Builds Just another 79 build.....

[c2dfj45]

Since I think there is room in the shop for a bit, I started in on the snorkel install today. Waited nearly 5 months for this Safari Snorkel Armax piece. It's a monster. Makes the stock one look ridiculously small. The Armax is made for the V8 so it fits the V8 air box which of course this truck does not have.....so lots of mods.

Tiny OEM snorkel

Template provided is pretty good.

Ready for the cut...

Forgot to take pics of the cut.....so I'll return back to that tomorrow.

This is the difference between what I had on the truck to what is going to connect the end of the Snorkel to the air box.....4.25" at the snorkel which will go into a 4" pipe which will connect to the air box(with a whole bunch of work. I'm not sure what was on the gas motor....maybe a 2.75" inlet to the air box assembly. Yikes.

The snorkel enters the engine compartment in this middle fender opening....huge tube. I forgot to order the silicone 4.25" to 4" adapter....kind of need that to keep going so I know where the inlet will intersect the air box. AND of course the silicone couplers are out of stock everywhere but I think I found one.

 

[TaylorDurdan]

We do have duct tape....

 

[TonyP]

Nice. We went with the Armax too.
Took 6 months for it to arrive... after being told it would only take two months from a vendor. I was super stoked about that delay...

 

[c2dfj45]

We do have duct tape....

Yeah but I have no idea where it is

 

[c2dfj45]

Nice. We went with the Armax too.
Took 6 months for it to arrive... after being told it would only take two months from a vendor. I was super stoked about that delay...

Ha.....I was told 2 months too.....a LONG time ago. Glad they got here.....I was worried that we wouldn't see one at all. What air box are you going to run.....standard round style or something custom?

Armax is on the #2 truck....

 

[TonyP]

Ha.....I was told 2 months too.....a LONG time ago. Glad they got here.....I was worried that we wouldn't see one at all. What air box are you going to run.....standard round style or something custom?

Armax is on the #2 truck....

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I was going to go with Moonlight Fab but they ghosted me after I ask for an invoice so @SNLC is going to fab one up with a 200-Series filter. He's doing Lockwood's airbox on his FTE 80-Series.

 

[c2dfj45]

I was going to go with Moonlight Fab but they ghosted me after I ask for an invoice so @SNLC is going to fab one up with a 200-Series filter. He's doing Lockwood's airbox on his FTE 80-Series.

I thought about doing a box but my under hood area became really crowded and I didn't want to try cramming in a box....maybe on the next build...I'll start with the box and work around it.

What are you doing for an intercooler?

 

[TonyP]

I thought about doing a box but my under hood area became really crowded and I didn't want to try cramming in a box....maybe on the next build...I'll start with the box and work around it.

What are you doing for an intercooler?

Leaning towards a CrossCountry4X4 top mount with some ducting to pull air from the hood scoop.
I'm not opposed to a FMIC but A/C Condensor and radiator airflow would suffer a bit, plus, might as well put that hood scoop to good use.

 

[c2dfj45]

Leaning towards a CrossCountry4X4 top mount with some ducting to pull air from the hood scoop.
I'm not opposed to a FMIC but A/C Condensor and radiator airflow would suffer a bit, plus, might as well put that hood scoop to good use.

Been going on 6 months and ZERO from Cross Country. We started off great....but now I can't get replies to my emails for an update. Now mine was a little unique because of the 1HDT in the 79 with the big hood.....so maybe that's the issue.

Thinking I may have to build my own.

 

[c2dfj45]

Pretty much got nothing done today......other than the un-crating of this thing of beauty courtesy of @chapel gate

We did cut off the air cleaner inlet.....tomorrow we are going to plate this so we can get our new tube mounted.

Noticed that Safari Snorkel made a change on the these snorkels which is interesting......there was an updated part number since I ordered the last one. I was reading thru the instructions and I could have sworn that it seemed different to me than the other truck's snorkel......I checked the #2 truck and sure enough, the upper mount now becomes the only mount. The #2 truck had to have a small bracket pop riveted to the windshield frame for the mount. The upper factory threaded inserts were just plated over. No provisions from Safari Snorkel if you don't have that upper mount....so I'm guessing that all the V8 trucks have snorkels from the factory....that way they have the upper mount. Not sure why the last snorkel didn't. Weird.

#2's setup

#1's setup....newer style I guess.

 

[Tapage]

Makes totally sense the new ( for factory snorkel ) version since if you already hace the factory nuts in the pillar why not use them, right ?

