Intake relocation (1 Viewer)

[turbo8]

Since I removed my inner fender for tire clearance my intake is pretty exposed.
A lot of rocks have made their way into the filter box. I'm also a little concerned about water getting in there.

I originally wanted to get a tube into the cowl area but there isn't enough room.

I mocked this up, wondering if it will help or make things worse..

I really don't want a snorkel either.

 

[kcjaz]

IMO, you need something to isolate the part of the fender that air is being drawn from from the wheel well itself. There was a guy at LCDC that had a close call with ingesting water going through a minor water crossing a little faster than he should have. Part of his fender liner wasn't re-installed after his new bumper was put on. The air intake is essentially a shop vac sucking air from the wheel well. Without something to defect water, mud and dirt, you will likely get an excessive amount of crap in your air box. The filter will get dirty pretty fast if you go off pavement and will get wet with just road splash in rain.

Your tube will be better than nothing but I still think you need something to deflect wheel spray, splash, dirt and dust from the inlet.

 

[Dunbar]

I can't think of a better reason to install a snorkel that what you are dealing with.

 

[grinchy]

Put a 90 elbow on that, cut a hole in the top of the fender by the windshield, and it’ll look just like a hmmwv intake.
But I think a dorkel of your choice would look even better.

 

[turbo8]

Put a 90 elbow on that, cut a hole in the top of the fender by the windshield, and it’ll look just like a hmmwv intake.
But I think a dorkel of your choice would look even better.

I really don't want a dorkel though. Lol

 

[turbo8]

This area is attached to the cowl area. Perhaps I open up the area some and add some wheel well deflectors.

 

[kcjaz]

Seems like you could get some slotted plastic material up in there somehow:

 

[Dunbar]

I really don't want a dorkel though. Lol

I didn't either but a previous owner of my 2020, which I got with less than 10k miles on the clock, decided for me. I would not have installed one but am not going to pay big money to remove replace and repaint etc. I have to say that the snorkel is the single most defining element of my truck as far as the general public is concerned. I get kids pointing and gawking. I get joggers make me roll down the window so they can ask if I have used it. Told that guy, "yes I use it every day to send air into the engine but I ain't dunkin my front end on purpose." Is it a dorkel? Of course it is. But sometimes it makes me smile.

 

[grinchy]

This dorkel you can’t see from the driver seat.

TJM Airtec Snorkel for Toyota Land Cruiser 200 Series (2008-2014)

Features Snorkels assist 4×4 vehicles with deep water crossings and provide hassle free air induction when immersed in dust. The TJM Airtec Snorkel provides air that is cooler and cleaner at roof level than air travelling via the bonnet. These are important factors, particularly when 4x4ing on...

tgmoverland.com

The generic of this is slightly less polished and $250

 

[TeCKis300]

Since I removed my inner fender for tire clearance my intake is pretty exposed.
A lot of rocks have made their way into the filter box. I'm also a little concerned about water getting in there.

I originally wanted to get a tube into the cowl area but there isn't enough room.

I mocked this up, wondering if it will help or make things worse..

I really don't want a snorkel either.

View attachment 3088916

View attachment 3088921

Enjoying these more hardcore mods!

To answer your question, I'd hesitate to locate it further aft. The tire will kick up dirt towards that spot rotating in the forward direction. I think you'll be better off pointing it forward, perhaps at the back of the headlight. Cleaner air there and it won't be in the wake of all the dirt/dust behind the tire.

 

[Markuson]

I really don't want a dorkel though. Lol

Heh.
I avoided a snorkel for years…

But in my book… It only qualifies as a “dorkel” if you drive in a manner that assures you’ve got basically zippo chance of desperately needing it.

On the annoying other hand… strangers around then will forever assume you’re a poser until they get close enough to see evidence to the contrary.

Seriously though… With a destroyed low shielding like the OP describes… that ks…and likely WAS what caused Cile’s deadly gulp in Moab. His intake was similarly compromised at the time.

Whether a snorkel or other solution…its definitely worth a serious remedy, or dven a local flooded street could inadvertently spell engine doom.

 

[CharlieS]

I like where @Markuson is headed - if you do not have a dual battery, you could reorient the opening forward and get cool air from the front of the vehicle.

Alternatively, could you fabricate some replacement for the wheel liner splash shield that still provides tire clearance?

 

[turbo8]

Does everyone think this would be better than going towards the rear of the fender?
I'll probably put a 4" diameter tube into the elbow so it doesn't collapse.

 

[grinchy]

I’m not everyone, but I think you should put a snorkel on.

 

[CharlieS]

I'm not everyone either, but I have to say, with the options you've shown, I think you are at risk for ingesting things. If those are your options, a snorkel might be better.

 

[PDoyle]

Yup snorkel. Unless you can pull air from the other side of the box from the engine bay.

 

[kcjaz]

Unless you can figure out a way to put some kind of guard or something to deflect splash and spray, I think you need to go snorkel. Having an open “shop vac” nozzle in the wheel well is bad waiting to happen.

IMO (which is biased) a paint matched FF snorkel is the least visually offensive of the dorkels. It’s near invisible and is totally invisible from the drivers seat.

 

[turbo8]

I live in a desert and don't normally do water crossings. For now I'll be running this and will block the top off more.

 

[turbo8]

Had to cut it up and enlarge some holes, but I think it is good now

 

[PDoyle]

Looks good. Those inner wheel liners are cheap on rock auto if you need to make an adjustment.