deep water crossings

[longbedGTs]

Who here does a lot of deep water crossings? Ive been trying to turn my 84 200M into a submarine, but it seems that when water gets to the jug, it will try to stall out. It doesnt suck water through the carb or the exhaust. Im thinking that its because it cools down so fast, its like start up when cold. Ive concluded this because I can splash water 'at' the jug and there is a noticable RPM drop. If I use the choke about 1/2 way, it acts much better!

Next question. The trike has a problem with getting traction when under water. The faster I spin the tires, the slower it goes. Im not running any air in the tires. How would it do if I put water in the tires? Im talking about 1/2 gallon each tire. What do you suggest?
I will have to get Allan(sykolincoln) to take some pics. This thing does awesome as it is, even though there is room for improvement.
Thanks!! :beer

[TravEX]

As far as it stalling out, have you sprayed ether all around the motor and carb to see if there are any leaks?

What I've done to my Big Red to make it ready for deep water is I got a 5-way vacuum line splitter for 3/16 and 1/4" lines. I ran the 2 float overflow tubes (the M will have 1) and the bowl drain hose to the splitter right behind the carb. I then ran tube up under the gas tank and 1 tube below the chassis. So, the carb can vent and drain whatever it need to. I also am going to get longer crankcase breather tubing to vent the crankcase up higher.

How deep are you talking? I try not to get in water over waist deep, and never swift moving water! Me and the Big Red went tumbling/swimming down river once!


As for the cooling of the motor, I don't think that would cause any immediate problems. I have given this alot of thought in the past. Say you are creek riding in the hot summer, that water temp and the atmosphere around it is alot cooler than the hot air away from the creek. Usually for every 20-40 degree change in temp people re-jet. Technically, you could run lean the time that you are around the water?. The air density would be greater.

[chris200x]

I've been known to hit some deep water from time to time...
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e137/chrisr200x/deepwatersx-1.jpg

Never heard of putting water in your tires.. :wondering But I usually like to hit a puddle about 2nd gear half throttle... This will give enough momentum and more throttle if needed. What kind of rear tires are you running? IMO Good ole wooley Boogers can't be beat for this situation... I run about 3-4lbs of air in them. There hasn't been very many situations I haven't been able to get out of this way.. :naughty:

[TravEX]

Oh, here's a couple pics of creek riding we do, the last 3 pics is about as deep as I like to go. I love water wheelies!!!:Bounce

Is your recoil sealed up good. My S would always give trouble when I got in water over the recoil.

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m51/TravisLillard/Picture086.jpg

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m51/TravisLillard/HPIM0711.jpg


http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m51/TravisLillard/HPIM0712.jpg

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m51/TravisLillard/HPIM0713.jpg

[TravEX]

Chris I love that pic.

He's right about tires. I would run 3-4 lbs in em, they need some air.

These are what Scott had on mine when I got it, and I love em. Haven't got stuck yet. Good tires are a must.


http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m51/TravisLillard/HPIM0637.jpg

[slothminx]

http://img57.imageshack.us/img57/9176/p1010242sf4.jpg
http://img179.imageshack.us/img179/3189/p1010243kn8.jpg
http://img238.imageshack.us/img238/3567/p1010244cm2.jpg
http://img529.imageshack.us/img529/263/p1010247aa1.jpg
http://img335.imageshack.us/img335/7817/p1010248nm3.jpg



Was a bit deeper a few times, the Z started to float tho.:lol:

[chris200x]

LOL... The whole trick is not to suck water into the vents under the gas tank.. And keep it running as not to get water in the exhaust. I had about an inch of mud in my airbox after that one. LOL

Alot of guys in my area run those mud sharks... those are fantastic tires for the terrian over here...

[Erics350x]

it could be missfiring around the plug wire when it gets wet.

[slothminx]

Yup, keep the front end up,


When I went over to Kintores, I sank his ATC 200 to where there was water touching the gas tank, It wasnt keen on running with that much water, but i think its because the cylinder cooled down as you said.

[PowerTech]

mud shark tires are the best tracktion tire i have used for sport bikes. i have run wooly copies on a 110 and they were very good. but i the shark is the ultimate.

take all electrical conections aprt and clean with contact cleaner and over load all the plugs with dielectric grease , get that stuff at a car parts house.

fill the spark plug boot with the grease also. grease the hell out of everything

running all the vents into the airbox or up high nere the handle bars is good to like stated before.

i just run my crank case vent into the frame tube high on mine.

i neve had trouble with stators it is just a magnetic generatror there is nothing in there to get hurt from being wet. now if you let it sit full of it will corode and destroy it's self. you need to clean that thing out and oil in up often if you are a water bug.

and it sure does sound like you have a air leak . some of these 4 strokes have a plastic intake manifold that warps at the base very often. and or cracks. get a new one if needed. or look for missing or bad orings/gaskets. take the carb off and clean it while you are at it. never hurts. maybe you can jsut rig these leaks with silicone.

and ditch the foam filter if thats what you have and run a K@N they clear out easy while wet and riding a outer wear is good on them to thats what i have found and run. and if you need to remove it because you are swamped just shake it out and stick it back on.

seal up the air intake system at every jount with grease.

and runn ass heavy to float the front tire.

and get off of it some times you dont have to shut it off just get off. the pipe and carb should be above the water when you are off of it. you can hop back on when you are through the deep stuff. you dont need to drown it every time you get in a hole .

