In practice, most DUKWs take in some water through the seals so it's routine
after a long swim and before using it again on the road to drain the three
diffs. Oil floats on water so it's quick and easy to crack the drain plug
at the bottom of the diff enough to let the water drain off and, as soon as
you seal oil coming out, to crack it up again. I have heard of DUKW users
fitting an air system run off the on board compressor to maintain the axles
at the right pressure to keep out the water. Of interest to the petrohead
chemical formula buffs is the fact that personal experience shows that over
a season's prolonged use in and out of water, the oil in the diffs slowly
turns into that white custard which is the death knell for your Jeep engine
when you find it in the sump (cracked block symptom). I have discovered
that the DUKW runs quite happily on this custard and I have never met or
heard of anyone who has had a diff failure.
Regards. Mike S. UK.
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