Beelzebutt

So i have a 1995 Pickup with the V6 3.0, RWD, Automatic Transmission. Over the weekend it was in a severe flash flood and the muddy water
got above my dash so i presume its inside the engine and likely the transmission. its probably everywhere it could possibly be..
i have liability insurance so if i cant fix it myself its a loss. I have a very strong relationship with this truck so id like to at least take a crack at resurrecting
it from its watery death. So first off it was a quick 5 hr flood. No salt water. As soon as it receded i disconnected the battery and opened all of the doors
to air out the interior. I did not attempt to start it. It is being towed to my house tomorrow and i have yet to do a thorough inspection but the engine is covered in debris.
i plan to pull the spark plugs, drain the oil, replace the filter and see if i can kick all of the water out of the engine. If the transmission fluid looks watery ill replace it as well.
im hoping the electronics will be more resilient due to their simplicity in this model but i really have no idea about this. ill address the mildew situation on the interior if i can even get it to run.
I am in fact a huge noob but im very mechanically inclined and have done all of the work on my truck to date myself by either talking to my mechanic friends or watching youtube videos.
so my questions for you guys are as follows.

(A) what are the odds that i can actually bring this thing back to life without investing a ton of money into it?

(B) What would your process be for going about such a task?

thank you in advance.

Co_94_PU

iTrader: (-1)

All of the fluids need changed, all of the cavities need cleaned.. Pretty much everything with a vent or orriface is going to have water at a minimum and likely grit sand or other debris..

Your greased surfaces are likely OK with some superficial contamination, so long as it's put on a flatbed and not dragged home it won't have migrated very far.

Swamped vehicles tend to have gremlin that just don't die, it's the worst of "salvage" titles IMO.

wyoming9

iTrader: (1)

It can be done but you have your work cut out .

The relays and ECU are most likely full of dirt and water .

While the Electrical connectors are water resistant being under water the pressure will push water into the connectors

Might take some time to work all the Gremlins out

Beelzebutt

thanks a lot for responding you guys. this is super helpful.
i assume im going to need to drop the gas tank to clear out any moisture?

what are the first steps i should personally do before i even attempt to turn the engine over and in what order?

thanks again.

75w90mantraN

A large dehumidifier for the closed space its in to take out as much water from the surrounding air would help. Maybe cranking out a large space heater to get it as close to desert heat too.

A wet- vac for all the cleaning, especially around previously mentioned openings.

Electrical cleaner to help displace the water on all soaked connections.

Check first, before you replace fluids or components. Assume water has contaminated if unable to verify, and find out if there's a way to remove it. One instance is dumping out the old fuel, if it sits for awhile and/or putting in some Iso-heet in the fuel system before you finally get around to starting it.

Where did this all happen? At least it wasnt washed away.

thefishguy77

iTrader: (1)

Yes you need to drop the tank and drain and dry it. You need to blow out all the fuel lines. You pretty much need to do most everything list above before you try and start it.

miss92XTRAcab

We had a mishap a few years ago at the lake (the Toyota wanted to go for a quick dip). We had it pulled out thanks to a friendly group of 4x4's, drained fuel tank, new battery, replaced oil and she ran (surprisingly) for about half hour. Then she was done. Which has me thinking.. The Toyota on Top Gear (when they lost it at sea for over 5 hours), that thing obviously survived.

arlindsay1992

iTrader: (8)

The Toyota on Top Gear was a mechanically injected diesel so there are no computers or electronics to go haywire. You just need the starter to spin the engine and it will run until there is no fuel. Anything with a computer (22RE or 3VZE) will likely die after being submersed in salt water. Freshwater, you might have a chance but I would still worry about all the electrical issues that may show up weeks or months later after the water which has wicked into the wires has yet to dry out.