Has anyone installed the $180 ebay snorkel?

[highfructose]

Has anyone installed the $180 ebay snorkel?

I’ve read on the forum that putting a bullbar on my lx570 increases the likelihood (an unknown amount) that my engine will inhale water not just on a river crossing, but even on a rainy highway.

I suspect the $180-$200 snorkels are overruns or grey copies of the dobinson snorkel but figured I would ask here to see if anyone had given the cheap ebay snorkels a shot.

Supposedly this is a common snorkel choice for 100 series land cruisers as they’re not different than the $400+ ones.

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[grinchy]

I put on a knockoff TJM. It works fine, but it isn't as tight to the roofline as many TJM installs show. I could have put it too high, or perhaps the riser tube is a 1/2" longer.

Builds - The Guzzler - 2009 LX570

Passenger side a quick fix. Just twisted the bracket off with some locking pliers. Two spot welds snap easily. Cut a contour with scissors and drill a couple holes. 10 min tops.

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[Fisher23]

Looks like it will work fine.

I do not think adding a bull bar has an effect of sucking water on a freeway.

Driving through a tropical storm or large puddles yes... what is the chance of that in FL ..LOL

 

[highfructose]

Fit well…even w the rubber boot being round and the gasser air inlet for the box being trapezoidal, with a panel popper to pry, it slid over the stock airbox inlet w no use of heat (picture below). Same thing w the neck of the snorkel-even though the lx panels are slightly different than an lc, the snorkel, using the chincy template, seems to fit nice and tight to the body

Instructions pulled from the following video follow




1:06 video install starts

• Remove inner tire mud flap
• Remove inner guard liner
• Remove three bolts retaining the air box assembly from inside the wheel well
• Remove and discard the duct
• Remove air box assembly from under the e hood
• Remove bolts holding the air entry flange between the under hood area and fender area
• 2:00 apply the template to the fender
• Mark the mounting holes and air inlet hole with a felt ripped pen
• Drill out the mounting holes to (?) 16mm ideally using a step drill
• Drill/cut out out air entry hole in fender
• Debur mounting and air entry holes with a file
• Paint holes to prevent rust
• Apply loctite to mounting studs of snorkel
• Screw studs into snorkel finger tight
• Fit upper mountain bracket to snorkel using bolts supplied
• Apply polyurethane sealant to the snorkel and the rubber sleeve that goes near the inlet (maybe rtv?)
• Seal airbox drain holes with the same (?) rtv sealant
• Apply foam gasket to the part of the snorkel that will touch the body of the vehicle (3:45)
• Put tape on the a pillar
• Mark position of snorke upper mounting bracket on the a pillar masking tape
• Remove snorkel
• Mark position for drilling into a pillar
• Drill pilot holes for a pillar mounting bracket
• (No step drill) Drill out to 8mm (too shallow for step drill)
• Debur and paint holes
• Install plastic inserts for mounting bracket self tapping screws
• 4:45 airbox modification:
• Remove foam from air entry snout of airbox
• Slice a 6” or so rubber hose in half (make like a hot dog bun out of it) and slide it onto the inner “hole” that the rubber boot is going to traverse between your airbox and your snorkel-over time this rubber boot may rub against the sheet metal “hole” Toyota placed in the inner firewall (for lack of a better term) and wear through. By adding a sliced “hose” hot dog bun to the sheet metal, you’ll have a rubber on rubber potential rub point.
• Mark 18mm in on the snout (so you know how deep to press the rubber to get a good purchase)
• Measure 18mm up from the molding line on the snout and put a hash mark.
• Align the mark on the snout to the mark on the rubber flange
• Install airbox, reconnect outlet, plug in sensor
• Loosely fit hose clamp to the rubber connector between the airbox and snorkel
• Install snorkel into the rubber connector making sure all the studs and mounting bracket are aligned
• Fit rubber washers and metal washers to the mounting studs inside the fender…tighten with nylock nuts
• Tighten a pillar mounting bolts
• Tighten hose clamp for rubber air entry hose between snorkel and airbox
• Install air ram (top of snorkel)
• Refit inner wheel well liner and mud flap

 

[1Maverick]

This would be the snorkel I’d get. Blends in pretty nicely.

looks good left black as well

 

[MTKID]

This would be the snorkel I’d get. Blends in pretty nicely.

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looks good left black as well

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I just so happen to have one of those for an 08’-15’ LC (not LX) painted white for sale over in the classifieds if anyone is interested. Admittedly, not at an eBay price point

 

[kcjaz]

This would be the snorkel I’d get. Blends in pretty nicely.

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looks good left black as well

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I love the look of that snorkel. It’s fiberglass though and likely wouldn’t take much of a tree branch hit. I like my stainless steel tube for this reason. This fall, one of my local club member snapped his plastic snorkel when he leaned into a tree.

It’s also Russian made. Might be an import issue at the moment.

 

[1MOA]

Snorkels real function is to get above the dirt and feed the engine clean air.
Watch a vehicle go down a dirt road or a long gravel driveway and see how the cloud of dust just hands about 2-3 feet up? Driving through or behind that a snorkel pulls air from above that. Or just look at your under hood area after a few years and look at all the dirt that is in the engine compartment.
Yes snorkels help in water but I doubt most people raise up their diff breathers transmission vents seal their vent pick ups or electrical/ignition systems to match a snorkel.
Be real careful going through water that's deep it doesn't compress well in engines.

