hydrolock

webbs7mgte

New Member
Jun 2, 2008
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wisconsin
can somsone please explain in details hydrolock and what it entails(sp?). And how it occurs(by the name im guessing has to do with water)


justin
 

Fozbo

7M Love
Apr 4, 2005
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Norman, Oklahoma
Hydrolock is when an incompressible fluid (i.e. water) gets into the cylinder, causing the cylinder to be impossible to compress. It's basically like a brick wall to the internals of your engine. Water gets sucked in the intake, the piston tries to come up for the compression stroke, only there is water there instead of nice compressible gas. The piston is moving fast, the block is solid, the water isn't going to compress, but something is definitely going to give (most likely rods/pistons).

Can be caused by any reason there would be water in the intake. Something like a badly blown head gasket or sucking up large amounts of water through the filter.
 

dumbo

Supramania Contributor
Jul 16, 2008
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Albera, Too Far North
since liquids dont compress(well basically dont)

when there is too much liquid in a cylinder eventually your piston cant go to tdc, can be coolant

i did it to my 91 yota pick up muddin it, if it happens make sure you take your plugs out and turn it over a few times;)
 

IJ.

Grumpy Old Man
Mar 30, 2005
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Used to have an L20B with the factory BHG and the only way I could start it was to pull the plug crank it to pump the water out chuck the plug back in and fire it up ;)

Once running it was fine the PoS didn't have enough grunt in the starter to bend a rod it'd just lock solid.
 

jdub

Official SM Expert: Motor Oil, Lubricants & Fil
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Feb 10, 2006
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Doesn't have to be water in the cylinder...any liquid will cause hydrolock (like oil).
 

IJ.

Grumpy Old Man
Mar 30, 2005
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I come from a land down under
Had a genius friend fit an electric pump to an older Nissan something (can't remember what now)

He called saying it wouldn't crank the next morning and smelled like fuel......

I went over asked how he'd wired the pump, constant 12v and by constant I mean to the battery (hence "Genius")

Started poking around the engine bay and pulled the dipstick and got a geyser of Oily petrol, carb motor and no reg so it had pumped the engine full of fuel and I mean FULL to the Oil filler cap.

It had gone in the intake filled that then leaked in through the open intake valves and past the rings and any intake PCV hoses and filled the pan and crankcase ;)
 

dumbo

Supramania Contributor
Jul 16, 2008
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IJ.;1163160 said:
Had a genius friend fit an electric pump to an older Nissan something (can't remember what now)

He called saying it wouldn't crank the next morning and smelled like fuel......

I went over asked how he'd wired the pump, constant 12v and by constant I mean to the battery (hence "Genius")

Started poking around the engine bay and pulled the dipstick and got a geyser of Oily petrol, carb motor and no reg so it had pumped the engine full of fuel and I mean FULL to the Oil filler cap.

It had gone in the intake filled that then leaked in through the open intake valves and past the rings and any intake PCV hoses and filled the pan and crankcase ;)




WOW that is good one
 

IJ.

Grumpy Old Man
Mar 30, 2005
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I come from a land down under
Also watched another Genius at a KwickieMart using a Oil changer that sucked the old Oil out through the dipstick then proceed to buy 25 Litres of Oil and fill the engine to the top and wonder why it wouldn't crank :D
(guess I could have said something but we were too busy laughing)
 

shaeff

Kurt is FTMFW x2!!!!
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Mar 30, 2005
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jdub;1163049 said:
Doesn't have to be water in the cylinder...any liquid will cause hydrolock (like oil).

Right on, including methanol (as in methanol injection) One of our members did that by accident.
 

GotTurbos?

2J = Here; Swap = Near
Apr 24, 2006
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I have experience with the fuel one... bad wiring causing injectors to stick open. Luckily it happened while the car was sitting so I found out by cranking the car with a weak battery. Just freed everything up, drained the oil, replaced the filter, fixed the injector problem, and I was good to go.
 

YotaRob

U.S.Navy
Jun 18, 2008
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Great Lakes
I was pokin' around my harness trying to find the reverse light wire from the auto Soarer harness to mate it to my chassis for lights and somehow electrictly holding open injectors 1 and 4. Turnes out the wires are the same color.
 

Vector89T

stickerdave.com
Aug 21, 2005
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Oh man, that is awesome on so many levels.

IJ.;1163160 said:
Had a genius friend fit an electric pump to an older Nissan something (can't remember what now)

He called saying it wouldn't crank the next morning and smelled like fuel......

I went over asked how he'd wired the pump, constant 12v and by constant I mean to the battery (hence "Genius")

Started poking around the engine bay and pulled the dipstick and got a geyser of Oily petrol, carb motor and no reg so it had pumped the engine full of fuel and I mean FULL to the Oil filler cap.

It had gone in the intake filled that then leaked in through the open intake valves and past the rings and any intake PCV hoses and filled the pan and crankcase ;)
 

Clip

The Magnificent Seven
Oct 16, 2005
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Virginia
happened to my supra when my cousin flooded it years back (before i had the car). uncle said he pulled the plugs and cranked it over, water shot 20 feet :D didn't bend anything though, but it looks like the dipstick is still a little rusted (strange, just a smidge of surface rust). guess i paid his price: when i took it to the machine shop he said i had a fair amount of pitting on the cylinder walls and needed to be bored.
 

dumbo

Supramania Contributor
Jul 16, 2008
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Albera, Too Far North
Clip;1163487 said:
happened to my supra when my cousin flooded it years back (before i had the car). uncle said he pulled the plugs and cranked it over, water shot 20 feet :D didn't bend anything though, but it looks like the dipstick is still a little rusted (strange, just a smidge of surface rust). guess i paid his price: when i took it to the machine shop he said i had a fair amount of pitting on the cylinder walls and needed to be bored.

thats no joke, a mechanic, no one i work with, pulled a unit injector out of a head but didn't drain the rail first, cylinder fill with fuel and then he had a partner turn it over, shot him right in the eye and killed him, theres a lot of force there--just a word of warning
 

webbs7mgte

New Member
Jun 2, 2008
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wisconsin
ok thanks i found a new DD/sleeper propject STI its got the EJ25 block but it is unfortuntley hydrolocked. Loooking at ordering the Coswroth short block.:naughty: And than runningn it. AWD in the snow will be nice.I mean 4grand for a car that with the block replaced is worth about 30 isn't bad lol. When buying a previously hydrolocked car, after replacing the block, should i just change the ignition system and should be good?
 

Clip

The Magnificent Seven
Oct 16, 2005
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Virginia
might just have to change the plugs, it depends on how the car was hydrolocked. if it was water you might have to replace the internal components of the engine too.
 

webbs7mgte

New Member
Jun 2, 2008
298
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wisconsin
ok I will look into what it was hydrolocked with he said he thinks its antifreeze bhg in a boxer motor? lol but on hydrolocked cars i was told that u had to basically just strip down and full rebuild thanks for the help. i hope it is water it is hydrolocked with. but idk how much of a btich to fix it it will be lol :3d_frown:
 
Apr 10, 2008
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South East USA
My supra was hydrolocked and it flattened a bearing on the connecting rod. That was caused by starting it...and apparently the owner succeeded cause it was driven for a few miles - BHG