Improving ability/preventative steps to water ford in a flood

I'm looking for mild improvements to help with water fording during a flood or emergency, or just minimize the damage afterwards.

From what I've found here, a differential breather kit and doing what I can to seal up the airbox and piping is a good first step. Do transfer cases have breathers, and hence need one extended as well? I don't need a snorkel and I don't plan to attempt to seal up the engine bay. My thinking is along the lines of "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."

After experiencing Hurricane Harvey and another flood event, I would like to be able to have a better chance of keeping my family safe and having the mobility to help others if possible. Thanks!

 

You may want to research electrical components that would be susceptible to damage, my understanding is that is the first thing to get damaged.

 

The factory does a good job of keeping electrical from being damaged if it gets wet. Submerged for a period of time is a different story.

Rear dif and the locker has a breather as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MFW8YK9dx0

 

Thanks for the video. Interesting that the diff lock has its own breather. Per the video, the list of components with breathers are:

• Rear differential
• Rear diff lock (if equipped)
• Front differential
• A.D.D.
• Transfer case
• Transmission

In the host’s opinion only the breathers on the rear axle need to be raised.

In the case of an older car I’d recommend dielectric grease on the electric connections under the hood, but I don’t know if that’s advisable on newer cars with lots of electronics. Maybe someone else could chime in on that.

 

I’ve heard that rear diff lock actuators can take on water, leading to failure…so those might be worth doing when relocating the rear diff breather.

 

I’ve seen some old school videos talking about the importance of technique when fording water. Key among them was maintaining steady forward speed, at the right speed to maintain a good bow wave. A bow wave in front effectively means a lower water level below you. You want to avoid stopping midwater because it’s inviting more risk for water infiltration or damage.

 

Found it!!! I wont give you a timestamp for the water fording section, since the entire video is too good to miss any of it.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=383&v=Xz0hN05GyLQ&feature=emb_title

 

Don't think you're going to build a submarine like this guy: https://fb.watch/f_6yog04U4/

Water will quickly find any hole to pass through so seal them up.

 

I was searching the internet for the best or a good 4runner forum meaning they had experienced and helpful people and I think I found it here. Thanks for the help, several of you. I didn't know the rear locker could have its own breather. I won't be able to get to these modifications right away but I will be getting a parts list together.

 

I located the breathers under the hood. They are all at about the level of the top of the wheel wells. I didn’t find a spec in the manual for maximum recommended fording depth, but I guess the height of the breathers is a good indication.

There are two beside the fuse box, between the fuse box and the engine. They are silver metal cylinders at the ends of rubber hoses with black braided sheaths. About the size of a 9mm casing. There are two more behind the engine.