 

[MTKID]

…It’s also Russian made. Might be an import issue at the moment.

It’s not an import issue as of this month, as long as you’re patient. It will arrive in 1-2 months.

 

[linuxgod]

Looks identical to the Dobinson’s one I bought about 5 years back. I think I paid $250 at the time. I can’t speak to this specific one but I had couple minor issues with my install.

1. The snorkel mounting holes were off from the A pillar mounting bracket. This is because the pop rivets stuck out slightly. If you have different flat head pop rivets they might be fine, otherwise you have to widen the snorkel mounting holes in the bracket so the bolts will correctly attach to the snorkel.

2. The included bolts were uncoated zinc and started rusting in a week. I picked up a couple stainless steel ones, no biggie

3. Ditto for the hose clamp

Otherwise the install was the same as a safari

 

[highfructose]

Looks identical to the Dobinson’s one I bought about 5 years back. I think I paid $250 at the time. I can’t speak to this specific one but I had couple minor issues with my install.

1. The snorkel mounting holes were off from the A pillar mounting bracket. This is because the pop rivets stuck out slightly. If you have different flat head pop rivets they might be fine, otherwise you have to widen the snorkel mounting holes in the bracket so the bolts will correctly attach to the snorkel.

2. The included bolts were uncoated zinc and started rusting in a week. I picked up a couple stainless steel ones, no biggie

3. Ditto for the hose clamp

Otherwise the install was the same as a safari

I do remember the a pillar mounting bracket requiring some levering to get the snorkel bolt holes to line up properly. I figured we just installed the bracket slightly off kilter compared to what the design demanded…but yeah it could be an issue with the pop rivets.

To be clear, I’m assuming the bolts that rusted are the ones that attach the neck of the snorkel to the a pillar mount?

 

[99toylc]

double post

 

[99toylc]

I have said that before:

That Russian snorkel is made of 2 halfs of fiber glass glued together and primed ready for paint.

I would not trust it for an actual off-road use... it is for urban street posers only.

 

[nwfl4runner]

How’s your a-pillar gap? The LX fender is just different enough from the Land Cruiser that I ended up filling the safari with sand and heat cycling it to bend it to follow the a-pillar, otherwise my mounting bracket wouldn’t line up.

 

[highfructose]

How’s your a-pillar gap? The LX fender is just different enough from the Land Cruiser that I ended up filling the safari with sand and heat cycling it to bend it to follow the a-pillar, otherwise my mounting bracket wouldn’t line up.

We used the template and cut a small hole basically based on where it wanted it. Then we slowly opened the hole up until the snorkel was just shy of a press fit. Then we removed material forward, aft, etc until the neck of the snorkel lined up appropriately.

Once the bracket was installed, we did have to lever the snorkel just a bit (the plastic gives a little) to make the neck bolt holes line up appropriately with the snorkel.

I think using the template is a helpful starting point, but hand fitting is gonna be necessary since not only does the lx spec differently than the lc200, individual vehicles have slight differences.

I don’t know that we could have gotten any less gap or gotten it more aesthetically appropriately mounted. There’s a gap, but it isn’t excessive imo.

 

[MTKID]

I have said that before:

That Russian snorkel is made of 2 halfs of fiber glass glued together and primed ready for paint.

I would not trust it for an actual off-road use... it is for urban street posers only.

@eurosonic might disagree with you. Not that it can’t be broken, and certainly easier than the stainless tubing version mentioned earlier but your statement is rather bold.

 

[linuxgod]

I do remember the a pillar mounting bracket requiring some levering to get the snorkel bolt holes to line up properly. I figured we just installed the bracket slightly off kilter compared to what the design demanded…but yeah it could be an issue with the pop rivets.

To be clear, I’m assuming the bolts that rusted are the ones that attach the neck of the snorkel to the a pillar mount?

Yes. They are easily replaced.

 

[linuxgod]

We used the template and cut a small hole basically based on where it wanted it. Then we slowly opened the hole up until the snorkel was just shy of a press fit. Then we removed material forward, aft, etc until the neck of the snorkel lined up appropriately.

Once the bracket was installed, we did have to lever the snorkel just a bit (the plastic gives a little) to make the neck bolt holes line up appropriately with the snorkel.

I think using the template is a helpful starting point, but hand fitting is gonna be necessary since not only does the lx spec differently than the lc200, individual vehicles have slight differences.

I don’t know that we could have gotten any less gap or gotten it more aesthetically appropriately mounted. There’s a gap, but it isn’t excessive imo.

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My 2013 LC gap is similar.

 

[99toylc]

@MTKID what if I told you that I saw first hand this Russian wonder and would rather not have it on my rig? (political reasons aside)

Is it fair for me to make my previous statement then? - with your permission of course!

BTW I didn't realize you have one for sale and you feel obligated to reply...

I'll be happy to remove my previous statement if it helps you to unload it.

Sorry I don't have a horse it this race.


Carry on.

Cheers !

 

[nwfl4runner]

Here’s what insomnia and a heat gun can do on the LX fender. I was worried about putting too much torque on the a-pillar bracket, but that honestly may have been a non-issue.