 

[c2dfj45]

Makes totally sense the new ( for factory snorkel ) version since if you already hace the factory nuts in the pillar why not use them, right ?

When I installed that snorkel on the #2 truck I thought it was really goofy to not use the holes already there.......guess they just spent more time on the brackets or something. Look at where the mount that is screwed into the A pillar of #2 attaches to the snorkel......there's a cover plate now for it since it's not used...still in the mold though.

No provisions in the instructions or hardware for mounting on a truck that doesn't have a factory snorkel either. So many questions

 

[SNLC]

It looks like we have started an FT/FTE trend.

Cheers

 

[WarDamnEagle]

Noticed that Safari Snorkel made a change on the these snorkels which is interesting......there was an updated part number since I ordered the last one. I was reading thru the instructions and I could have sworn that it seemed different to me than the other truck's snorkel......I checked the #2 truck and sure enough, the upper mount now becomes the only mount. The #2 truck had to have a small bracket pop riveted to the windshield frame for the mount. The upper factory threaded inserts were just plated over. No provisions from Safari Snorkel if you don't have that upper mount....so I'm guessing that all the V8 trucks have snorkels from the factory....that way they have the upper mount. Not sure why the last snorkel didn't. Weird.

Yes, in Saudi all the V8 diesel pickups come with a factory snorkel and none of the other engine configurations do.

 

[c2dfj45]

Got our 4.25" to 4" silicone coupler today but could only spend a few hours on the project....knocked out the bulk of it....we'll clean it all up tomorrow, paint it, seal it to the air box and cross it off the list. Probably should fully mount the snorkel too

Formed our metal plate to match the air box assembly so we could get the inlet tube located. Forgot to get a pic of the plate by itself....ignore those tack welds.

Trimmed the air box for the new inlet

Getting ready to tack the tube to the plate that was held to the air box with Clecos.....great tool to have.....buy a set and see for yourself

Had to cut a wedge off the tube and rotate it 180 degrees to get the tube where we wanted it entering the box....tig welded that piece back on. I would normally have bought a new mandrel piece of tubing but I had this scrap leftover from the last air box and wanted to use it.....it's not exactly the right shape. I would have liked just a little more meat to clamp to but I think I'm just being picky....and it's an air box inlet...it will be perfectly sealed. I worry too much.

Welded and ready for some cleanup tomorrow so we can finish this thing up.

 

[c2dfj45]

Finished......well almost......we need to extend the stud for the air cleaner top. Easy.

 

[Honger]

Finished......well almost......we need to extend the stud for the air cleaner top. Easy.

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Any reason you end up riveting the tube and flange to the air cleaner housing? Why not another tig weld? I’m assuming you’ve got something sandwiched in there to seal the flange to the housing.

 

[c2dfj45]

Any reason you end up riveting the tube and flange to the air cleaner housing? Why not another tig weld? I’m assuming you’ve got something sandwiched in there to seal the flange to the housing.

Yeah....I forgot to add that in there. We use 3M urethane windshield adhesive to seal it up...rivets help hold it all together. That adhesive is some insanely strong stuff. We use it for everything that we don't plan on disassembling.

I suppose we could weld it. I've always done it this way for some reason. One of the trucks must have had a powder coated air cleaner assembly that I didn't want to have to repowdercoat after welding. Riveting on would be a nice way to prevent welding damage...

 

[nuclearbeef]

I thought that the air was supposed to enter the cleaner assembly at a tangent; parallel to the wall, so that it swirles around the filter element?

This action keeps the heavier particles on the outside wall (centrifugally) until they fall through the small hole into the little catch can.

I don't know this to be true, but just my theory after looking at the OEM snorkel filter housing.

 

[c2dfj45]

I thought that the air was supposed to enter the cleaner assembly at a tangent; parallel to the wall, so that it swirles around the filter element?

This action keeps the heavier particles on the outside wall (centrifugally) until they fall through the small hole into the little catch can.

I don't know this to be true, but just my theory after looking at the OEM snorkel filter housing.

It's hard to see in the pics but there is a diverter in the OEM assembly that I think not only allows for air not to hit one spot on the filter but it's angled to help get it to swirl around the canister......we reuse that. I'm sure directing the air more at an angle would probably be ideal but it just wasn't in the cards for this setup. I run a air filter restriction gauge on the outlet pipe of the intake....it will be interesting to see where it registers now.