Does a snorkel really improve vehicle performance?

[cicak]

I love the "finished" look too, but how much noise it will generate?

If your worried about noise then sell the vehicle a DIESEL rattles to let you know its running still.

A snorkle improves performance yes it improves its capabilities in water by stopping water ingestion into the engine lol. However the snorkle joints must all be sealed up I use silicon also to seal the joints around the the pipe connections to the air box and do not trust any mechanic to say I have done all the clips on the snorkle up.

Where you are then you also need to turn the top of the snorkle around in the jungle to stop leaves being sucked in and back around forwards for the highway.

 

[Toyodieselfan]

I have a diesel it is fueled by leaves it suckes in, like octane boost. Love my diesel.

 

[PhrogsPhorever]

I have a diesel it is fueled by leaves it suckes in, like octane boost. Love my diesel.

That's "Green" energy right there

As far as snorkels and performance go, on sheer looks alone you will gain at least 30HP and a 25% increase in MPG

 

[Muscat LC]

does it come with a pre-filter in it?

Hi hzj79lee,
Sorry I wouldn't know, but I'll be happy to ask and revert back.

Cheers

 

[Malahki]

I love the "finished" look too, but how much noise it will generate?

My BJ74 has the safari snorkel with the safari bowl type pre filter (as shown in pic) and it definitely makes a lot of noise. Because it sucking the air up from the bottom in a spiral effect it seems much louder then when I have the ram style cap on. Sometimes I think it sounds cool and other times its just plane annoying.

 

[ForealBoreal]

My safari ore cleaner on my 77 makes noise but I don't care, I dig it, it catches stuff for sure.

 

[Tancruiser]

SNORKELS are real chick magnets

 

[hzj79lee]

SNORKELS are real chick magnets

Hope it wont suck chick into it =D

 

[crushers]

side note, (i tried to find my pics of this but can't right now), i run the factory setup on my PZJ70 ragtop. a couple years back, during high black fly season here in Ontario, i drove down a swampy over grown trail on a hot day. the black flies were abundant but when i stopped not a one came inside the cab area (no top on). as i sat there enjoying the day with the engine idling i happened to glance at the snorkel cap and it was COVERED with black flies. they would fly away and then come back and land on the cap. there were none that i could see anywhere else on or in the vehicle.

i am still puzzled as to why this occured. i must have sat there for an hour and all that time they never seemed to land anywhere else. even as i drove further down the trail they took off and landed on the cap.

anyone has suggestions?

 

[Gun Runner 5]

side note, (i tried to find my pics of this but can't right now), i run the factory setup on my PZJ70 ragtop. a couple years back, during high black fly season here in Ontario, i drove down a swampy over grown trail on a hot day. the black flies were abundant but when i stopped not a one came inside the cab area (no top on). as i sat there enjoying the day with the engine idling i happened to glance at the snorkel cap and it was COVERED with black flies. they would fly away and then come back and land on the cap. there were none that i could see anywhere else on or in the vehicle.

i am still puzzled as to why this occured. i must have sat there for an hour and all that time they never seemed to land anywhere else. even as i drove further down the trail they took off and landed on the cap.

anyone has suggestions?

"I must have sat there for an hour" ........ you really need to get a hobby.

 

[lshobie]

Wayne i have the same thing happen every year with the horse flys, I think it is the sound or vibration.

 

[ForealBoreal]

hmmmm i'll pay more attention to mine next time I am out.

I have been experimenting a little bit with plumbers wax on the felt seal of the air box.
Helps seal it up a little bit better.

 

[hzj79lee]

as i sat there enjoying the day with the engine idling i happened to glance at the snorkel cap and it was COVERED with black flies. they would fly away and then come back and land on the cap. there were none that i could see anywhere else on or in the vehicle.

i am still puzzled as to why this occured. i must have sat there for an hour and all that time they never seemed to land anywhere else. even as i drove further down the trail they took off and landed on the cap.

anyone has suggestions?

I think ur snorkel killed a bird or something, so the blood stains attracted the flies

 

[Muscat LC]

Oh, will double check if air box is nicely sealed.

 

[Couso]