[chris200x]

mud shark tires are the best tracktion tire i have used for sport bikes. i have run wooly copies on a 110 and they were very good. but i the shark is the ultimate.


LOL... Mud sharks didn't seem to help my bud out too much... :lol:
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e137/chrisr200x/ridingpics004-1.jpg

It's funny how my 21 year old SX can truck through almost anything and these guys with multi thousand dollar quads get stuck.. :TrikesOwn It brings me great joy when I drive right around them then throw them a tow rope... :naughty:

[theonlyjosh]

ya haha, i ride in water all the time, only like 1-2 feet deep maybe 3, and i never stall out, my trike doesn't float though, makes me mad... maybe it's because i haven't been in deep enough water though. I love full throttle ridin through water.. you don't even move hahaha.

[Tri-ZNate]

I'll tread 3 feet of water but I'm not too keen on doing it any more. Once it water wheelied too much and almost went over, always fun though :D

[longbedGTs]

The reason I dont run any air in the tires is because this is a beater trike, and it sees hell on the trails. If I put air in them, wouldnt I have an even harder time finding traction due to the tires wanting to float?
Ive got something called 'Trail Wolf' on the rear with about 1/2 or better tread. Front is a Turf Buster. All 3 tires are size 25-12-9 which Im sure are the only reason this trike does so well.
Im not a hardcore water guy, just like to hit 'em when Im down at the river.
The furthest Ive had it buried was about to the valve cover/rocker box/whatever, and it did good(was going really slow, but it was making it) until it stalled out. It always cranks back up, just let it sit for 30 seconds or so. If I get off the trike in deep water, the back floats really bad.
When in the water, I have to sit as far back as possible for the tires to get traction if Im going fast(1st gear WO...boggs in 2nd), and that results in the front tire floating.
Im ging to take a look at the carb area tomarrow. Hopefully Ill find that leak. Oh, sometimes, it does like to idle sky high for no reason.
Thanks and cool pics!

[rally4x4racer]

trail wolf are pretty good tires

most of mine have open intakes so i stay away from the H20

[84honda200s]

i use to use buck shot mudders. they worked great. then i moved up to a piar of 25 inch swamp fox tires wich works real nice.

[Rennat_2006]

It seemed like everytime i took my 110 out it ventures into the water.

I pull water up to the seat and it will still run, it does bog a little bit right when you first submerge it but i think that is because of the cold.

If i go any deeper than the seat which isnt uncommon ive got to put a knee on the seat and carry a wheelie through to keep the steering head up and out because that is where my intake is.

[p26575r16]

I used to get in very deep water when I lived in St. Louis. My 185 and my buddies 185 always did the same thing yours is doing. I believe it is just cooling off to fast. As far as the water in the tires, I would not do it, causes the tire to rot and the wheels to rust if they are steel. My buddy used to run calcium in his riding lawn mower tire to aid in traction. It is heavier than water, and does not rot or rust. He used to fill the tire approx 1\2 full and then aired to proper psi. It worked great for low speeds, but remember, if you go any faster than a crawl it will drastically throw the tires out of balance.

[84honda200s]

i use anti freeze in my tires on my lawn tractor. i added about 150 pounds by doing it. he is rite you wont want to do it. it will set it all off wak when you want to ride faster than 2nd gear.

[TravEX]

i use anti freeze in my tires on my lawn tractor. i added about 150 pounds by doing it.

Huh:wondering , 150 pounds would be about 19 gallons of anti-freeze.

[monstertruckr81]

i had a 200x that had a headgasket leak and got it in water about 3 ft deep and destroyed the motor it smoked worse than the bug man drivin through the neibhorhood i guess cause it was hot and when the cold water got in it (not good)

[Name Brand]

I've run all my vent lines into my airbox which has a removable snorkle. With the snorkle I can go through water over the top of my gas tank. Not splashes; actual depth. My machine tends to sink more than it floats but still is easy enough to control in deep water.

Pics of my snorkle setup are here; http://www.3wheelerworldforums.com/showthread.php?t=61999

This is Jim Creek out in the Knik River area. Most of the water is about two feet deep. The water randomly cuts trenches and holes in the silty riverbed anywhere from 3-4 feet deep. The big Chevy truck in the picture has about a 36 inch tire on it and got stuck in one of these trenches (I think he had open diff's too...). That's me on my trike to the right of him. If you look closely you can see my snorkle sticking up. With the snorkle I no longer have any trouble driving through these trenches and holes and hydroing out.

[TravEX]

Cool setup!

[84honda200s]

Huh:wondering , 150 pounds would be about 19 gallons of anti-freeze.



yup it cost me a ton of money. but i got it all in there. i dont even need chains anymore.

[Nick_R_23]

Back a few months ago at the end of summer, it flooded here pretty bad. You step off the road and your up to your knees at least. I took both my 83's out (200 and Big Red) and rode around in really deep water. I had both machines at different times under so much water, I was standing on the rack and got soaked halfway up to my knees (im 6' 2"). :crazy: You couldnt see the machine period. The only set of tires I had are stock ohtsu's in the rear I kept switching between the trikes, they are almost bald. Never got stuck except when we were trying to race a fish down the road, and went into a pocket and couldnt back out. Got a nice set of tubed knobbies on the Big Red now and I cant wait to go try them out in the river!

-Nick :TrikesOwn

[TravEX]

Bump, for a good thread.