Guys, I could really use your advice ........ as many of you might know, we took over 30 inches of rain in less than 2 days last week in southern Louisiana. It is being classified as a 1000 yr event! I need some advice about whether my 7.3 excursion can be brought back to life?

Our home didn't flood but I had just bought a BTS transmission that was delivered the day before and was going to have it installed......... the area where the shop is located is what flooded, probably 5 feet deep. I haven't met with any adjuster, but from what I've been told they will simply total the vehicle it if water gets into the dash!

The excursion is in great shape for it's age, a 2001. The 7.3, with 198,000 was running great with new injectors along with some other simple mod improvements. It is very hard for me to send it to some insurance graveyard.

Do I have any options? Will the computer need to be replaced, is the electrical system just a lost cause? From a mechanical perspective I feel it can be saved, I just don't know from the electrical side.

Any advice or suggestions would be much appreciated. Also, if you get a chance take a look at the flooding in South Louisiana, we don't see a 1000 yr flood everyday, much less live through one.

 

This really sucks, our prayers are with you guys down there.


You know, this is a tough one. If the insurance company totals it you can buy it back but the title will be branded as flood vehicle. Most likely all of the electronics are damages and did water get into the intake? Water gets into everything, rear axle, transmission, A/C system, you name it.


Get the thing dried out and go from there, you may find it easier to replace than repair.

 

X2 on just finding another vehicle. You will be running into problems for years. If you are going to try and keep the engine make sure you dismantle the air intake and dry everything. It doesn't take much water to ruin a high compression engine.

 

correction..... Was in great shape

Now it's a likely to be a flood total and at best a salvage vehicle.

That said, I bought back a flood vehicle and rehabbed it. Worked out well in my case.

Fresh water floods are fairly easy to save the mechanicals from corrosion with some proactive cleaning, depending on the flood conditions the silting can be a pain to clean.

Interior is fairly straight forward to save if you can get it completely removed and throughly rinsed and dried before mold and mildew sets in. Be quick !

Electrical... This is mostly why they total them out automatically. Computers, electrical circuits, sensors , wire loom connectors can all be affected. Get it dried out with the help of WD40 as quickly as possible and hope for the best.

The clock is ticking, Time is not on your side.
Good luck

 

Yep, I know time is not my friend and who knows when my name comes up on the adjuster's list. My most recent thoughts are they we go ahead and buy another vehicle but keep the flooded vehicle and do all of the things Pirate 4x4 stated. I'm thinking of pulling the 7.3 and dropping a cummins in it to lessen my electrical nightmare. I'm hoping to take a closer look at it today but thank goodness it was only river water. Thanks to all for the replies I've gotten.

 

In about 2002 I bought a 1991 Dodge that had been in a low water crossing with water up to the dash for about 12 hrs.It then set in a salvage yard for three months.
I do not remember what I gave for it but it was a good price.One of my grandson's needed a car so I bought it for him.It had a 5.9 cummins.
I pulled the engine. it was in good shape except three cylinders had water on top of the pistons.Water in these cylinders had pitted the block.Since the 5.9 does not have liners it had to be bored.
There was no water in the oil pan,transmission or rear end.All of the electrical connections were in good shape.The dodge connections were water proof.I bought new wiper motor's and radio.Turned out to be a very good buy.
If you think you will end up with it I would pull the injectors or glow plugs,turn the engine over by hand to push any water in the cylinders out.Then fill the cylinders with motor oil.

 

Guys, I wanted to give a brief update to my flooded truck situation here in Louisiana. My thanks to you that have responded to my post and to those who have donated supplies and services or those who have kept Louisiana in your thoughts and prayers. The water is receding but now the long task of cleanup and rebuilding begins.

As for my Ex, its time has come. I didn't want to give it up but it's the smart thing to do! There was a distinctive water line near the top across the dash. When the water came up it shorted out the driver's side window completely lowering it. When I open the hood a mixture of oil and water dripped onto the big 7.3 from the hood liner, the rising water had essentially pushed the oil up out of the engine saturating the hood liner. We had also recently been down to the marsh fishing and evidently lost a bobber under the back seat. The bobber obviously floated out with the water's rise and then came to rest on the seat when the water receded. It's tough giving the Ex up as I learned a lot from everyone here on FTE as well as the time and money I spent to improve the truck.

I don't have a final settlement yet, nor do I know what kind of an arrangement I can work out with Brian at BTS.... regardless, he has said he will work with me and for that I am thankful and he will get my business in the future. In the end I feel confident I will get a better deal from him than the insurance company.

The search is on for another Ex

 

That stinks, but in the end you and your family are safe. The EX can always be replaced. Keeping LA and you in our prayers.

 

When you get to the point of where you are shopping for a new excursion hit me up and I'll be happy to go look at some of them in my area for you.

I live in the Sacramento area and we are one of the Excursion hot spots in the country because of the proximity of a large urban area to the Lake Tahoe and Sierra Nevada mountains ... Basically all the rich city slicker had to have an Ex back In the day so now we have a large population of rust free model to choose from around here.

If you are going to get another Ex, sent the trans back and just have them clean it out, shouldn't be a big deal to refurb it.

 

Did the trains end up under water too? Or was it not at the shop yet?