Diesel Gearbox Protection

[silverbullet]

What's the deepest wading and/or mud your van has been through with the protection on Andrew?

What difference would it make? It would all help to cool the 'box and engine, thermally shock your diesel's turbos etc.
unless you're trying to drive waist deep through clay slip, of course

[axeman]

ian did you say andrew and gearbox oil change?
neil

[lloydy]

What's the deepest wading and/or mud your van has been through with the protection on Andrew?

What difference would it make? It would all help to cool the 'box and engine, thermally shock your diesel's turbos etc.
unless you're trying to drive waist deep through clay slip, of course

maybe collecting silt, First thing that sprung to my mind anyway

[silverbullet]

maybe collecting silt, First thing that sprung to my mind anyway

But if it's silt, then there's plenty of water present to suspend it and wash it away, no?
I put 6 plughole-sized holes in the plate, there's no way it's going to fill up and not drain unless trying to wade through really thick clay clag, which would just cake the 'box and engine and tyres and brakes and VC's and...
I'm not going to try that.

[lloydy]

suppose you could check it after a good greenlaning day and see if it does hold any debris. I don't know enough to agree or disagree on cooling of gearbox, but i do agree that it looks like some extra protection is needed

[silverbullet]

suppose you could check it after a good greenlaning day and see if it does hold any debris. I don't know enough to agree or disagree on cooling of gearbox, but i do agree that it looks like some extra protection is needed

I intend to have a good look at what's going on under the van at Coney. There is another way to improve matters...prototype getting made next week and then into the glovebox for folks to fondle

[Essex Nige]

what if the plate instead of 6 holes have 2 slots the same width as said plug holes, would that not increase the airflow and drainage? not sure on the strength tho

[syncropaddy]

What's the deepest wading and/or mud your van has been through with the protection on Andrew?

Dunno but water came in the doors ..... and there was muddy water on me headlights

[silverbullet]

what if the plate instead of 6 holes have 2 slots the same width as said plug holes, would that not increase the airflow and drainage? not sure on the strength tho

Neil went for 2 big slots across the width, but I could see them possibly getting snagged on rocks. Maybe I'm just paranoid which is why I went for holes, leaving a central spine in the plate.

What's the deepest wading and/or mud your van has been through with the protection on Andrew?

Dunno but water came in the doors ..... and there was muddy water on me headlights

Sounds pretty deep to me. Now, can anyone join this p155ing contest or did one have to attend syncro25 to be eligable?

[syncropaddy]

FORGET THE AIRFLOW ....... IT JUST SOMEONE TALKING B****X. If air flow was an issue the gearbox and front diff would have cooling fins on and they dont. What you see on the gearbox are casting ribs ..... nothing to do with cooling.

[Essex Nige]

Neil went for 2 big slots across the width, but I could see them possibly getting snagged on rocks. Maybe I'm just paranoid which is why I went for holes, leaving a central spine in the plate.

i was thinking more front to back, or am i being a turd?

[syncropaddy]

I will take Photos of my set up in the morning...... Mine works with no cooling issues, no stones caught up in it, NO PROBLEMS at all ...

[jed the spread]

suppose you could check it after a good greenlaning day and see if it does hold any debris. I don't know enough to agree or disagree on cooling of gearbox, but i do agree that it looks like some extra protection is needed

I intend to have a good look at what's going on under the van at Coney. There is another way to improve matters...prototype getting made next week and then into the glovebox for folks to fondle

That would be the best thing to do I recon. Dont take this the wrong way Ian, you are good at the old engineering and stuff but with you only doing very mild green laning just the one time (you did very well) Its hard to take all these improvements you are making seriously imho with your limited off road driving experience and lack of practical off road knowledge of using what your building on.
Thats one good thing about the Syncro get together's at least you can show people with actual experience and they can advise you on what might work or not with what they have actually driven, while you build your skills. I am keen to see what you come up with as I for one are in need of some protection on my Gear box area

Your keen at making stuff though I will give you that

jed

[v-lux]

I'm not going to try that.

Why not?

The reason I asked was because in my experience, anything suspended under the van like that will collect stuff. The bash plate under the engine is proof if that, everytime I take mine off it's full off crap, and mine has web got an extra, fairly large hole in it cut by the previous owner.

It's pretty rare to drive through 'clean' water when offroading, in fact quite the opposite. I've had to dig my front diff and gearbox out before now. You can't ever predict what conditions will be like across the course of a drive and most often, 'finding a way round' a difficult/muddy/silty section is either impossible and/or frowned upon.

Once all that stuff is stuck in there it will have an effect on cooling imho and let's face it, no one is going to slide under their filthy stinking van to dig out some bolts, undo them all and remove a slab of filthy stinking metal so they can pop it inside their van.
Once hitting the motorway that mud is going to bake.

[toomanytoys]

This is the best pic I can load at the min..
My plate extends from just in front of the UJ all the way back past the rear engine bar and curvs up towards the valance..
Holes cut in, more under engine.. most of the dirt and crud seems to build up under the engine if it draggs its a*** in some gloop.. under the box rarely has any..
Its been on nearly the 6 years I reckon.. and I havent seen any higher temps on the engine oil than its first few outings without the bash plate..

the plate never seems to get particularly warm even where its near the rear link pipe.. so airflow cant be too bad...
As I said, I will look at setting up the data recorder and try it out..

The plate has taken a fair old bashing over time.. but its saved the box and prob engine a few times...

Mine is a lowly 1.9 DG PETROL by the way...