DIY Custom Intake, Airbox & Snorkel (1 Viewer)

[Mtbcoach]

Very nicely done...

 

[cody c]

The stainless looks great, looking forward to seeing it done and a performance report

 

[greentruck]

That's one mod you don't see every day

Outstanding work there, taking the art and craft of LandCrusier-dom to new heights.

Hoping for lots more ponies for you when tested.

 

[guzzla]

Holy Crap dude, I bet you were nervous cutting up that fender!!!

Curious, do you think a 3" snorkel pipe would fit INSIDE the fender, pretty much following your route and then pop out near the wind shield?

To answer the above question, yes, it will. I sat a section of 3in tube in the guard to see. Yes it will fit but it would most likely have to sit where I've positioned it which is just before the guard steps in towards the panel. Definitely doable but would be incredibly time consuming working out a way to get it on and off without removing the guard each time.



A bit more progress on the snorkel...
I was surprised how rigid the guard still was, even after having such a large section removed, but that's not to say it couldn't benefit from a little extra reinforcement. The first step was to add some reinforcement to the leading edges, on the inside. From a sheet of 3mm plate I cut two 700mm strips, 45mm and 35mm wide. After painting them, I coated them in Sikka Flex 11FC (polyurethane sealant/adhesive) and clamped them to the inside, with the 45mm wide strip going on the lower section. With the clamps removed in the morning, the edges were almost good as new.


This is a sample of the weld using the Argo-Shield gas and SS wire in the MIG. While it's definitely not going to set any new standards for BLING, it sure does the job of gluing stainless steel together and while this one still needs to be cleaned up, it isn't seen. This is the bracket that secures it to the A pillar.


You can see the 2 tabs welded on the bottom. These line up and are drilled through the reinforcing plate glued on the other side. Even with just one bolt installed above the side blinker, the panel is rock solid and so it the snorkel.


On another forum I was asked how I was going to stop possums nesting in the air filter box. So I 'vermin proofed' it


My main concern with this project was going to be the polishing side was always going to be a challenge. After grinding the welds smooth with a flap disc, it became apparent I was out of my league trying to get the seamless finish I was after with the tools at hand. So I took it back to the fabrication shop I got the tube from to have them finish it off with their special sanding and buffing machines specifically designed for tube work. Unfortunately I wont' get it back til later next week - not that they need all week to fix it, they're just busy Anyway, there's still the air-box and and a few other things to finish off so I wont be resting anytime soon.

More to follow soon

 

[alia176]

To answer the above question, yes, it will. I sat a section of 3in tube in the guard to see. Yes it will fit but it would most likely have to sit where I've positioned it which is just before the guard steps in towards the panel. Definitely doable but would be incredibly time consuming working out a way to get it on and off without removing the guard each time.

Excellent, thank you for spending the time. I've often thought about doing this and may go this route now that I know it's doable.

Cheers.

 

[greentruck]

Ali,
I can see where getting the 3" pipe inside the fender would work if you have a big slot cut in the fender. Won't the whole fender have to removed to get it inside if the slot is not there?

 

[alia176]

Ali,
I can see where getting the 3" pipe inside the fender would work if you have a big slot cut in the fender. Won't the whole fender have to removed to get it inside if the slot is not there?

Yup, removal of the fender is required and *theoretically* this should be a one time deal. Once the pipe is placed inside and stubbed out, the fender can go back on. One stub near the windshield frame, another stub is basically a gentle 90deg bend into the air cleaner connection.

 

[guzzla]

Got it back from the shop getting the finishing polish and fitted it last week. Pretty damn happy with the result, even if I do say so myself.


After getting away for the weekend the main difference is a noticeable improvement in low down throttle response, not that it was lacking. It also feels even more 'punchy' whenever you put the boot in in any gear. Holding your hand over the opening at part throttle you can feel it trying to suck your hand it. If you blip the throttle, it will suck your hand in like an industrial vacuum cleaner. While driving with the windows up, it's really quiet. With them down, it's a glorious mix of induction noise and turbo spool

Will post pics of the finished airbox and pipework shortly...

 

[spressomon]

Very, very nice!

 

[bugsnbikes]

stainless is nice and all- but i imagine in the sun that the temps on this pipe are going to act like one huge heatsink and increase your air intake temps significantly.

any plans to paint it or coat it with a heat/sun resistance temp coating?

*gorgeous work by the way*

 

[akarilo]

Nice work, but that "lobster backing" seems really labor intensive. For the application at hand I doubt you will ever notice any benefit over a more crude method. I do enjoy a project, so in a sense, I get it.

 

[mudbludger]

Subscribed as soon as i saw this thread, like your work man, please document when you do your intercooler as you make this stuff look easy

 

[troopie]

Found this thread while looking for airbox ideas.
Have you had any bad experiences with the diagonally mounted filter? Not sealing or so?

I might steal your idea

 

[TrailTamer]

Found this thread while looking for airbox ideas.
Have you had any bad experiences with the diagonally mounted filter? Not sealing or so?

I might steal your idea

Excellent idea, yes. I just found this by google image searching for ideas.

One BIG problem with OP’s design is the air filter is installed/designed incorrectly! The metal mesh are supposed to be on engine (or turbo in this case) side. Otherwise air filter failure is likely because there’s nothing to keep the filter media from falling apart and get sucked into turbo.

I've angled it for several reasons; 1) to reduce the final width of the box, 2) eliminate any more bends than needed getting air into or out of the air box. In this case, the snorkel feeds in from the left, and the turbo sucks it through from the other side (underside) on the right.


Next installment will be mounting it in the engine bay and making the inlet and outlets. TBC...

 

[Feistl]

Nice work, like the OPs effort. But for anyone considering doing something similar I'd recommend a decent pod filter (NOT an oiled one, but a dryflow). Panel filters just don't flow that much volume given their size.

Also, use a bellmouth on the line from the snorkel into the actual Airbox.