Power Gains with Snorkel

I've had no experience with a 70 series, but my LN106 Duel Cab Hilux definetly goes better with the Snorkel connected. I've got a 1995 3rd gen Hilux running the 2.8 Litre 3L engine. These N/A engine go for ever if looked after but dont make much power.... any improvement is noticeable.
I live in Alice Springs (Central Australia) which is 600m above sea level and mostly flat country. The injectors and pump was last set up in Sydney at sea level (80,000 km ago). From memory there was 80hp at the rear wheels = not much.
The snorkel is a Safari with a forward facing intake. There is a removable restrictor in the top which looks like a big washer ~ 75 mm OD with a ~ 40 mm hole. Sorry no pictures to post.
With the restrictor removed I get ~ 7 kph more top end speed and slightly better pulling power at lower revs but the vibrations and noise at 1800 rpm is almost unbearable but disappear at 3000 rpm and above. For long trips on the highway flat out I always remove the restrictor for the top end gains.
When I lived at the bottom of Bulli Pass (a steep 1 in 8 climb up the escarpment south of Sydney), I found with the restrictor removed I could comfortably get up the pass in 3rd gear but with the restrictor in or the snorkel disconnected I always had to go back to 2nd gear for the steepest gradients. This improvement at low revs suprised me and others.
I've played around with various restrictors with larger holes and have one with a ~ 50mm hole which gives a bit of gain in performance and is not too noisy for daily driving. I plan to incorperate a resonator from a later model Hilux between the air box and manifold to help with the induction noise and vibrations when I get a chance.
I also have Lukey sports muffler in the standard exhaust system which also improves power slightly and may improve the snorkels effects.
All other mods to the car only decrease performance by adding weight ie: 140 lt Fuel Tank, ARB Winch Bar, Steel cage canopy on the tub, Tow bar. The only other mod is 30in tyres on 15*7 steel rims. The car weighs 1920 kg wet.
If I was to do it again I would build a custom snorkel out of 3in stainless tube mandrel bent and have larger mounting points to the gaurd, A pillar and roof to help reduce vibrations.

Cheers,

 

[crushers]

how do you suppose the snorkel improved the performance?
ram air?
fresh air?
????

 

[aceblueheeler1992]

mate where I am from (nth qld) the dust/dirt here is real, I would say the boys in WA/NT would also have it rough. If you did any real 4wding it's a must for water, unless you like rebuilds. Also to keep the air filter a bit cleaner, they say using a pre filter element is a good thing/same as throwing on a sock when the going gets real dusty. the factory pre filter cleaner does do a good job. IMO snokel, bullbar is a must,

 

[Couso]

how do you suppose the snorkel improved the performance?
ram air?
fresh air?
????

Good Question...
I'm not a mechanical engineer (but I am a mechanic with a functioning brain) and well here's my theory anyway...
Myth...Engine's do not suck air into the cylinder as the piston descends - atmosheric pressure pushes the air in. I wouldn't be suprised that if after the paper air filter element ie the intake manifold, on a N/A engine the pressure is slightly less then ambient atmospheric pressure because of the resistance of the element itself.
My Injector pump was last set up at sea level. I now live at 600m above sea level. My pump should be over fueling slightly. 1st symptom of overfuelling is black smoke when the pump is wide open. My truck blows less black smoke with the snorkel connected.
I believe by having a 12 square inch air intake facing forward as you travel forward at 100 kph supplying air to a 2.25 diameter intake on the airbox (which is 7.065 square inch) there has to be above atmospheric pressure in the manifold which equals more air in the combustion chamber which equals more oxygen. You need oxygen to burn fuel and if you have more oxygen you can burn more fuel which equals more power.
The is no stoichiometric ratio for deisel combustion. Turn up the fuel and you will get more power but ,as mentioned above, more fuel is pointless without more oxygen. This is why I am suprised at the low speed/low rpm improvement I get. Maybe it's like a having tuned length exhaust but on the intake side????
The increase in power is not huge in my truck but it is noticable and in my opinion it's worthwhile to have a snorkel fitted. I don't paticularly like the Safari one I have, mostly because of the excessive vibration, but it's currently connected because my daily commute is mostly at 80kph and above.
Im curious if any Turbo Deisel guys have found an improvement with their trucks performance because that would likely dispell my theory of greater then atmospheric pressure in the cylinder...
And once again, I'm no expert, these are purely me own theories and I'm up for an education if I'm wrong.

Couso
Alice Springs, NT
Ln106 Duel Cab

 

[crushers]

after owning numerous 70s with both factory and Safari snorkels installed (after purchase) i can say that although at first i thought there was an improvement, i can say now that purchasing a snorkel to improve performance is a waste of cash. there is no noticable improvement.
both the safari and the factory units feel the same after installation. none.

but

if you feel that there is an improvement, excellent. enjoy.

600M is squat, 2000m does make a difference and 3000m makes a well running NA Toyota diesel a smoking slug.

 

[roscoFJ73]

how do you suppose the snorkel improved the performance?
ram air?
fresh air?
????

It could be that it is slightly less restrictive than the factory set up,or it could be that the air is slightly cooler.
My FJ73 had a 75mmx20mm air intake right next to the upper radiator tank,I always thought that to be little too small and too close to the heat from the radiator.
And the air was also obstructed by all the bits and pieces holding the front of the landcruiser to gather

You would have to dyno it to see if it had any difference in output.
You could also argue that at higher speeds,any positives are outweighed by the wind drag from having a lump of plastic hanging off the side of the vehicle.

I have a ARB snorkel on my troopy fitted by the PO ,but I wouldnt have bought one because water crossings are almost non existant in my area.