive (I think) claim, unless water got inside the car.

chevymec

iTrader: (19)

Pull the plugs out before anything else or you make bend or break something internal.

99T/A_Marine

iTrader: (1)

I don't know that it won't run, all I know is that it won't turn over as it sat this morning. I haven't tried again for the sake of saving it if I can. Water actually did get into the actual car and I'm having to wait til I get it to Raleigh to pull the seats and carpet. All the electrics appear to be in working condition that I can tell. A side skirt was bent pretty good when we got it out and the y-pipe is done. Also a wheel may be bent or the studs may have stripped a little seeing as how we had to winch it to the side hooked to the rim. Stock rims so whatever, I was going to replace them anyways. Anymore tips are welcome. Thanks so far guys. And yes, it stalled on it's own at first. I can't remember if it stalled on it's own before I gave up, I want to say yes, but I can't remember since I was just like "************!!!" inside my head. Don't know if I mentioned this or not but the filter was soaked to the bone and there is small debris on the MAF screen like like little pieces of leaves and whatnot so that is what is making me lean towards water being physically sucked in.

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

If you weren't under throttle when the water stalled it out, its probably ok. Just take the plugs out, then turn it over for about 5-10 seconds and go from there.
Insurance should cover it.

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Mattn

to bad it ant no atv.there easy to un hydrolock the motor.pull the plugs.dry the plugs with a flame. let it spit the water out for a bit.then put the plugs back in and off u go

99T/A_Marine

iTrader: (1)

You think they will still cover it even though I don't have colliosion seeing as how it would be presumably chalked up to driver error?

Element

iTrader: (5)

If he tried to start the engine with water in it, he more than likely bent some rods. I'd imagine the main bearings don't look too good either.

I can't see an insurance company not totaling the car if the engine needs replaced...price a new LS1, dead accessories, sensors, and labor, and that's going to be more than what most f-bodies are worth any more. I think it's considered totaled if the vehicle's sustained 75%+ of it's book value...some insurance companies are a bit lower on that, some higher.

Also, water inside the vehicle cabin typically is a dead shot for the insurance totaling it.

jam01

if the y-pipe was crushed that could be a reason for the engine not running, along with the filter being soaked. good luck hope it turns out ok for you.

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

Driver error...is exactly what insurance is for.

I think in the past people on here have said their insurance company covered it.

Maybe its not your fault, was their proper signage in that area that there was a drop off......you never know what insurance companies will pay for. I slid off a road because I hydroplaned on water and my driver door was crakced in half by the MPH sign I mit. $5,000 total to fix it back in 2000. Driver error.

Remanned LS1's are cheap.......and they are perfect. There are vendors all over the place that have them. Find a cool speed shop that will take whatever the insurance company will pay out and put it towards a rebuild or into something nicer.

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Jays_SSZ28

iTrader: (2)

I sunk my old '94 ranger 4.0 10 years ago. I went into a ditch at approx 2000 rpm. Water was up to the bottom of the windshield.
Got pulled out, pulled the plugs, cranked it, plugs back in, eventually started and drove 30 minutes home. Took the interior out except for the driver seat. Drained and flushed the diffs, the trans. Drove it to 45 minutes to work every day as usual.

Replaced the O2 sensors, washed the interior and put it back in about a month later. Never had a problem after that.

I think the key is to remove all the water and run it up to temp asap.

chevymec

iTrader: (19)

Did you pull the dipstick to see if any water got in the oil?

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

www.rockauto.com

$2,900
Base 355 VORTEC; 385HP; 405 lbs. Torque; 4 Bolt Main Block; Pass. Side Dipstick; SCAT Cast Crankshaft; Cast Iron VORTEC Heads; For more specs, please see "More Info"

More power than his stock engine had.

I had my 1998 KBB my Mercedes last week for trade-in value: $6,400 Excellent condition. But the actual personal value was $8,300 Excellent Condition.

So he would be way less than 75% of value.

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99T/A_Marine

iTrader: (1)

There were no signs and from the way it looked in the morning, you couldn't tell it wasn't a road unless you were familiar with the actual parking lot. I hadn't ever parked in this damn place before so it was foreign to me. It'll be tomorrow before I can really assess the damage. I'm praying for a miracle but preparing myself to have to spend a good deal of money. If insurance does total it, what would an average payout be? And could I buy the vehicle back cheap and fix it myself? I just don't want to see another F-body go to the wayside because insurance didn't want to fix it. I'd planned on keeping this car the rest of my life and when I had a son, using it as a template for him to learn how to work on vehicles.

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

No way it will get totalled, so forget that. They'll buy you a new crate engine, probably just like the one I posted above.

But if they do cover it.......you need to call a few places around town, tell them your problem and that your insurance company is paying for a new crate engine. If they are a certified shop the insurance will just pay them and let them do everything. Then you can have it rebuilt....if you know what I mean. Its been done many times man..........

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Element

iTrader: (5)

Why would you swap an iron block, iron head SBC into a 4th gen? You're ignoring labor, too, and that's not exactly a bolt-in swap...

The insurance company is going to price an LS1 replacement from a major supplier, estimate labor costs based on book time for a complete engine replacement, factor in all the sensors that'll need to be replaced, interior work, etc etc. I've been down the "flood-damage vehicle" road before - if it goes to insurance, especially with water having gotten inside the cabin, there's very, very little chance they won't total the car.

99T/A_Marine

iTrader: (1)

I'm planning on pulling the seats and carpet when i get this thing home tomorrow. The only thing I'm worried about is that it has about an inch of standing water on the floor of the back seat. I'd have gotten a shop vac and just sucked the **** out of there but I'm not anywhere near my house with tools right now. Going to try and soak the majority up with towels tomorrow morning early so at least it has a fighting chance at drying up on it's own until I can pull the interior. That's the biggest thing that is messing with my head.

Jays_SSZ28

iTrader: (2)

Look under the car basically under where your feet would be if you were sitting in the front or back seat, there are rubber plugs, one in each foot area. Push them up until water comes out. This will give the water a place to go until you get around to taking the carpet out.

99T/A_Marine

iTrader: (1)

I had remembered seeing something like these a few weeks ago when I was reinstalling the exhaust after motor mounts. Do they just pop up into the floorboard and sit between the carpet and floor board and then you just put them back into place when you are ready?