Water proof ignition?
cdlongjr
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What do you guys do to water proof the distributor & plug wires?
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Water proof ignition?
- Thread starter cdlongjr
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mylittlecj5
RIP Mike, we'll all miss you
the plug wires are pretty waterproof, if installed correctly.
With the distributor you can go 2 ways. first is a rubber boot made to fit around the plug wires, but I haven't seen them in a while. Second, use lots of silicone around the base.
Or if you want to go real fancy, pressurize the cap with 1-2 psi air. then run fittings to the front and rear diffs, the tranny and the Transfer Case . If there is bubbles coming out, water can't get in! And its pretty cool to be sitting in a lake, and have bubbles blowing around you!
With the distributor you can go 2 ways. first is a rubber boot made to fit around the plug wires, but I haven't seen them in a while. Second, use lots of silicone around the base.
Or if you want to go real fancy, pressurize the cap with 1-2 psi air. then run fittings to the front and rear diffs, the tranny and the Transfer Case . If there is bubbles coming out, water can't get in! And its pretty cool to be sitting in a lake, and have bubbles blowing around you!
TeamRush
Active Jeeper
I HATE having to get out in the mud to hook up and be pulled when the ignition gets soggy!
Also, we had RECORD RAINFALL last year, so everything else got a lot of water in it!
We went chugging around in the flood waters last year with no problems at all!
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First off, Work a lot of dielectric grease (so called 'Tune Up' grease) into the boots, around the wires and terminal towers so the boots seal up REALLY WELL,
And don't forget the coil wire!
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Secondly, I use On Board Air pressure through a regulator to pressurize the axles, Transmission , Transfer Case and distributor cap/distributor housing so the water can't migrate into the interior of the distributor.
This works pretty well and keeps the water out of the distributor/cap.
(If you don't have OBA, then a 'Bait Pump' that runs on a couple of 'C' or 'D' cell batteries is usually enough to keep the distributor from filling up!)
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Third, I mount the ignition module under the dash in an ammo can turned up-side-down to form an air bubble around the module.
I use a standard MSD 6 series module (Which ARE NOT waterproof) for my primary ignition, and a GM style HEI module for my secondary, or back up ignition,
And the HEI will not work when the terminals are wet,
And you SURE DON'T WANT water migrating into the inside of the MSD unit!
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Now, just for the record,
You CAN buy 'Off Road' & 'Marine' CDI modules from MSD and others,
BUT,
The electronics are 'Potted', or sealed up in epoxy resins inside the module case...
And that is GOOD for 'Water Proofing',
But BAD for Service if anything goes wrong with the module, and the epoxy doesn't transfer the heat away from the electronics very well, kind of works like insulation.
SO!
I buy the 'Regular' (cheaper) models, and mount them in an up-side-down container that maintains an 'Air Bubble' around them.
Cheap and effective!
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To 'Water Proof' your low voltage electrical connectors,
Just fill them up as full as you can get them with 'Dielectric Grease' and push the connectors back together!
Wipe off the excess that squirts out, and your connector should be virtually water proof!
Where grease is, Water can't be!