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Stay the F away from water at all costs! You can either take peoples advice, or learn the hard way. I know forging through deep water looks cool in commercials...but it's really not a capability thing...it's a stupidity thing!!
That being said, for a brief dip, like an easy crossing that you know you can make, as long as it's not going to go over the intake, you'll be cool. IF it's a long river crossing, be careful with speed, you'll make a wake. Wait till the other person has gone and the wakes have died down, and get in low gear, low range so that you can get the idle as high as you possibly can, and drive somewhat slowly, keeping momentum, and keep that wake infront of you. If you hear water go into the intake, shut the motor off immediately....or you will blow the motor up. In terms of going in the intake, water is an incompressilbe fluid. So if it gets into your cylinder and your piston tries to compress it....say buh-bye to the motor. Don't try to show off crossing water. Don't be afraid to say you won't cross water....let people make fun of you, your jeep will still work the next day!!! Now if people try to coax you into climbing up a rock that you dont' think that you can, do it!! Rocks don't hurt motors....they're fun!
In general, you're more than safe if you're only halfway up the tires. Once the entire axle is submerged, you're breather tubes better be in good shape. If you get past halfway up the axle, you're going to want to just check the fluids once you get a chance. 50 miles of driving on contaminated gear oil isn't going to kill a diff. A few hundred miles of driving on contaminated gear oil will. Greyness, whiteness, or any discoloration, and bubbles are a sign that water contaminated your fluids and they need to be changed.
Now, that being said, I've been in water up past the headlights....intake barely above water. If you really must try a mud hole with deep water, make sure you're ready for a quick recovery. Have a strap hooked up already, just pull it in the passenger window, close in in the lift gate window, tie it up top, whatever. Have people ready on either side for a swift recovery. That will minimize the chances of you soaking your interior. If you have subs/amps, disconnect them. Waterproof all electrical connections with dielectric grease, especially plug wires, and the bottom of the distributor cap. This will keep the motor running if you're stuck in water above the doors. No matter how new the door seals are, eventually water will start coming in. Girls will panic and scream, it's your job to keep your head! Damage control time.
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If you did succumb to peer pressure (it happens to the best of us) and try that impossible mud hole with deep water, once you get out, you want to get the water out of the interior ASAP. Cups to bail the water out. It's gonna smell bad. You'll have you work cut out for you. Not sure where the floor drain plugs are in a KJ, but look underneath and if you can't pull them from there, cut a hole in the rug and get them out. Drive around like that for a few days, it helps. You'll have to pull the rug out and it will be salvageable, just needs a good cleaning, resolve, etc. Make sure it's good and dry before you put it back in. You'll also need to pull the insulation out form under the carpet. That will be junk. It absorbs water and just doesn't even want to dry out. If you don't pull it out, you'll have water sitting on your floor pans until they rust through. Not sure how many people rhino line the interior of KJs...but if you're into water crossings, it's the way to go. You can put carpet back over the rhino liner. You will have lost some of the sound deadening...so the highway ride will be louder, for those who care. ETC ETC ETC....yeah I'm rambling on.
Hopefully this rant of mine will help to deter people from trying water crossings. They're not worth it. Let the other guys do it, and let them call you a pu$$y.
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Civilisation exists by geological consent, subject to change without notice. -Durant
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My five year old got too excited about playing his new game one evening and forgot to roll up the window. It was pouring that night and the interior carpet got soaked badly ...