Those with snorkels (1 Viewer)

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Jan 7, 2010
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Looking into possibly getting a snorkel installed, partially to allow engine to run more efficiently, however, not sure it will offer any performance improvement (hopefully), and lastly looks pretty cool. No immediate plan for serious water crossing..
Want to know the pros and cons.
 
Ideally meant for dusty environments - to get the intake higher into cleaner air. Ive read they'll help reduce IAT a little (anecdotal) but no real performance benefit to having one. And about the looks of a sdorkle....... its a mixed bag. Looks are in the eye of the beholder- (this beholder thinks some of them look pretty fugly.) The TJM low profile unit is a little better looking than the Safari type aesthetically suppose if you had to have one.
 
I installed one for the first time and it was a success!

Why the installation: I did a trail ride on James River Road in Mason TX. I was following my friends Taco all the way about 20 miles. Road is not paved and dust made me to see nothing in front nearly 20% of the time.

Just to check the condition of the airfilter, upon reaching home, I tried to clean the air filter. To my surprise, air filter was quite clean! The engine bay was covered with dust!
 
How will it make the engine more efficient????
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Looking into possibly getting a snorkel installed, partially to allow engine to run more efficiently, however, not sure it will offer any performance improvement (hopefully), and lastly looks pretty cool. No immediate plan for serious water crossing..
Want to know the pros and cons.

I have installed snorkels on my LC100 Land Cruisers over the years as a just-in-case provision for crossing water and suddenly finding that there is a hole or depth not seen during pre-check of the crossing or in case of emergency (caught by rising water). I don't have the need or the courage to cross deep water deliberately at greater than normal intake depth and Mrs IndroCruise forbids that kind of fun anyway! Maybe the higher intake helps with dust but if serious about that a pre-filter should be included at the top of the snorkel -- these might assist dust removal at the expense of some intake resistance -- but none of the pre-filters look pretty. Maybe there is some ram effect at intake at huge speed -- but this is tiny, hardly counts at ordinary speeds compared to the huge induction of 1HD-FTE and 2UZ-FE engines -- and the intake airflow has to go through additional pressure-losing corners anyway. Recently, I put a snorkel (Safari not Armax) on the LC200 (1VD-FTV turbodiesel V8) despite the above hesitations. Reason? Thought may be that it would help dust control given the reputation of the airbox for dust ingress at the seals -- but very flawed thinking, because adding resistance upstream of the airbox inevitably adds to the pressure difference at the airbox seals! Real reason? In Australia where the majority of Land Cruisers have a just-in-case snorkel, I just thought that the vehicle did not looked properly dressed as a serious traveller on backroads and trails -- so basically it was look-at-me narcisism!!! And on a Right Hand Drive turbodiesel LC100 and turbodiesel LC200 the snorkel is on the driver's side and the driver does have to adjust to some obstruction of driver vision, so it can be unhelpful in suburbia.

My only recommendation would be that if you proceed with a snorkel for whatever reason, get a real one -- ARB, TJM or a good US brand, avoid the many fakes on eBay -- and ensure that it is fitted properly and fully waterproof at every join. You would never want to be in a situation where it actually is needed in deep water, however unexpectedly -- and you are let down by a fake snorkel and stuck with a marooned vehicle with a hydrolocked and probably irrevocably damaged engine, not to mention likely non-functioning electrics throughout the flooded vehicle
 
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Looking into possibly getting a snorkel installed, partially to allow engine to run more efficiently, however, not sure it will offer any performance improvement (hopefully), and lastly looks pretty cool. No immediate plan for serious water crossing..
Want to know the pros and cons.

Some people will tell you that they pull cleaner air from up above on dusty roads. I'll tell you that dust on dusty roads goes up, and is going to get sucked in at an elevated point regardless. Some people will tell you it has a ram-air effect. I couldn't say.

What I can say is that they are very handy for water crossings. I can also say that if you're considering adding a snorkel because they look great, that you have terrible taste. If I met someone with a snorkel on their truck and they told me they didn't do water crossings, I would make fun of you with my friends.


-Someone who will likely need to install a dumb looking snorkel for water crossings.
 
One thing I rarely (if ever) see mentioned is snagging limbs. My pinstripes aren't just on the sides, they're on the roof too. I often drive under low-hanging limbs. I know pedestrian decapitators limb risers are a thing, but do you guys with snorkels ever get caught on stuff?
 
One thing I rarely (if ever) see mentioned is snagging limbs. My pinstripes aren't just on the sides, they're on the roof too. I often drive under low-hanging limbs. I know pedestrian decapitators limb risers are a thing, but do you guys with snorkels ever get caught on stuff?
I've seen roof racks get hung up many times, never a snorkel. Especially those racks where the outer edge just individual slats sticking out perpendicularly from the truck. The ones with a smooth rail parallel to the truck are way better in that case.

I'm sure it's still possible, though.
 
One buddy of mine recently had to go through a full-on rebuild/ motor swap ordeal on his LC because of a hydrolocked motor just from sending it that little bit too hard/ finding a pothole under the already-max-depth-for-his-truck water/ etc.

I'm not sure if I want to put one on my truck or not. Have been only in one water crossing situation so far where it was anywhere close, but it was, in fact close enough for me to, uh, pucker a bit. 🤔 Nobody wants an afternoon of fun to cost em thousands of bucks and weeks of downtime.
 
I have the eBay special. It works and I wouldn’t waste money on a brand name. I’ve crossed water nearly 4’ deep without concern.

I’ve driven many a dusty road in a convoy, and the snorkel vehicles had considerably less dust in the filter. Yes, dust is everywhere, but it’s much less concentrated 6ft in the air than in the wheel well.

I have snagged it on tree limbs-you do need to pay attention on the trails. I’ve had it turn the head, and on one occasion pull the screen off. I just needed to stop and put it back together.

I wouldn’t take it through an automatic car wash.

For an adventure vehicle I enjoy it’s functionality. I really like the flexibility and confidence it gives me knowing I can cross water on most trails. I wouldn’t get one to look cool at the mall.
 

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