... Stock axle vents can let in water at hub depth...
---As stated, prep repels H2O doom.
---You can pop the vent cap off by prying with a 7/16" open end wrench or by using needle nosed pliers like a pickel fork. After doing so, you can do two things
-Run hose down the frame of the truck from a high point in the engine compartment and under the hood you tie them into the bottom of a steel box with bulkhead fittings for fuel line and such. Install a vent at the top of the box. Manual Transmission, Transfer Case and Axles all have vents.
-Use coiled air line and clamp one end to the axle vents and on the other end, install a plastic fuel filter like that for lawn mowers. Wrap the coiled tubing around the axle until you are going to tread water... and then undo the air line's temporary mount and hook the filtered end to the gutter on the Traveltop or something. The M/T and T/C you can set up like described at first, with a box and bulkhead fittings.
---A/Ts have a vent, but they are behind the Torque Converter. Unless you rig up an external vent while Torque Converter is out, that is the limit.
---Other than that, a good canvas or tarp wrapped over the hood of the truck and bungied down will make a nice air bubble for keeping the water out of the engine bay (thanks be to Aussies)... for a good while anyway.
---As mentioned, you want to keep the water out of the exhaust just as much as you do the carburetor (previous paragraph), so either steady RPMs around 1200 or stacks will prevent hydrolock.
---Be safe down there boys, and remember if you must go through water, try to take an angled approach, steering slightly toward the supply of water. Current against even the sheer face of a rim will be enough to push the vehicle... and the side of the body of an International is nothing short of sheer. If hard current hits the rocker panels broadside, combined with the rims, you'll undoubtedly be swimmin` with the fishes.
---Hope it soon recedes enough for comfort.
