Waterproofing an XR

My little XR 250 doesn't like water !!

Now I'm not talking about rivers or 5ft deep puddles it just doesn't seem to like even the smallest amount in the right place.

It's spent all day on and off cutting out but then restarts first kick no problem. I've already heatsrinked the HT lead all the way down to the bottom of the cap but it still cuts out when it sees some water!
I thought I'd sorted it with the heat shrinking and extended front mudguard but it still does it.
When I got home I played around for a while with the hosepipe and the slightest amount of water directed at the plug area has it spluttering and stalling.
I know I should probably replace the plug and I'm also going to try extending the heat shrink protection all the way down the plug the the bottom where it enters the engine.

Any other thoughts/ ideas would be welcome - my mate has the same bike and his hasn't missed a beat all day. I guess I'm answering my own question here but it has to be the plug ceramic or something simple hasn't it?
Are XR's prone to this problem and if so is there a fix?

Sorry it's a bit long winded, just trying to give as much info as poss.

thanks in advance
Sherpa

Your joking...

Sherpa, this is terrible news...
My XR400 was the best bike I had regarding sub-aqua performance.
Silicon grease all the electrical connections and up the HT Cap.
Ensure the crankcase breather is routed high up.
Carb balance hoses can be routed into the airbox and plumbed into an 'anti-bogdown kit' that the motocross lads fit to their bikes.
Seal airbox drain grommet and just drain it manually after every ride.

Hope this helps.
Regards.
Timpo.

My XR never misses a beat in even deep water and it is standard apart from a replacement NGK plug cap.
One tip to fully waterproof the electrics (coil leads etc though it is messy ) with spray on waxoil).
May sound strange but it works I've seen a Jaguar V12 engine in an off road creation running fully submerged for 2 minutes after such treatment.

Sherpa, my XR600 never missed a beat either in some shote weather, deep water and the odd 'immersion'. Maybe I've juest been lucky, but I've sprayed everyone with a winter moisture protection spray from Halfords that sets like a film. I've sprayed all over the HT lead, plug and electrics (what little there is on an XR) at least once a year.

Thanks guys

That confirms my thoughts if nothing else - there must be something amiss (no pun intended) - I'll dig deeper let you know
New plug and cap has to be first on the list

Sherpa

As said before,, Reroute the clear carb breather tubes into the airbow etc,,
If these go into deepish water, the carb can`t breath and cuts out.?
If the engine dies, the water drains out and then the carb can breath again,.
re routing should?, cure this. Geoff

more explanation

It seems that it may have been a faulty/cracked plug (nothing visible) as once swapped it now keeps running OK when I direct the hosepipe at the plug cap area where as before it would stall almost immediately, with just a squirt of water.
I'll still look at rerouting the breathers into the airbox as suggested just as a further precaution, and improvement, but it would seem to be sorted for now - thanks for the help and advice from you all

Sherpa

any tips

any tips for an xl600r,it's prone to filling the airbox with water.the bike is standard as from factory

cheers

Rob

Do not just re direct the hoses into the air box. You need to t vent them all if you plan to go deep. Just go to an aqarium shop and get some t connectors. Take every pipe off the carb and place a t in it. Run one line up to under the tank and another downwards as per normal. That way if the breathers are blocked by water then the pipe just breaths from the upper pipes under the tank. If you are up to the top of the tank you are in the shit anyway. If the bike is not a full uk model it may have a problem like some of the early 400,s. Is there a CDI just above the footrest on the right hand side of the bike. Cannot rememebr if it is the CDi or something similar but loads of the bikes with it in this position hate water. Also check the condition of the HT lead as it goes into the cap. screw the cap off and cut and re make the connection and then silicon the outside of the joint. If there is corrosion in there no ammount of checking will solve the problem. This area is made worse if muck off or pro clean has been used in conjunction with a jet wash to clean the bike. Good luck. PM if you need more help.

Caution...

ANDY MELTON said:

Do not just re direct the hoses into the air box. You need to vent them all if you plan to go deep. Just go to an aqarium shop and get some connectors. Take every pipe off the carb and place in it. Run one line up to under the tank and another downwards as per normal. That way if the breathers are blocked by water then the pipe just breaths from the upper pipes under the tank. If you are up to the top of the tank you are in the shit anyway.

Click to expand...

Only plumb the carb to the height of the airbox, any higher is pointless as:
i. The water entering the airbox from under seat height, will be inducted to the engine, spelling home time.
ii. If the carb balancing pipes are plumbed in much higher, when the bike takes a tumble, resulting in the bike either on it's side or up-side-down, the plumbing will fill with over-flowed petrol causing re-starting to be extremely difficult.

The measure mentioned can be summed up by one word:- Overkill.

Timpo.

How can the plumbing fill with petrol if it is a T Vent with one hose going down to normal position and the other upwards to take care of the case you site. Overkill till you try to kick start a drowned or fuel flooded XR. The 250 was by far the worst to start when flooded and hot and the 400 was not far behind. Gravity has to work one way or another and the hoses will clear if the bike is right side up, upside down or on its side. Years of Enduro racing in welsh forrests have bourne this solution out.